Zhou Xiaochuan (周小川)

 Organization: People's Bank of China (中國人民銀行)

Position: Governor

Age: 63

As the governor of the People's Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan has been in charge of the country's monetary policies since December 2002. Graduated from Tsinghua University with a Ph.D. in economic systems engineering and with extensive experience in the country's financial sector, Zhou managed to stabilize China's economic growth while keeping inflation in check amid the global economic gloom, reducing the chance of a hard landing for the Chinese economy. In 2011, Zhou was awarded Central Bank Governor of the Year by Euromoney magazine for his handling of the Chinese economy and his efforts to open up China to greater international trade and investment.