China's Iron Lady, or, shall we say, Woman of Steel, is one of China's handful of female executives, and not only that, she is a dominant force in an industry ruled by men. Xie Qihua's influence is increasing in lockstep with China's insatiable need for iron and steel, as China's appetite for skyscrapers, ships and cars expands along with its economy. After graduating from college in 1966, Xie Qihua , 62, started working as a technician at a steel plant in northwest China's Shaanxi province. In 1978 she joined Baosteel as an engineer; she was named president in 1994 and chairman in 2003. As chair, she oversees 100,000 workers, who roll out 21 million tons of steel each year at the world's sixth-largest steel company (in terms of capacity). Profits are on the order of $22 billion. Next in Xie Qihua's sights: making her company one of the top three steel producers in the world.