Yoshiko Shinohara, president of staffing firm Tempholdings Co., has received numerous awards both in Japan and abroad.

Thanks to her company's steady and robust growth, the 74-year-old Shinohara has been named one of "The Most Powerful Women in Business" by Fortune magazine for nine consecutive years. She was also chosen as one of the "Stars of Asia Entrepreneurs" by BusinessWeek magazine in 2004.

After overcoming various obstacles and expanding her staffing business for 36 years, her company has grown into a group with more than 3,100 employees in 28 domestic and 10 overseas companies.