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The 2025 edition of the Fortune 500, released this week, has seen the number of women in chief executive roles reach an all-time high.
A total of 55 companies on the list are now led by female CEOs, representing 11% of the top-ranking firms in the US.
That figure marks the highest percentage of women chief executives in the 71-year history of the ranking, and comes during a year of exceptional performance among the country’s largest businesses. In 2024, Fortune 500 companies posted record profits of $1.87trillion, up 9% from the previous year, while total revenues rose to $19.9trillion.
Top women leaders drive Fortune 500 progress
Notable executives leading Fortune 500 companies include Mary Barra of General Motors, who appears at number 18 on the list and also ranked first on Fortune’s 100 Most Powerful Women list. Other prominent names include Jane Fraser at Citigroup (number 21), Carol Tomé at UPS (47), Thasunda Brown Duckett at TIAA (98), and Corie Barry at Best Buy (108).
The presence of women in executive leadership continues to grow, although it still represents a small share of overall CEO roles. Thirty years ago, no healthcare companies were among the top 25. In 2025, the sector generated $3 trillion in combined revenue and now accounts for eight of the top 25 companies. Healthcare, along with retailers and utilities, led all industries in representation.
Big profits, bigger shifts in leadership
Walmart remains in pole position for the 13th consecutive year, followed by Amazon, UnitedHealth Group, Apple, and CVS Health. Combined, the top ten companies accounted for over $4.2trillion in annual revenue. The revenue threshold to make the 2025 list rose to $7.4billion, up 4% from last year.
Geographically, Fortune 500 companies are now headquartered across 225 cities in 37 states. New York City tops the list with 43 companies, followed by Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas. California added one new company to its total of 58, retaining its lead over Texas (54) and New York (53).
Fourteen companies made their debut this year, including GE Vernova (130), Ferguson Enterprises (146), Kenvue (281), and Palo Alto Networks (470), adding further diversity to the business landscape.
Speaking on the significance of the list, Fortune CEO Anastasia Nyrkovskaya, said: “The Fortune 500 is a literal roadmap to the rise and fall of markets, a reliable playbook of the world's most important regions, services, and products, and an indispensable roster of those companies' dynamic leaders.”
Fortune Editor in Chief Alyson Shontell emphasized that 2024 was the most profitable year on record, but that many CEOs remain committed to stakeholder capitalism and reinvesting in employees and customers to build sustainable business models.
