Recent Posts
Culture August 3, 2016
Although the list of female CEOs at Fortune’s 500 companies has dropped even lower than what it had been a year ago, the 21 women that head these giant corporations are definitely not meant to be overlooked in the business world
Not only have some of these inspirational women made history by becoming “firsts,” they have also shown that they can turn companies around and maximize their profits.
Here are the top 10 leading female CEOs at Fortune’s 500 companies and what you should know about them:
Mary T. Barra—the CEO of General Motors—leads the pack. As the Fortune 500’s top 8th CEO, Mary T. Barra was the first woman to lead a U.S. automotive company and was identified as the most powerful woman on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women List, according to CNN.
Pepsi’s CEO, Indra K. Nooyi, is a legit rock star. Not only did she raise Pepsi’s profits from $2.7 billion to $6.5 billion during her time as CFO, as ScoopWhoop mentions, but she also played lead guitar in an all-girl band.
As the first female CEO of IBM, Virginia M. Rometty serves as the president and chair(wo)man of the company. According to Daily Worth, she is “the third woman in history to be offered a membership to the ultimate boys’ club: Augusta National.”
Starting at Lockheed Martin in 1983, Marillyn A. Hewson is true testament to working from the bottom up. In 2013, she became the CEO and has continued to prove she knows the ins and outs of the company. She has produced record profits and has helped “its stock price to more than double,” as Forbes states.
Although Oracle’s CEO, Safra A. Catz, shares the Chief Executive spot with Mark Hurd – rumor has it that she is the one actually running the show behind the curtain. According to Fool Technology, she is not only the one who pulls the strings and focuses on strategy, but she is also the go-to for co-founder Larry Ellison.
Phebe Novakovic is badass. Not only is this CEO highly respected on Wall Street for restoring General Dynamics’ profits after huge losses that occurred under her predecessor, per Fortune, but she has also worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.
As the CEO of the world’s largest snacking giant, Mondelez International, Irene B. Rosenfeld is considered one of the most powerful and highest paid women in business. Per Forbes, “She has deftly steered the maker of Oreos, Trident, and Ritz through a world of increasingly expensive commodities and a strong dollar.”
Duke Energy’s Chief Executive Officer, Lynn J. Good, not only serves as the president of America’s largest electric power company but she is also the chair(wo)man. According to her business profile, she also serves on the boards of companies like Boeing and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations.
Ursula M. Burns, head of Xerox, is the first black CEO of a Fortune 500 company. According to Daily Worth, she was the first woman to succeed another female CEO at a Fortune 500. company Burns once told the New York Times that she runs her business like a family: “I want us to stay civil and kind, but we have to be frank — and the reason we can be frank is because we are all in the same family.”
In 2015, Occidental Petroleum appointed Vicki A. Hollub, who has been with the company since 1961 as its CEO. She made history by becoming the first woman to be chief of a major U.S. oil company, according to Bloomberg.
Although these women are the top 10 females on the Fortune list, the following 11 ladies are definitely just as incredible. Here is a list of the others that are leading the way.
Deanna M. Mulligan | Guardian Life Ins. Co. of America
Barbara Rentler | Ross Stores
Susan M. Cameron | Reynolds American
Debra L. Reed | Sempra Energy
Kimberly S. Lubel | CST Brands
Mary A. Laschinger | Veritiv
Denise M. Morrison | Campbell Soup Co.
Sherilyn S. McCoy | Avon Products
Kathleen M. Mazzarella | Graybar Electric
Ilene S. Gordon | Ingredion
Jacqueline C. Hinman | CH2M Hill
