The President of Universidade Católica Portuguesa has once again been named one of the country’s most influential women by Forbes Portugal, which compiles an annual list of the ‘Most Powerful Women in Business’.

In the 2026 ranking, which analysed 11 sectors of activity, Isabel Capeloa Gil occupies second place in the Education and Science category, standing out for her personal, professional and academic achievements.

In a brief biography of the Rector, who has featured on this list for several years now, Forbes Portugal highlights her third term at the helm of Católica, her presidency of the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities between 2025 and 2028, and her leadership of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, where she was the first woman to hold the position of president.

“Throughout her career, she has carried out research in the field of culture, with over 150 academic articles and publications to her name. She established and coordinated a collaborative network between the university and the cultural sector, notably leading to the creation of the Master’s degree in Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Human Sciences. She has held honorary doctorates from Boston College since 2019 and from the Institut Catholique de Paris since 2021. In 2022, she was appointed as an adviser to the Dicastery (a kind of department) for Education and Culture of the Holy See by the late Pope Francis,” notes Forbes.

Comprising 55 Portuguese women, the Forbes Portugal “Most Powerful Women” list—which states that it evaluated more than 150 individuals—is compiled based on the nominees’ careers and taking into account five criteria: Decision-Making Power, Influence, Entrepreneurship, Business Size, and Net Worth.