Zhang Hongxia (張紅霞)

 Company: Weiqiao Textile Company Limited (魏橋紡織股份有限公司)

Headquarters: Shandong

Main focus: Cotton textile

Title: Chairwoman and general manager

Age: 41

2011 Rank: N/A

Since graduating from a vocational school at the age of 16, Zhang Hongxia has been working in Weiqiao Textile for 25 years. At the age of 27, Zhang was promoted to general manager of Weiqiao Pioneering Group, the parent company of Weiqiao Textile that was established by Zhang Hongxia's father Zhang Shiping in 1951.

In 2003, Weiqiao Textile went public in Hong Kong and three years later, Zhang replaced her brother as chairwoman of the company. At present, Weiqiao Textile is the largest cotton textile manufacturer in the world by production capacity. In April 2012, Weiqiao Textile ranked 440th among Fortune's Global 500, and ranked 245th in the 2012 Top 500 Chinese Enterprises.