Typical Women CEOs of the Fortune 500 in 2026: 55 Women, 11%
As of Fortune's 2026 list, published June 3, 2026, 55 Fortune 500 companies are run by women. That's 11% of the list and a record. The highest-ranked is Elevance Health (No. 18), led by Gail Boudreaux. Source: Fortune. This page names the 11 CEOs Fortune identified in its 2026 coverage, not all 55.
How many Fortune 500 CEOs are women in 2026?
55, or 11% of the list, according to Fortune, which publishes the Fortune 500. It's the highest share in the list's 72-year history and the fourth year in a row above 10%. Men run the other 445 companies.
We use Fortune's own count, taken when the list came out on June 3, 2026. Other trackers can land a seat or two away because they count on a different date, and CEOs change jobs during the year (see below).
Source: Fortune, June 3 2026, Fortune 500 media release, June 3 2026
How many are Black, Latina or Asian women?
Black women: two as of mid-June 2026, Thasunda Brown Duckett at TIAA (No. 94) and Joi Harris at DTE Energy (No. 285), according to Fortune. Fortune said Karen S. Carter's move into the CEO job at Dow on July 1 would bring the number to three.
Latina women: none. With Priscilla Almodovar gone from Fannie Mae, the Fortune 500 had no Latina CEO for the first time since 2022, Fortune reported.
Asian women: Fortune's 2026 coverage doesn't give a count, so we don't either. We'll add one when we can source it.
Who was the first woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company?
Katharine Graham of The Washington Post Company is widely recognized as the first. She took over the company in 1963 and held the CEO title from 1973 to 1993.
Source: Graham Holdings Company timeline, The Pulitzer Prizes
What changed during the year
Out: Safra Catz (Oracle), Priscilla Almodovar (Fannie Mae) and Michele Buck (Hershey) left their CEO jobs within weeks of each other, and Toni Townes-Whitley stepped down at SAIC. Mary Dillon dropped off the count when Dick's Sporting Goods bought Foot Locker in 2025.
In: Newmont, Textron, Murphy USA and DTE Energy all promoted women to CEO. Dow named Karen S. Carter CEO from July 1, 2026, making her the first Black woman to lead a major US chemical company, according to Fortune.
Most of the new arrivals came from inside. Fortune's data shows that over the past decade, most women who became Fortune 500 CEOs were promoted internally.
Source: Fortune, June 3 2026
Women CEOs of the Fortune 500, 2020 to 2026
2020: 7.4% of the list. 2023: 10.4%, the first year above 10%. 2024: 10.4% again. 2025: higher again. 2026: 11% (55 women), a record.
Fortune hasn't published a 2025 figure in the articles we checked, so we show the direction only. At this pace, Fortune notes, parity at the top of the biggest companies could still be decades away.
Source: Fortune, June 3 2026, Fortune, June 4 2024
The 11 women CEOs Fortune named in its 2026 coverage, by rank (not the full 55)
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1
No. 18 Elevance Health: Gail Boudreaux
The highest-ranked company with a woman CEO. Boudreaux has led the health insurer, formerly Anthem, since 2017.
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2
No. 19 Centene: Sarah London
The second-highest-ranked woman-led company on the 2026 list.
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3
No. 23 General Motors: Mary Barra
Third-highest-ranked woman-led company.
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4
No. 24 Citigroup: Jane Fraser
Named Fortune's Most Powerful Woman in the 2026 release.
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5
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6
No. 51 Progressive: Tricia Griffith
Named in Fortune's 2026 release.
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7
No. 91 General Dynamics: Phebe Novakovic
Named in Fortune's 2026 release.
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8
No. 94 TIAA: Thasunda Brown Duckett
CEO since 2021 and the first woman to lead TIAA. One of two Black women running a Fortune 500 company in June 2026.
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9
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10
Ulta Beauty: Kecia Steelman
Joined in 2014, worked up through operations, named CEO in January 2025.
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11
Dow: Karen S. Carter (from July 1, 2026)
Moved up from COO. The first Black woman to lead a major US chemical company, per Fortune.
Sources
Frequently asked
How many women CEOs are in the Fortune 500 in 2026?
55, or 11% of the list, as of Fortune's June 3, 2026 release. It's a record.
What percentage of Fortune 500 CEOs are women?
11% in 2026, up from 7.4% in 2020 and 10.4% in 2023 and 2024, according to Fortune.
Who is the highest-ranked woman CEO in the Fortune 500?
Gail Boudreaux of Elevance Health, No. 18 on the 2026 list.
How many Black women are Fortune 500 CEOs?
Two in mid-June 2026 (Thasunda Brown Duckett at TIAA and Joi Harris at DTE Energy), rising to three when Karen S. Carter became CEO of Dow on July 1, according to Fortune.
Who was the first woman to run a Fortune 500 company?
Katharine Graham of The Washington Post Company, CEO from 1973 to 1993.
Does this page name every one of the 55?
No. It names the 11 women Fortune identified in its 2026 coverage. We'll add more names only when each one and its rank can be checked against Fortune's list.