15 Top Female CEOs Leading Fortune 500 Companies Today 

Only eight percent of CEO positions in the S&P 500 are held by women. But the number of female CEOs is growing. More women than ever are stepping into the highest leadership positions, driving billion-dollar decisions. Getting more women in leadership means that representation, visibility, and mentorship matter. 

So, who are the top female CEOs leading today’s most influential companies? From famous female CEOs to young female CEOs, discover their messages, leadership highlights, and salaries. These powerful businesswomen are leading one of the 500 largest U.S. companies.

15 Top Female CEOs Today

1. Jane Fraser – Citigroup

• Role: CEO since 2021
• Industry: Financial Services (Banking)
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $34.5 million

Leadership Highlights: Jane Fraser, also known as the queen of Wall Street, shattered a historic barrier in March 2021 by becoming the first woman to lead a major Wall Street bank as CEO of Citigroup. Her leadership has been marked by significant restructuring efforts to position Citi for long-term success, and she has been outspoken about the need to support working mothers.

“Being a mother of young children and having a career is the toughest thing I have ever had to do.”

2. Mary Barra – General Motors

• Role: CEO since 2014
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $29.5 million
• Industry: Automotive

Leadership Highlights: Mary Barra is the first female CEO of a major global automaker and one of the most inspirational female leaders today. Under her guidance, GM has accelerated its transition to electric vehicles, investing heavily in sustainable technologies. Her tenure has been marked by bold decisions and her inclusive and transparent leadership style, stating her vision of making GM “the most inclusive employer in the world.”

“My definition of ‘innovative’ is providing value to the customer.”

3. Lisa Su – AMD

• Role: CEO since 2014
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $31 million
• Industry: Semiconductors
  

Leadership Highlights: Su is known for her leadership at AMD, having transformed the company from a struggling entity to a major player in the semiconductor industry. Later, becoming TIME’s 2024 CEO of the Year. She is one of the top female CEOs today and is cited as the highest-paid female CEO.

“The world is starving for new ideas and great leaders who will champion those ideas.”

4. Safra Catz – Oracle

• Role: CEO since 2014
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $6.5 million
• Industry: Enterprise Software
  

Leadership Highlights: She joined Oracle in 1999 and is credited with spearheading Oracle’s aggressive acquisition strategy, helping close more than 130 acquisitions. She played a pivotal role in Oracle’s growth and transition to cloud computing services. As a leader, she is known for her financial acumen, strategic acquisitions, and integrity. 

“The fact is you can recover from being stupid, but you can never recover from being a liar. Integrity matters. Don’t be afraid to look stupid, but never let your integrity be compromised.”

5. Julie Sweet – Accenture

Image credit: Julie Sweet at the World Economic Forum by World Economic Forum is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

• Role: CEO since 2019
  
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $24.9 million
• Industry: Professional Services (Consulting)
  

Leadership Highlights: Her strategic vision and leadership led to her historic appointment as Accenture’s global CEO in September 2019, making her the first woman to hold this position. She has helped  Accenture through multiple digital transformations while focusing on sustainability and inclusivity. She continues to lead through the AI revolution, effectively combining technology and leadership.

“Technology is a tool, but it’s people who drive transformation.”

6. Sarah London – Centene Corporation

As seen on Sarah London’s LinkedIn

• Role: CEO since 2022
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $20.6 million
• Industry: Healthcare (Managed Care)

Leadership Highlights: Sarah London is the youngest female CEO in the Fortune 500. Focused on expanding healthcare access and improving outcomes for underserved populations, her leadership is marked by innovation and a commitment to improving healthcare access.

“I’ve always been a big reader and I love data. The access to expertise and information I have as CEO is one of the incredible perks of my job, and I live for those moments when one of my assumptions is challenged or I hear a brand new perspective,” she said to CNBC.

7. Gail K. Boudreaux – Elevance Health

• Role: CEO since 2017
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $20.9 million
• Industry: Healthcare (Insurance)

Leadership Highlights: Boudreaux is one of the top female CEOs and most powerful people in healthcare. Under her leadership, UnitedHealthcare grew to become one of the largest health insurance companies in the U.S. She has led the company through significant growth and a rebranding from Anthem to Elevance Health, emphasizing whole health solutions.

“I’m a big fan of Billie Jean King and believe deeply in her quote, ‘Pressure is a privilege.’ Pressure is an opportunity to make a difference.”

8. Thasunda Brown Duckett – TIAA

• Role: CEO since 2021
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $11.4 million
• Industry: Financial Services (Retirement & Investment)
  

Leadership Highlights: One of the few Black women CEOs leading a Fortune 500 company. She has been ranked on Forbes’ list of “100 most powerful women” in 2023, and American Banker honored Thasunda as one of “The Most Powerful Women in Banking.” Duckett emphasizes financial inclusivity and has launched initiatives to close the retirement savings gap. 

“Make sure along your career, especially early on, you sit in hard, meaning, ‘I may not have a manager that’s amazing. Before I just immediately say I’m going to leave, is there a lesson?’” she said to CNBC.

9. Carol Tomé – UPS

As seen on Carol Tome’s LinkedIn

• Role: CEO since 2020
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $24 million
• Industry: Logistics & Transportation

Leadership Highlights: Female business executive, Carol Tomé, is the first woman to lead UPS, a global shipping company on the Fortune 500 list. When she was appointed in 2020, she stated she “broke lots of glass.” She came out of retirement to lead UPS, focusing on preparing the logistics for the 2020 holiday season and the eventual delivery of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Leading today requires grace, humility, empathy, and courage. As a woman, I’m not under any additional pressure than any of my male counterparts,” she said to the Buckhead Coalition. 

10. Jennifer Rumsey – Cummins Inc.

As seen on Jennifer Rumsey’s LinkedIn

• Role: CEO since 2022
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $21.9 million
• Industry: Manufacturing (Power Solutions)

Leadership Highlights: Jennifer Rumsey is the first female CEO of Cummins, a global power leader that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. She has emphasized innovation in clean energy technologies and diversity in the workforce. She started as a mechanical engineer but found she could make a bigger impact as a leader. 

“I would encourage everyone — certainly women — to look beyond the stereotypical things you think engineers might do,” she says. “There are a variety of opportunities that can have a positive impact. That’s the thing I find so motivating about my job.”

11. Barbara Rentler – Ross Stores

• Role: CEO since 2014
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $17 million
• Industry: Retail (Off-Price Apparel & Home Fashion)

Leadership Highlights: Barbara is a businesswoman and one of the top female CEOs leading a Fortune 500 company, Ross Stores. She has led Ross Stores through consistent growth, focusing on value-driven retail strategies and expanding the company’s footprint.

“As a result of today’s uncertain external landscape, especially the prolonged inflationary pressures negatively impacting our customers’ discretionary spend, shoppers are seeking even stronger values when visiting our stores,” she said to Retail Dive.

12. Emma Walmsley – GSK

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• Role: CEO since 2017
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $13.3 million
• Industry: Pharmaceuticals
  

Leadership Highlights: First woman to lead a major global pharmaceutical company. She has overseen significant restructuring and a focus on R&D. She is a strong and dynamic leader who is one of the top female CEOs today.

“Culture is not an HR issue, it’s not something we write on the wall. It is literally the job of the leadership of the company, its CEO first.”

13. Priscilla Almodovar – Fannie Mae

As seen on Priscilla Almodovar’s LinkedIn

• Role: CEO since 2022
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $694,467
• Industry: Financial Services (Mortgage Finance)
  

Leadership Highlights: First Latina to lead Fannie Mae. She has focused on expanding affordable housing and promoting diversity in the housing finance system. She used credit scores to change the mortgage game – now, the mortgage company factors consistent rent payments into its loan decision-making process.

“When I was in elementary school, I actually carried a briefcase. I didn’t know that I wanted to be a CEO exactly, but I knew I wanted to have a career outside the home, to contribute and to have an impact.”

14. Corie Barry – Best Buy

As seen on Corie Barry’s LinkedIn

• Role: CEO since 2019
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $16 million
• Industry: Retail (Consumer Electronics)
  
• Leadership Highlights: First woman to lead Best Buy, the leading provider of consumer technology products and services. She has guided the company through digital transformation and emphasized sustainability initiatives.

“Now it’s about learning what our customer wants and then helping them do more than what they thought.”

15. Tricia Griffith – Progressive Corporation

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• Role: CEO since 2016
• Estimated 2024 Compensation: $16.4 million
• Industry: Insurance

Leadership Highlights: First woman to lead Progressive. She has championed a culture of innovation and inclusivity, leading to significant growth in the company’s market share.

“Allow your leaders to lead, and know when to get out of the way.”

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How We Ranked the Top Female CEOs

In highlighting the most powerful and influential female CEOs today, we focused on more than just job titles. We evaluated each leader using a combination of measurable impact and leadership reach to ensure our list reflects not just prominence, but real-world influence.

1. Company Size and Global Reach

We looked at the scale of the company each CEO leads, including global operations, workforce size, and industry dominance. CEOs at multinational corporations shaping everyday life across industries ranked higher due to the broad influence of their decisions.

2. Annual Revenue and Market Presence

Fortune 500 companies vary significantly in revenue. We prioritized those at the helm of high-revenue corporations, particularly those in critical sectors like finance, tech, healthcare, and manufacturing. The greater the company’s financial footprint, the more impactful its CEO’s leadership becomes.

3. CEO Compensation and Salary

While money isn’t everything, it’s a measurable indicator of how a CEO’s leadership is valued by shareholders and boards. We factored in total compensation—including base salary, bonuses, and stock awards—as a signal of performance, influence, and the trust placed in these leaders at the highest level.

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More Inspiring Women in Business

Success doesn’t always come in a corporate boardroom. We have included female entrepreneurs, more women CEOs inspiring us today, and women who own both titles – CEO and founder. 

Sara Blakely

From selling fax machines door to door to becoming the youngest self-made female billionaire, Sara Blakely built Spanx into a shapewear empire with just $5,000—and a whole lot of grit. She champions female entrepreneurship and has pledged to donate half her wealth to philanthropy.

Melanie Perkins

Melanie Perkins revolutionized design with Canva, turning complex creative tools into an accessible platform used by millions. One of the youngest female tech CEOs to run a billion-dollar company, she’s proof that big ideas can come from anywhere.

Emma Grede

Emma Grede is reshaping fashion with a fierce focus on body positivity, inclusivity, and equity. As the first Black woman to be a founding partner in a Kardashian brand, she’s making space for more women of color at the top of the fashion industry.

What to Read Next? 10 Powerful Black Female Entrepreneurs and Their Net Worth

Whitney Wolfe Herd

After co-founding Tinder and facing a public legal battle, Wolfe Herd bounced back by building Bumble, putting women in control of the conversation. At 31, she became the youngest woman to take a company public in U.S. history.

Sheryl Sandberg

A leadership icon and best-selling author of the book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg helped scale Facebook into one of the most powerful tech companies on the planet. Her work continues to empower women through Lean In, sparking global conversations about leadership, equality, and ambition.

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FAQs: Female CEOs

Lessons from the Top: What We Can Learn

No leadership looks the same, but there are lessons mentioned repeatedly that we can learn from the top female CEOs.  

Making an impact is a driver of success. 

Priscilla Almodovar was driven by expanding affordable housing and promoting diversity in the housing finance system. Jennifer Rumsey also said, “There are a variety of opportunities that can have a positive impact. That’s the thing I find so motivating about my job.”

Great leadership starts with a mission bigger than yourself.

Innovation and reinvention are crucial for any successful CEO today.

A customer-centric and innovative approach can help to grow any company. The famous female CEO, Mary Barra, said, “My definition of ‘innovative’ is providing value to the customer.”

It’s not always about chasing the newest idea, it’s about evolving in ways that matter.

Communication and empathy make great leaders. 

In an era of automation and shareholder pressure, soft skills are now powerful skills.

Carol Tomé said, “Leading today requires grace, humility, empathy, and courage.” 

Strong leaders don’t just talk the talk, they listen with empathy to both their team, customers, and stakeholders. 

Empowering others is what makes a great leader. 

Leaders champion, challenge, and empower their teams. “The world is starving for new ideas and great leaders who will champion those ideas,” says Lisa Su. 

Leadership means having a growth mindset

Young female CEO, Sarah London, said, “I’ve always been a big reader and I love data. The access to expertise and information I have as CEO is one of the incredible perks of my job, and I live for those moments when one of my assumptions is challenged or I hear a brand new perspective.” CEO of Eventbrite, Julia Hartz, also famously said, “There is no finish line to leadership.” 

These female CEOs prove that the path to the top isn’t paved with perfection. It’s built with purpose.

Women make remarkable leaders and these women CEOs are setting the standard and inspiring others.

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