• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

2

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026

1

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

2

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
MPWFortune 500

The Percentage of Female CEOs in the Fortune 500 Drops to 4%

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 6, 2016, 7:20 AM ET
FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit - Day 2
Photograph by Paul Morigi—Getty Images for FORTUNE

This article has been corrected. See below.

For women at the top levels of American business, it can sometimes feel like every step forward is followed by two steps back.

The 2016 Fortune 500 list, released on Monday, includes just 21 companies with women at the helm—compared to 24 last year and in 2014. Or, to look at it another way, women now hold a paltry 4.2% of CEO positions in America’s 500 biggest companies.

A number of factors conspired to make 2016 a tough year for the women of the Fortune 500. TJX (TJX) chief Carol Meyrowitz dropped off after retiring earlier this year, handing the reins her second in command, Ernie Herrman. Ellen Kullman, longtime CEO of DuPont (DD) also retired, though her departure was less harmonious. She stepped down after a bitter fight with activist investor Nelson Peltz, leaving some pundits with doubts about how much control she actually had over her exit.

 

Several of female CEOs from last’s list are still sitting in the corner office, but have vanished from the 500 due to shifts at their companies. Take Gracia Martore, former CEO of Gannett Company. When Gannett spun off its publishing business last year, Martore became chief of the resulting company, TEGNA, which is not large enough to qualify for the Fortune 500.

Meg Whitman, former CEO of Hewlett Packard, also lost her spot after the company split—though her case is a bit different. Whitman is now chief of the newly-formed Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), which is not included on this year’s Fortune 500 due to a technicality in how the list is calculated. HPE will likely be back in the 500 next year.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Lisa Su, a newcomer to the list last year, no longer appears because AMD fell off the 500.

Sign up: Click here to subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

While it’s only natural for executives to retire and companies to split up, it’s notable that of the 29 new companies that joined the Fortune 500 this year, only one has a female CEO: Mary Laschinger of paper products and distribution company Veritiv (VRTV).

Laschinger and Occidental Petroleum’s (OXY) new chief executive Vicki Hollub, who took on the CEO role in April, are the only two new female faces on the 2016 Fortune 500.

Check out the new Fortune 500 at fortune.com/fortune500 for company profiles, financial data, stock quotes, CEO videos, interactive graphics, breaking news, and more.

There are also a number of familiar names on the list, including General Motors’ (GM) Mary Barra, IBM’s (IBM) Ginni Rometty, and Pepsico’s (PEP) Indra Nooyi, all of whom are also among Fortune‘s Most Powerful Women.

Looking ahead, the picture is mixed. On one hand, Ursula Burns has announced that she will step down as CEO of Xerox (XRX) when the company splits later this year. As the first black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, Burns’ departure will be a serious loss. (She will become chairman of the company’s legacy hardware business after the split.)

However, there are also two women who are expected to step into the CEO’s office in July. Tricia Griffith will become the chief of Progressive (PGR), while Patricia Kessler Poppe will take on the CEO mantle for CME Energy.

See the full list of women CEOs in the Fortune 500 below:

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Occidental Petroleum CEO Vicki Hollub took office in December 2015. The correct timing is April 2016.

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

dario
AIAnthropic
Anthropic confidentially files its S-1 first—but the IPO race with OpenAI is just beginning
By Allie GarfinkleJune 1, 2026
9 hours ago
ap
Arts & Entertainmentbooks
Ann Patchett opened a bookstore everyone said would fail. Now it’s a blueprint
By Hillel Italie and The Associated PressJune 1, 2026
15 hours ago
ms
Arts & Entertainmentbaby boomers
Why the economy forces boomers to work longer, then vilifies them for it
By Lee Ann Rawlins Williams and The ConversationMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
z
North AmericaNew York City
Zohran Mamdani to skip Israel Day Parade, breaking with decades of tradition for NYC mayors
By Anthony Izaguirre and The Associated PressMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
soccer moms
CommentarySports
Why soccer moms are shaping the future of football in the U.S.
By Ruslan BashirovMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
As part of her Citi turnaround, Jane Fraser cut management layers from 13 to 8. But the ‘great flattening’ doesn’t always work as intended
C-SuiteManagement
As part of her Citi turnaround, Jane Fraser cut management layers from 13 to 8. But the ‘great flattening’ doesn’t always work as intended
By Claire ZillmanMay 30, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
Energy
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
By Melissa HancockJune 1, 2026
14 hours ago
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
10 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
16 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
16 hours ago
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
Law
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
By Sasha RogelbergJune 1, 2026
11 hours ago
I wrote that Boomers were choking America’s economy. Their responses to me were revealing
Personal Finance
I wrote that Boomers were choking America’s economy. Their responses to me were revealing
By Nick LichtenbergMay 31, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.