Beyond the boardroom: Asia’s 10 influential women to watch in 2026

Power in Asia extends well beyond the C-suite. Across sport, culture, science and public life, women from the region are reaching the top of their fields—and, increasingly, attracting attention far beyond them. 

Here are Fortune’s 10 influential women to watch in Asia in 2026. For more, see who made the 2026 Fortune Most Powerful Women Asia list here.

An Se-young | South Korea 

At 24, An Se-young isn’t just the world’s best women’s badminton player. She’s now the sport’s defining competitor, giving South Korea a new sporting star in a game where the country is a global force. Already an Olympic champion and the world’s No. 1 singles player, An took her dominance to another level this year, capturing her second world championship in August and following it up with a gold at this year’s Asian Games. She’s the first woman to win back-to-back singles titles at the Asian Games. She’s lost just once in 57 matches so far this year. 

Cho Eun-hee | South Korea 

Chef and culinary educator Cho Eun-hee is helping to transform Korean food from a pop-culture fad to global fine dining. A holder of Korea’s Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 38 certification for Joseon royal court cuisine, she leads the kitchen at Seoul’s Michelin-starred Onjium. In 2026, Cho was named Asia’s Best Female Chef, while Onjium ranked No. 14 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. She’s showing that centuries-old royal court cuisine can appeal to a new generation of diners at home and abroad.  

Alex Eala | Philippines 

When Fortune highlighted Alex Eala last year, the........

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