Ms. Rousseff may be Brazil’s first female president, but her election in 2010 was not a surprise. She had long been the obvious successor to former President Lula da Silva, for whom she served as chief of staff. Her election catapulted her up the Forbes list – in 2010, she was No. 95.
Brazil is South America’s largest economy (it is the “B” in the so-called BRICS, five powerhouse economies the world is watching) and as the head, Rousseff’s decisions may cause financial ripples around the world. She’s No. 16 on Forbes’ overall list of the world’s most powerful people.
