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

Aerie built a $2 billion brand by rejecting Victoria’s Secret’s old playbook. Now it wants to win the AI backlash
C-SuiteRetail
Aerie built a $2 billion brand by rejecting Victoria’s Secret’s old playbook. Now it wants to win the AI backlash
By Phil WahbaApril 30, 2026
6 days ago
Emma Grede, who helped found the $5 billion Skims empire, rejects ‘celebrity CEO’ label: ‘I’m a CEO who’s done so well you know my name’
SuccessEntrepreneurship
Emma Grede, who helped found the $5 billion Skims empire, rejects ‘celebrity CEO’ label: ‘I’m a CEO who’s done so well you know my name’
By Cheyann HarrisApril 29, 2026
6 days ago
She left Citigroup after 18 years as one of its top women. Why Ida Liu chose HSBC as her next move
NewslettersMPW Daily
She left Citigroup after 18 years as one of its top women. Why Ida Liu chose HSBC as her next move
By Nicholas GordonApril 27, 2026
9 days ago
Trek spent over $300,000 closing women’s cycling’s prize-money gap. Its CEO says the point is to make the checks obsolete
MPWSports
Trek spent over $300,000 closing women’s cycling’s prize-money gap. Its CEO says the point is to make the checks obsolete
By Catherina GioinoApril 26, 2026
10 days ago
Meet the founder who started over at 50 and worked 20-hour days to build a multimillion dollar cookie dough empire—and still won’t take a day off
EuropeFortune The Good Life
Meet the founder who started over at 50 and worked 20-hour days to build a multimillion dollar cookie dough empire—and still won’t take a day off
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 26, 2026
10 days ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsApril 24, 2026
11 days ago

Most Popular

Clean energy's winning argument is the one it refuses to make
Commentary
Clean energy's winning argument is the one it refuses to make
By David CraneMay 5, 2026
15 hours ago
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighMay 3, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 5, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 4, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 4, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 4, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Z workers say showing up 10 minutes late to work is as good as on time—but baby boomer bosses have zero tolerance for tardiness, research reveals
Success
Gen Z workers say showing up 10 minutes late to work is as good as on time—but baby boomer bosses have zero tolerance for tardiness, research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 5, 2026
13 hours ago
China stopped issuing new robotaxi licenses over a glitch. America can't stop them from rolling into active shooter situations
Law
China stopped issuing new robotaxi licenses over a glitch. America can't stop them from rolling into active shooter situations
By Catherina GioinoMay 4, 2026
1 day 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.