The rise of female CEOs: In 1972, Katharine Graham made history as the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company when she assumed leadership of The Washington Post. Today, we have witnessed a significant shift, with 52 companies within the Fortune 500 being led by female CEOs. CVS Health is the largest company, by leaps and bounds, to be led by a female CEO, Karen Lynch; the second-highest-ranking business led by a woman is Mary Barra’s General Motors.
This achievement is undoubtedly worth celebrating, but experts emphasize that it should not be seen as the final destination. Instead, they hope that this number becomes a new baseline, a starting point for further progress. The aim is for the representation of female CEOs to continue growing, exceeding the current figures. It is about creating a new standard rather than accepting it as a limit.
Becoming a Fortune 500 CEO can be a specific goal some executives pursue. For others, it may naturally unfold due to their career trajectories and exceptional leadership. Regardless of the path taken, the increasing presence of female CEOs signifies the breaking of barriers and the recognition of women’s capabilities in top-level positions. It reflects a positive shift towards greater diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunities in corporate leadership.
Top Female CEOs of America’s largest public companies (2023 List)
| RANK | CEO | Company | REVENUES ($M) | EMPLOYEES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karen S. Lynch | CVS Health | $322,467 | 259,500 |
| 2 | Mary Barra | General Motors | $156,735 | 167,000 |
| 3 | Gail Koziara Boudreaux | Elevance Health | $156,595 | 102,300 |
| 4 | Sarah London | Centene | $144,547 | 74,300 |
| 5 | Rosalind G. Brewer | Walgreens Boots Alliance | $132,703 | 262,500 |
| 6 | Priscilla Almodovar | Fannie Mae | $121,596 | 8,000 |
| 7 | Jane Fraser | Citigroup | $101,078 | 238,104 |
| 8 | Carol B. Tomé | UPS | $100,338 | 404,700 |
| 9 | Tricia Griffith | Progressive | $49,611 | 55,063 |
| 10 | Corie Barry | Best Buy | $46,298 | 71,100 |
| 11 | Safra Catz | Oracle | $42,440 | 143,000 |
| 12 | Thasunda Duckett | TIAA | $40,911 | 16,070 |
| 13 | Phebe Novakovic | General Dynamics | $39,407 | 106,500 |
| 14 | Vicki Hollub | Occidental Petroleum | $37,095 | 11,973 |
| 15 | Kathy J. Warden | Northrop Grumman | $36,602 | 95,000 |
| 16 | Lynn Good | Duke Energy | $28,784 | 27,859 |
| 17 | Jennifer Rumsey | Cummins | $28,074 | 73,600 |
| 18 | Elizabeth Burr | Rite Aid | $24,568 | 53,000 |
| 19 | Christine A Leahy | CDW | $23,749 | 15,100 |
| 20 | Lisa Su | Advanced Micro Devices | $23,601 | 25,000 |
| 21 | Patricia K. Poppe | PG&E | $21,680 | 26,010 |
| 22 | Julie Sloat | American Electric Power | $19,640 | 16,974 |
| 23 | Beth Ford | Land O’Lakes | $19,226 | 9,000 |
| 24 | Ellen Cooper | Lincoln National | $18,766 | 11,316 |
| 25 | Barbara Rentler | Ross Stores | $18,696 | 101,000 |
| 26 | Kate Johnson | Lumen Technologies | $17,478 | 29,000 |
| 27 | Karla R. Lewis | Reliance Steel & Aluminum | $17,025 | 14,750 |
| 28 | Maria Black | Automatic Data Processing | $16,498 | 60,000 |
| 29 | Anna Manning | Reinsurance Group of America | $16,258 | 3,800 |
| 30 | Jennifer A. Parmentier | Parker-Hannifin | $15,862 | 55,090 |
| 31 | Carrie Wheeler | Opendoor Technologies | $15,567 | 2,570 |
| 32 | Laura Prieskorn | Jackson Financial | $14,551 | 3,435 |
| 33 | Stephanie Ferris | Fidelity National Information Services | $14,528 | 69,000 |
| 34 | Judy Marks | Otis Worldwide | $13,685 | 69,000 |
| 35 | Penny Pennington | Jones Financial (Edward Jones) | $12,411 | 52,000 |
| 36 | Lauren Hobart | Dick’s Sporting Goods | $12,368 | 35,800 |
| 37 | Kathleen Mazzarella | Graybar Electric | $10,534 | 9,400 |
| 38 | Joyce Mullen | Insight Enterprises | $10,431 | 13,448 |
| 39 | Michele Buck | Hershey | $10,419 | 18,970 |
| 40 | Lori J. Ryerkerk | Celanese | $9,673 | 13,263 |
| 41 | Joey Wat | Yum China Holdings | $9,569 | 275,500 |
| 42 | Teresa J. Rasmussen | Thrivent Financial for Lutherans | $9,347 | 3,692 |
| 43 | Reshma Kewalramani | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $8,931 | 4,800 |
| 44 | Barbara R. Smith | Commercial Metals | $8,914 | 12,483 |
| 45 | Mary Dillon | Foot Locker | $8,759 | 31,040 |
| 46 | Laura J. Alber | Williams-Sonoma | $8,674 | 16,800 |
| 47 | Jennifer M. Johnson | Franklin Resources | $8,275 | 9,800 |
| 48 | Sheryl Palmer | Taylor Morrison Home | $8,225 | 3,000 |
| 49 | Kristin C. Peck | Zoetis | $8,080 | 13,800 |
| 50 | Sue E. Gove | Bed Bath & Beyond | $7,868 | 32,000 |
| 51 | Nazzic S. Keene | Science Applications International | $7,704 | 25,000 |
| 52 | Gina Boswell | Bath & Body Works | $7,560 | 33,000 |
| 53 | Linda Rendle | Clorox | $7,107 | 9,000 |
| 54 | Joanne Crevoiserat | Tapestry | $6,685 | 15,350 |
| 55 | Rose Lee | Cornerstone Building Brands | $6,480 | 19,500 |
| 56 | Adena Friedman | Nasdaq | $6,226 | 6,377 |
| 57 | Heather Lavallee | Voya Financial | $5,922 | 6,070 |
| 58 | Stephanie Linnartz | Under Armour | $5,727 | 12,300 |
| 59 | Michelle Keefe | Syneos Health | $5,393 | 29,290 |
| 60 | Judy R. McReynolds | ArcBest | $5,324 | 15,700 |
| 61 | Sue Y. Nabi | Coty | $5,304 | 11,012 |
| 62 | Cary Grace | AMN Healthcare Services | $5,243 | 4,230 |
| 63 | Karen S. Haller | Southwest Gas Holdings | $4,960 | 13,614 |
| 64 | Jayshree Ullal | Arista Networks | $4,381 | 3,612 |
| 65 | Mary E. Kipp | Puget Energy | $4,221 | 3,250 |
| 66 | Carey Smith | Parsons | $4,195 | 17,000 |
| 67 | Debra Cafaro | Ventas | $4,129 | 451 |
| 68 | Andi Owen | MillerKnoll | $3,946 | 11,300 |
| 69 | DENISE PAULONIS | Sally Beauty Holdings | $3,816 | 21,000 |
| 70 | Susan Hardwick | American Water Works | $3,792 | 6,500 |
| 71 | Celeste B. Mastin | H.B. Fuller | $3,749 | 7,000 |
| 72 | Fran Horowitz | Abercrombie & Fitch | $3,698 | 18,400 |
| 73 | Tamara Adler L. Lundgren | Schnitzer Steel Industries | $3,486 | 3,471 |
| 74 | Sandra B. Cochran | Cracker Barrel Old Country Store | $3,268 | 73,000 |
| 75 | Kristin Dolan | AMC Networks | $3,097 | 1,948 |
| 76 | Lorie L. Tekorius | Greenbrier | $2,978 | 14,400 |
| 77 | Kimberly K Ryan | Hillenbrand | $2,941 | 11,000 |
| 78 | Lucinda M. Baier | Brookdale Senior Living | $2,825 | 30,600 |
| 79 | Sara E. Armbruster | Steelcase | $2,773 | 12,250 |
| 80 | Cindy J. Miller | Stericycle | $2,705 | 15,360 |
| 81 | Maria Pope | Portland General Electric | $2,647 | 2,873 |
| 82 | Lynn M. Bamford | Curtiss-Wright | $2,557 | 8,100 |
| 83 | Kirsten A. Lynch | Vail Resorts | $2,526 | 26,200 |
| 84 | Anne Noonan | Summit Materials | $2,413 | 4,800 |
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