10:00 AM -- We already knew that, as CEO of Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU), Pat Russo is a very powerful woman.

But did we know she is the 10th most powerful woman in the world?

Well, we do now, because that's her ranking in the annual Forbes World's Most Powerful Women list, which is topped by Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Now, I know what some folk will instantly say: "How can Russo be so far up that list when AlcaLu is having such a rotten 2007?" (See AlcaLu's Russo: We're Under Attack!, Alcatel-Lucent Slumps on Q2 Loss , and Merger Tears Into AlcaLu's Sales.)

Well, the list is about power, and not based on current performance, and there's no doubt that Russo holds a very strong position in the business world. But the 10th most powerful woman in the world? Hmmm...

According to the list, Russo is slightly less powerful than Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Kraft Foods (ranked ninth), but more powerful than Oprah Winfrey (in 21st place), Hillary Rodham Clinton (ranked 25th), and my personal friend, Queen Elizabeth II (in 23rd place).

Other women from the world of technology that made the list were Safra Catz, the CFO of Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL) (ranked 28th), and Ann Livermore, executive VP at HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) (36th).

All this gets me wondering: Where would Russo rank in a "Most Powerful People in Telecommunications" list?

— Ray Le Maistre, Powerlists Editor, Light Reading