Women Now Run A Record 11% Of Fortune 500 Companies, But Only 2 Women Are Black

Women run 11% of companies on the 2025 Fortune 500 list. This marks a historic moment, as the number is over 10% for the first time, as stated by Fortune. In 2023 and 2024, 52 female CEOs led Fortune 500 companies, but this number increased to 55 in 2025. However, only two of these woman are Black.
For 71 years, the Fortune 500 has ranked the largest US companies by revenue. In 2025, the companies that comprise the Fortune 500 are expected to represent $19.9 trillion in revenue, accounting for two-thirds of the total US GDP. Companies can join the list of women-led Fortune 500 businesses by hiring or promoting a female CEO or becoming a Fortune 500 company.
The percentage of female CEO’s is over 10% for the first time
The cohort of female Fortune 500 CEOs has added nine new women, with most of them promoted from within their own companies. Freeport-McMoRan promoted CFO Kathleen Quirk to lead the company. Deanna Strable-Soethout and Kecia Steelman will lead Principal Financial and Ulta Beauty, respectively.
J.B. Hunt Transport and US Bancorp promoted Shelley Simpson and Gunjan Kedia to the positions of president and CEO. Marathon Petroleum named its executive vice president and CFO, Maryann Mannen, president and CEO.
Albertsons appointed Susan Morris as executive vice president and chief operations officer. In November 2024, Marina Cheung was promoted as president and CEO of S&P Global, after serving as president of S&P Global Ratings.
SiriusXM is another business already led by a woman that became a Fortune 500 company for the first time this year.
Only two Black female 500 fortune companies
Although the number of women-run companies on the Fortune 500 list has increased, there is still considerable work to be done. There are still only two Black female CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies: Thasunda Brown Duckett at TIAA and Toni Townes-Whitley at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
“As we’re seeing more companies roll back on DEI initiatives at large companies. “If companies reduce their commitment to these policies, there is great risk of progress stalling or even reversing, impacting opportunities for generations of talent to come,” Jennifer McCollum, president and CEO of Catalyst, a workplace gender equity organization said.
Images: Josh Morgan-USA TODAY and Morgan State University