Beyond the Title: The Women Redefining Power, Influence and Decision Making in 2025

In 2025, female power has definitively moved beyond promise and become a concrete reality within decision making spaces. It is no longer merely about representation or symbolic positions, but about women who exercise real influence, build markets, lead transformations and redefine how businesses, institutions and people evolve.

What unites the leaders featured in this special edition of ForbesLife UK is not their field of expertise, nor a single model of success. Their journeys are distinct, spanning law, agribusiness, international education, eye health, innovation and human development. The connection lies in something deeper. All of them embody a form of leadership shaped by experience, conscious decision making and the ability to generate measurable impact within their sectors.

These women did not follow predefined paths. They built structures, faced disruption, reframed personal and professional challenges and transformed knowledge into authority. In an increasingly fast paced, technological and competitive world, they represent a new logic of female power. A power that is not imposed, but sustained through competence, clarity of vision and responsibility towards the future.

Below, we present the full journeys of the leaders who symbolise the new axis of contemporary female leadership.

Elieth Moreira

Leadership built over time through vision, courage and purpose

In a market that demands precision, trust and highly strategic management, Elieth Moreira has built a journey that exemplifies the new profile of female leadership in Brazil. An entrepreneur in the optical sector and a franchisee of Óticas Diniz, she currently leads four units of the network in the state of Pará. This achievement is the result of more than two decades of continuous learning, courageous decisions and a clear long term vision.

Born in Itupiranga, in the interior of Pará, Elieth grew up in a modest environment guided by strong values and the belief that true growth is built through consistent work. She holds a degree in Mathematics from the Federal University of Pará, a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and technical training in Optics. Her professional journey began far from executive roles, starting with operational positions in retail, where she gained practical experience before assuming leadership responsibilities.

After losing her brother at a young age in a violent incident, Elieth was forced to reframe her grief and move forward. At the age of eighteen, she began working as a nanny and later accepted temporary jobs in retail. It was through a personal need to purchase glasses that she first encountered the optical sector. Initially hired as a general services assistant, she recognised a real opportunity for growth. With formal employment and a stable income, she took her first steps towards independence, renting a small flat and welcoming her younger sister to live with her.

Although she did not initially have a clear professional direction, Elieth held one unshakeable conviction. She wanted to grow, earn her place and transform her family’s reality. Over time, she progressed into sales and later assumed leadership roles, eventually becoming an optical store manager. During this period, she also entered a new personal chapter through marriage, balancing professional development with family life.

When she realised that she had reached a professional ceiling, she sought new challenges outside the optical sector, working for nearly two years with a company outsourced by Vale. Later, she decided to take another risk. She resigned, relinquished her employment benefits and travelled to Belém to participate in a recruitment process for a multinational ophthalmic lens company. The gamble paid off. She returned employed and assumed responsibility for representing the company across southern Pará, gaining visibility and professional recognition.

This role became a showcase for new leadership opportunities. She received several proposals, some financially more attractive, but chose to work as a manager at Óticas Diniz because she recognised its long term growth potential. She began as a manager, became a supervisor and, after seven years, felt the call to become an entrepreneur. She invested in technical training in Optics, preparing herself with seriousness and faith for the right moment.

At the same time, she experienced one of the most significant moments of her life. She became the mother of Whater Joseph, an experience that further strengthened her desire to grow both personally and professionally. One year after her son’s birth, the opportunity arose to acquire her first Óticas Diniz store in Parauapebas. After careful planning and prayer, she completed the purchase, officially beginning her journey as a business owner.

In 2019, she also acquired the two stores in Marabá. Shortly thereafter, she faced the challenges of the pandemic, maintaining responsibility towards employees, clients and commitments. Her leadership during this period was marked by accountability, organisation and a deep sense of human care.

Amidst business consolidation, Elieth faced a breast cancer diagnosis, detected early through self examination. The treatment required a forced pause from her routine and profoundly transformed her perspective on life, work and time. During this period, she lived motherhood intensely and understood that presence is the most valuable gift one can offer.

She underwent twelve chemotherapy sessions, seventeen vaccinations and fifteen radiotherapy sessions, all experienced with serenity, faith and family support. Elieth did not feel defeated, but cared for. She learned to give thanks in all circumstances and to recognise that time invested in those we love builds bonds and memories that no financial resource can replace.

Today, cured and strengthened, Elieth has been an Óticas Diniz franchisee for over eight years, with four stores under her responsibility. She is dedicated to offering an experience that goes beyond sales, integrating eye health, personalised consultancy and visagism. Trained in Visagism by Philip Hallawell and specialised in Optics, she believes that every client deserves to be welcomed as an extension of their own home.

Her leadership is quiet, consistent and strategic. For Elieth, entrepreneurship with purpose means serving through what one offers, with excellence, ethics and care. Her journey reflects the power of a woman who built authority at the right time, transforming challenges into a solid foundation for a legacy of responsibility and human care.

Julice Rodrigues Rosa

When authority is born from listening, courage and the decision to cross limits

Julice Rodrigues Rosa has built a distinctive professional journey marked by the union of technical rigour, communication and profound human impact. A lawyer, speaker and founder of Julice Rodrigues and Advogados Associados, she has worked for more than two decades in legal practice, specialising in Labour Law, occupational health and workplace safety.

With degrees in Law and Performing Arts, Julice developed a professional approach that combines legal expertise with the sensitivity of listening and communication. She holds postgraduate qualifications in Labour Law, Labour Procedure and Higher Education Teaching, and is currently a master’s degree candidate at Universidad Internacional España. She has taught at both public and private universities and now focuses on preventive legal practice, strategic conflict resolution and accessible legal education.

Her institutional trajectory is widely recognised within the Minas Gerais Bar Association. She served as President of the Sexual Diversity Commission, was a member of the Ethics and Discipline Council of the Uberlândia Bar Association and currently holds the position of Sectional Councillor, integrating the Full Council of the Minas Gerais Bar Association. In this role, she participates in high level decisions that directly impact the legal profession and the justice system.

The foundation of her leadership was formed early in life. At the age of six, Julice lost most of her eyesight due to a severe eye infection. In a time when inclusion and accessibility were rarely discussed, she was educated primarily through listening and taught to face life with courage, autonomy and responsibility. Her mother played a fundamental role in this process, teaching her that limitations are not sentences, but starting points.

Growing up while confronting physical and emotional challenges, Julice developed acute listening skills, resilience and deep sensitivity to human suffering. These experiences shaped her legal practice. For Julice, justice goes beyond written law. It is a tool for security, balance and dignity.

Throughout her career, she transformed her personal history into a source of inspiration for other women. She is a co author of the book Eles Decidiram Triunfar and the creator of the podcast PODJu, The Legal Connection Between You and the Law, initiatives dedicated to education, dialogue and legal awareness.

Julice is also involved in social projects, providing legal guidance and support to vulnerable communities. For her, the true impact of the law is not measured solely by cases won, but by its ability to transform lives and offer safe pathways for difficult decisions.

Her key distinction lies in the integration of up to date legal knowledge, practical experience and empathy. In an era defined by speed and technology, Julice reaffirms that true authority is built through coherence, integrity and courage. Her leadership represents a legal practice that serves people, preserves relationships and builds a more secure future.

Laís Nascimento

A new female leadership connecting agribusiness, technology and human impact

Laís Nascimento represents a new generation of female leadership within Brazilian agribusiness. At 36 years old, based in Marabá, in the state of Pará, she operates at the intersection of rural technical assistance, technological innovation, sustainability and animal welfare, delivering concrete results to producers and rural families.

She is the CEO of LSN Assessoria Rural and of the startup Bovine Innova Tech, where she develops solutions focused on reducing thermal stress in large animals. By integrating sustainable management, accessible technology and animal welfare, her work directly increases productivity, profitability and operational security for rural properties.

Laís is a qualified Agricultural Technician and an instructor at SENAR Pará. Beyond her technical qualifications, she carries something that cannot be taught in classrooms. Real lived experience in the field. As the daughter of a rural producer, she understands the reality inside the farm gate. Her knowledge is rooted in practice, daily challenges and the emotional and financial pressures faced by those who produce food for the country.

Through LSN Assessoria Rural, Laís develops projects that promote environmental and land regularisation, responsible access to rural credit and sustainable productivity growth. Her work supports rural families not only through technical solutions, but also by offering guidance, financial awareness and long term planning. For her, credit is not merely about approval. It is about protection, fair conditions and preventing producers from entering cycles of debt driven by fear and lack of information.

At Bovine Innova Tech, her entrepreneurial vision takes on a technological dimension. The startup focuses on thermal monitoring and stress reduction technologies for large animals, connecting scientific research with practical and accessible solutions. The results are tangible. Increased productivity, reduced animal suffering and greater predictability for producers. Her work demonstrates that innovation in agribusiness does not need to be complex or distant from reality. It must be applicable, humane and efficient.

Laís has been recognised as a Comendadora of Elo Social and currently serves as Director of Agribusiness Integration, occupying spaces of dialogue and decision making. In these roles, she represents agribusiness with social responsibility and a forward looking perspective, reinforcing that the sector’s strength lies in sustainability, innovation and human values.

Her leadership is defined by presence, trust and integrity. Laís does not treat producers as clients, but as partners. She delivers proximity, listens deeply and translates complex processes into clear and practical actions. She simplifies technology, demystifies financial systems and builds relationships grounded in transparency, loyalty and mutual respect.

Guided by faith, ethics and family values, Laís understands agribusiness as an ecosystem that involves people, animals, the environment and the economy. For her, leadership means generating prosperity without losing humanity, producing results without compromising care and building a legacy that goes beyond numbers.

Laís Nascimento symbolises a female leadership that rises from the land, grows through innovation and is sustained by responsibility. Her trajectory shows that the future of agribusiness depends not only on technology, but on conscious leadership capable of transforming realities with courage, humility and purpose.

Renata D’ Paula

The leadership that transformed communication into global strategic power

Renata D’ Paula has built a solid career by integrating education, neuroscience and international communication. She is the founder and CEO of the Instituto Andrade de Paula, where she prepares leaders to operate with confidence, clarity and authority in highly demanding global environments.

Born in Salvador, Bahia, Renata grew up immersed in education. As the granddaughter and daughter of teachers, she began studying English in childhood, yet initially followed a different professional path. She graduated in Tourism and Hospitality from the Universidade do Estado da Bahia and spent over two decades working in international contexts.

Throughout her career, she held strategic roles in global environments, represented Bahia’s tourism sector at international fairs and supported foreign journalists during major international events. She also lived in Israel and England and travelled across ten countries, experiencing first hand the realities of global communication that traditional English education often fails to address.

Despite outward success, a deep internal transformation emerged close to the age of forty. Renata experienced an existential turning point that led her to question whether professional achievement alone was enough. Seeking direction, she encountered neuroscience and behavioural studies, which revealed emotional and behavioural patterns that limited both personal fulfilment and professional expression.

This awakening led her to fully embrace her life purpose. Renata transitioned from a high level public sector position to entrepreneurship in education, starting with individual English lessons delivered directly to students. With limited resources but profound determination, she rebuilt her career aligned with her essence.

During the global pandemic, faced with uncertainty and the need to adapt, Renata turned to digital platforms, content creation and marketing strategies. Through this process, she identified a critical pattern. Adults do not struggle with English because of the language itself, but due to emotional and behavioural blocks such as fear of judgement, perfectionism and insecurity. The higher the professional position, the greater the communication blockage.

From this understanding, she developed the IRP Method, English with Thought Reprogramming. The methodology integrates neuroscience, strategic Business English and international communication techniques. It focuses on mindset reprogramming, contextualised professional language and cultural intelligence, enabling leaders to communicate effectively while maintaining authority and authenticity.

Renata is certified in international English proficiency by Cambridge Assessment English and holds qualifications in Education, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Coaching, Hypnosis and Mind Reprogramming. Applying the same strategies she teaches, she achieved a five hundred per cent increase in revenue within two years, consolidating the Institute as a reference in international communication.

Her work has impacted thousands of professionals in strategic positions across national and multinational companies. She has been recognised twice at the largest education event in Brazil focused on English language teaching and has spoken at major corporate and professional development events as a case study in communication and global careers.

Today, Renata’s work extends far beyond language instruction. She helps leaders adjust behaviour, presence and influence, enabling clear and confident communication across cultures. For her, effective communication in English is not about linguistic perfection, but about clarity, intention and connection.

Renata D’ Paula represents a female leadership that transforms education into strategy and communication into global expansion. Her journey demonstrates that internationalising a career is not simply about learning a language, but about reprogramming how professionals perceive themselves and position their voice in the world.

Mirella Vaz

Emotional leadership as the foundation of true prosperity and high performance

In a context where high performance is still often associated solely with financial results and extreme productivity, Mirella Vaz has built a trajectory that broadens and deepens this concept. A speaker and mentor for women, she has worked for 27 years in female human development, helping women understand that true prosperity is rooted in emotional balance, inner clarity and conscious relationships.

At 46 years old, based in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Mirella is a High Performance Emotional Mentor for Women and a Specialist in Female Emotional Prosperity and Intelligent Relationships. Her work is grounded in a humanised, welcoming and highly practical approach that respects each woman’s history, timing and individuality.

With training in human development and female behaviour, specialisation in neuroscience applied to human development, certification as a Behavioural Analysis Practitioner and a postgraduate qualification in Couples Therapy, Mirella has developed a proprietary methodology that integrates emotions, identity, life planning and prosperity. Her work goes beyond inspiration and translates into clear guidance and concrete transformation in the daily lives of the women she supports.

Throughout her career, she has directly impacted more than 700 women and dozens of companies and public and private institutions. She created and presented the segment “Casamento Inteligente” on Prime TV, bringing in depth reflections on conscious relationships to a wide audience. Her work has also been recognised through awards such as “Women Who Make a Difference” and “Women Multipliers”, highlighting her social and educational contribution.

Mirella is the author of 365 Days for an Intelligent Marriage, a work that translates her practical experience into accessible reflections on coexistence, conscious choices and the construction of healthy bonds. For her, prosperity is not limited to material accumulation, but to an emotionally structured life capable of sustaining decisions, relationships and growth in a balanced way.

The turning point in her journey came when she realised that her own life and relationship story could be transformed into professional purpose. By reframing personal challenges, Mirella began guiding women to choose themselves, strengthen their self esteem and assume emotional protagonism, building more mature relationships and a life aligned with their values.

The key distinction of her work lies in how each process is conducted. Mirella does not offer ready made formulas. She builds personalised pathways through close guidance, active listening and practical application. This genuine connection generates trust, engagement and sustainable results, allowing each woman to develop high performance without sacrificing emotional health or personal relationships.

Mirella Vaz represents a form of female leadership that understands true high performance begins within. Her work demonstrates that emotionally strengthened women make more conscious decisions, build healthier relationships and sustain a form of prosperity that goes far beyond financial success. A leadership that transforms awareness into a solid foundation for a more balanced, fulfilling and intentional life.

Taken together, the trajectories presented in this special edition reveal that contemporary female leadership is no longer defined by titles, visibility or symbolic representation. It is defined by responsibility, consistency and the ability to generate real and lasting impact across different sectors of society.

These women operate in law, agribusiness, education, health, innovation and human development, yet they share a common foundation. Leadership today requires conscious decision making, emotional intelligence, strategic vision and the courage to build structures rather than follow ready made paths. It demands the integration of performance and humanity, growth and purpose, ambition and responsibility.

What emerges from these stories is a new understanding of power. One that is not imposed, but sustained. Not centred on authority alone, but on influence built through experience, integrity and long term commitment. A form of leadership capable of navigating complexity, anticipating challenges and creating value that extends beyond individual success.

This feature is not merely a celebration of individual achievements. It is a portrait of a broader movement shaping the present and the future. A movement led by women who understand that true leadership is measured not only by results, but by the quality of the impact left on people, organisations and society as a whole.

As global markets, institutions and relationships continue to evolve, these women exemplify a leadership model that is increasingly essential. One that balances strategy with sensitivity, innovation with responsibility and ambition with meaning. A leadership that builds legacy, expands possibilities and redefines what power looks like in the world we are collectively creating.