The women CEO list at the top of corporate America is longer than it has ever been, and it’s still short. A record number of women now run Fortune 500 companies, yet they remain roughly one in nine. Here are seven leaders worth knowing, the real numbers behind the headlines, and what the rest of us can do with that information.
Women CEO List: Who Is Running the Fortune 500 in 2026
According to Fortune, a record 55 women lead Fortune 500 companies in 2026, or 11% of the list, the highest share in its 72-year history. That share was flat at 10.4% in both 2023 and 2024 before ticking up in 2025 and again this year.
Progress is real, but it’s slow. Think of it this way: for every woman running one of these giants, roughly eight men do too. A list is a good start. What matters is who is on it and how they got there.
Key Takeaways
- A record 55 women lead Fortune 500 companies in 2026, about 11% of the list, according to Fortune.
- The pipeline is the bottleneck: women hold 29% of C-suite roles overall, and that figure hasn’t moved since 2024.
- You don’t have to wait for the pipeline to fix itself. Mentors, sponsors and a community of peers change your odds now.
How to cite this article: McCloud, R. 2026. WomenCEO. Women CEO List: 7 Leaders at the Top of the Fortune 500 in 2026. https://womenceo.co/article/women-ceo/
The Number of Female CEOs: Counting Carefully
Ask five sources for the number of female CEOs and you may get two answers. The Society of Women Engineers counts 56 women CEOs, roughly 11% of US Fortune 500 leaders, while Fortune counts 55. The gap comes down to timing and definitions, and both land on the same 11%.
The same SWE page notes that Katharine Graham of The Washington Post Co. was the first woman CEO in the Fortune 500 rankings, in 1972, and that the number of women CEOs more than doubled over the last ten years, from only a couple dozen in 2015. If you want the deeper story behind that percentage, our post on why 11% is a crisis digs in.
Turnover matters too. Fortune reports that Safra Catz, Priscilla Almodovar, Michele Buck and Toni Townes-Whitley all left their CEO roles, while Newmont, Textron, Murphy USA and DTE Energy promoted women to the top job. Lists churn, so treat any number as a snapshot.
Representation inside the list is thinner still. Fortune reports that Almodovar’s departure left the Fortune 500 without a Latina CEO for the first time since she took the job in 2022, and that the number of Black women CEOs is three once Carter starts at Dow. Progress doesn’t reach everyone at the same speed, and it’s worth saying out loud.
7 Famous Female CEOs to Know Right Now
This isn’t a ranking of who’s best. It’s a mix of leaders whose names and companies came up in current reporting, each worth a closer look.
1. Mary Barra, General Motors
Fortune places Barra at No. 23 on the 2026 list. She has run GM since January 2014, according to Wikipedia’s list of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, making her one of the longest-serving names here. Longevity like that is rarer than it should be.
2. Gail Boudreaux, Elevance Health
Boudreaux leads Elevance Health at No. 18, per Fortune, which makes her the highest-ranked woman CEO it names in 2026.
3. Sarah London, Centene (the youngest female CEO)
Fortune’s reporting on the youngest female CEO in the Fortune 500 says London became CEO of Centene four years ago, at 41, and that no one has taken the title since. Centene sits at No. 19 on the 2026 list.
4. Jane Fraser, Citigroup
Wikipedia’s list shows Fraser leading Citigroup since February 2021, a rare woman at the helm of a global bank.
5. Lisa Su, AMD
Su runs Advanced Micro Devices, one of the technology names on that same list. Her presence on the list shows that the top job isn’t limited to any one industry.
6. Thasunda Brown Duckett, TIAA
Brown Duckett has been CEO of TIAA since May 2021, per Wikipedia’s list, and Fortune names her among the Black women who lead Fortune 500 companies.
7. Joi Harris, DTE Energy
Fortune notes that DTE Energy promoted Harris to CEO and that she joined the list in September 2025. Fortune also reports that, with Karen S. Carter taking over at Dow, the number of Black women CEOs on the list returns to three.
How These Leaders Compare
| CEO | Company | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Barra | General Motors | No. 23 on the 2026 list; CEO since 2014 |
| Gail Boudreaux | Elevance Health | No. 18, highest-ranked woman CEO Fortune names |
| Sarah London | Centene | No. 19; youngest female Fortune 500 CEO |
| Jane Fraser | Citigroup | CEO since February 2021 |
| Lisa Su | Advanced Micro Devices | Leads a major tech company |
| Thasunda Brown Duckett | TIAA | CEO since May 2021 |
| Joi Harris | DTE Energy | Added to the list in September 2025 |
Ranks come from Fortune’s 2026 article where noted. Other details come from Wikipedia’s list, which can lag behind changes, so check a company’s own site for the latest.
Why the Pipeline Still Leaks
You can’t hire your way to a bigger list if women stall before the top. McKinsey and Lean In’s Women in the Workplace 2025 found that women hold 29% of C-suite roles, unchanged from 2024. It also found that 45% of men at entry level have a sponsor, compared with 31% of women.
That sponsor gap is where careers get decided. People who get sponsored get stretch assignments, visibility and a name in the room when promotions get discussed. People who don’t often work harder and get noticed less.
What You Can Do If You Want to Be on the Next List
Nobody becomes a CEO by accident, and nobody does it alone. Three moves help.
First, build the skill set. Our guide to CEO skills that drive company growth breaks down what boards and investors look for. Second, find people who’ve done it. Mentors help you see around corners, and the steps in how to find a mentor work for any career stage.
Third, don’t do this in isolation. At WomenCEO, we built a no-waitlist, goal-based community with executive mentorship and free events because the good rooms shouldn’t be locked behind price tags and waiting lists. Whether you’re an executive eyeing a CEO seat or a founder growing a company, pick a goal and find your people. Start with one specific ask this month: a conversation with someone two levels above you, a stretch project, or an introduction to a sponsor. Small, concrete moves compound faster than a five-year plan you never open.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many women CEOs are there in the Fortune 500?
Fortune counts a record 55 women leading Fortune 500 companies in 2026, about 11% of the list. The Society of Women Engineers counts 56, so the exact number of female CEOs depends on the date and definition.
Who is the youngest female CEO in the Fortune 500?
Sarah London of Centene, according to Fortune. She became CEO at 41 and, as of its March 2026 reporting, no one has taken the title of youngest female CEO.
Who was the first woman CEO in the Fortune 500?
The Society of Women Engineers notes that Katharine Graham of The Washington Post Co. was the first woman CEO in the Fortune 500 rankings, in 1972.
Who are some famous female CEOs?
Well-known names include Mary Barra of General Motors, Jane Fraser of Citigroup, Lisa Su of AMD and Gail Boudreaux of Elevance Health. Each leads a company on the Fortune 500 list.
Why are there so few women CEOs?
The pipeline is part of it. Women hold 29% of C-suite roles, and fewer women than men have sponsors at entry level, according to McKinsey and Lean In. Fewer sponsors means fewer promotions along the way.
How can I become a women CEO leading my own company?
Build executive skills, find mentors and sponsors, and join a community that holds you to goals. Many women CEOs also start companies of their own, which puts the seat within your control.
References
- Fortune. (2026, June 3). How many women are Fortune 500 CEOs? https://fortune.com/2026/06/03/how-many-women-are-fortune-500-ceos/
- Fortune. (2026, March 26). How the youngest female CEO in the Fortune 500 navigates political turmoil. https://fortune.com/2026/03/26/how-the-youngest-female-ceo-in-the-fortune-500-navigates-political-turmoil/
- Society of Women Engineers. (2026). US Fortune 500 women CEOs. https://swe.org/research/2026/us-fortune-500-women-ceos/
- McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org. (2025). Women in the Workplace 2025. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
- Wikipedia. (n.d.). List of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_CEOs_of_Fortune_500_companies