Cover Le Nu Thuy Duong, vice chairwoman of KN Holdings Group, is among the female leaders who are driving social responsibility and sustainable community development in the region.
Le Nu Thuy Duong, vice chairwoman of KN Holdings Group, is among the female leaders who are driving social responsibility and sustainable community development in the region.
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As pillars of their communities, these leaders demonstrate that when women lead, they create lasting change for families, society and future generations
Across Asia, remarkable women are driving change by uplifting families, supporting vulnerable children and championing gender equality. Whether through philanthropy, policy or grassroots activism, their work reflects a deep commitment to social responsibility. From a leader transforming corporate spaces for working mothers to a philanthropist ensuring safe homes for abandoned children, these women prove that strength and compassion go hand in hand.
These inspiring female leaders on Asia’s Most Influential prove that, when women lead with purpose, they drive positive change for families, communities and generations to come.
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Purviz Shroff, permanent managing director, Ruttonjee Estates Continuation (Hong Kong)
Above Purviz Shroff, permanent managing director, Ruttonjee Estates Continuation
Purviz Shroff, permanent managing director, Ruttonjee Estates Continuation
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Purviz Shroff, the permanent managing director of Ruttonjee Estates Continuation, has spent decades advocating for women, children and healthcare, leaving a lasting mark on Hong Kong’s social landscape. A long-time supporter of Mother’s Choice, she has helped care for more than 2,000 babies and support vulnerable mothers since 1987, while as president and director of the Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart Diseases Association, she advances healthcare initiatives that support underprivileged families. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including a Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong government.
In 2024, she launched The Ruttonjees: Industry, Foresight & Charities, the commemorative book that chronicles her family’s legacy of business and philanthropy, as well as highlights their deep-rooted impact on Hong Kong’s development.
Read Purviz Shroff’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential
Rosalyn Mesina, country programme coordinator, UN Women Philippines (Philippines)
Above Rosalyn Mesina, country programme coordinator, UN Women Philippines
Rosalyn Mesina, country programme coordinator, UN Women Philippines
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With over 25 years dedicated to women’s empowerment, Rosalyn Mesina works to ensure that women’s voices shape policy, business and social progress. Since 2022, she has served as country programme coordinator for UN Women Philippines, where she champions the Women’s Empowerment Principles, helping businesses advance workplace gender equality.
The executive also contributes to research and policy. She authored “Women in the C-Suite”, examining barriers to women’s leadership in Philippine corporations, and also developed a framework for the Philippine Commission on Human Rights’ gender-based violence observatory to improve monitoring and response efforts.
Read Rosalyn Mesina’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential
Le Nu Thuy Duong, vice chairwoman, KN Holdings Group (Vietnam)
Above Le Nu Thuy Duong, vice chairwoman, KN Holdings Group
Le Nu Thuy Duong, vice chairwoman, KN Holdings Group
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Through philanthropy centred on healthcare and support for underprivileged groups, Le Nu Thuy Duong drives social responsibility and sustainable community development in Vietnam. In 2023, the vice chairwoman of KN Holdings Group pledged US$3 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to support lifesaving tuberculosis programmes. Her contribution focused on improving early detection and treatment, especially for children, while strengthening healthcare infrastructure.
Under her leadership, KN Holdings has also implemented various social welfare initiatives such as the Restrooms for Children programme. With an investment of US$600,000, it has built 50 modern restroom facilities in schools across underserved areas, improving health standards for students. Recognising her community contributions, the business leader was awarded the First-Class Labour Medal in 2023.
Read Le Nu Thuy Duong’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential
Alia Eyres, senior advisor, Mother’s Choice (Hong Kong)
Above Alia Eyres, senior advisor, Mother’s Choice (Photo: Alex Maeland)
Alia Eyres, senior advisor, Mother’s Choice (Photo: Alex Maeland)
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Alia Eyres left a career in law to become the CEO of Mother’s Choice, the Hong Kong charity that gives children without families, pregnant teenagers and young mothers what they need most: a loving family. Under Eyres’ guidance, Mother’s Choice provides temporary care through a foster care programme and the Child Care Home for babies and children. It also offers full support—with a crisis hotline, information about choices, shelter at a residential hostel during pregnancy and a baby plan—to at-risk girls.
After 12 years, Eyres stepped down as CEO of Mother’s Choice in 2024. However, she continues her mission of “every child in a loving family” as the organisation’s senior advisor. Of her departure, Eyres said, “Mother’s Choice has been part of my life since I was a child, and I consider the mission of this amazing organisation a lifelong calling.”
Dewi Sukarno, businesswoman (Indonesia)
Above Dewi Sukarno, businesswoman
Dewi Sukarno, businesswoman
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“To me, a strong woman is brave, confident in her way of life and proud of herself; she is influential and respected by others. Regardless of her beauty, her feminine qualities are beautiful,” says Dewi Sukarno, the former first lady of Indonesia, to Tatler.
Apart from being a businesswoman, Dewi has channelled her energies toward philanthropy, establishing the Earth Aid Society, an organisation dedicated to supporting refugees around the world. She is unafraid to go where help is needed, meeting with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and travelling to her native Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 and the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016. Her philanthropic spirit has been passed on to her daughter Kartika, who established the Kartika Sukarno Foundation in Indonesia.
Han Jian Lin Hsieh, chairwoman, Hungguo Group (Taiwan)
Above Han Jian Lin Hsieh, chairwoman, Hungguo Group
Han Jian Lin Hsieh, chairwoman, Hungguo Group
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Proving that family is more important than wealth, Han Jian Lin Hsieh, once the richest woman in Taiwan, rescued her family from ruin. In the 2000s, a series of events—including a financial crisis and a housing downturn—left the Hongguo Group with over NT$60.5 billion in debt. After her husband passed away, she took over the real estate and construction company and worked to pay it off in 15 years, the shortest period for debt repayment in the history of Taiwanese companies. The Hongguo Group owns Caesars Hotel, Hung Kuo Construction and the Hung Kuo Delin University of Science and Technology, among others.
Tatler Asia’s Most Influential is the definitive list of people shaping our world today. Asia’s Most Influential brings together the region's most innovative changemakers, industry titans and thought leaders who are driving positive impact in Asia and beyond. View the full list here.
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