Christina Gold, CEO of the Western Union Co., has been named by the Financial Times to its first-ever list of the world's top 50 women in business.

Gold -- CEO of Douglas County-based Western Union (NYSE: WU) since 2002 -- was ranked No. 18 on the list.

"The former president of Avon North America runs a company used by an estimated 175 million immigrants to send money home," the Financial Times said of Gold.