Fortune’s 2024 MPW list ranks today’s business leaders—with a new No. 1

Just 16 of the original 50 U.S.-based women on the 1998 list were CEOs, and it was hard for Fortune editors to find that many. This year, of 100 women on our global list, well over half are CEOs—and there are even some Fortune 500 CEOs who don’t make the cut. Every year, the list gets more competitive as women rise to the top of global business.

This year’s list includes women from 14 industries—finance and tech are the top two, followed by energy—across 18 countries and territories. Fifty-four percent of listees work in North America, followed by Europe (21%) and Asia (18%). There are the Fortune 500 and Global 500 CEOs as well as women leading the generative AI boom and influential CFOs steering the financial health of the world’s most valuable companies.

The list has a new No. 1: GM CEO Mary Barra, who has returned the automaker to its strongest financial position in decades. Last year’s No. 1, CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch, slips to the No. 2 spot as CVS wades through business challenges, especially in its Aetna insurer unit. (The latest is that CVS is reportedly weighing a possible break-up.)

Overall, the list is a fascinating representation of where women are leading in business. There are newcomers to the list in gen AI like Fei-Fei Li, the influential academic who now has a unicorn startup of her own called World Labs, and Daniela Amodei, the cofounder and president of Anthropic. In CFO roles, there’s Nvidia CFO Colette Kress whose financial stewardship of that company has turned its employees into multi-millionaires, and Anat Ashkenazi, who just left Eli Lilly to become the CFO of Alphabet. In the entertainment industry, there’s Disney’s Dana Walden and NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley.

Some must-know names from around the globe include Luxshare chairwoman and CEO Grace Wang, Banco Santander chair Ana Botín, Inditex chair Marta Ortega, and Suntory Beverage and Food CEO Makiko Ono.

I hope you’ll peruse this year’s list to learn more about the women whose decisions influence global business—and our lives. See the full list here.

Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com

The Broadsheet is Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Up for debate. Last night’s vice presidential debate, moderated by CBS’s Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell, was more about policy than personal attacks. Republican Sen. JD Vance touted the state-by-state regulation of abortion, while Democrat Gov. Tim Walz argued that a woman’s bodily autonomy should not be determined “by geography.” Vance sparred with Brennan when she clarified that Haitian migrants in Ohio have legal status. “The rules were that you were not going to fact check me,” Vance said.

- Lasting legacy. Signet Jewelers CEO Gina Drosos is retiring at the beginning of November. During her seven years in charge, the company’s annual sales grew from $1 billion to around $7.3 billion. She prioritized changing company culture after hundreds of former Signet employees alleged gender discrimination and sexual harassment in 2017; Drosos worked to bring more women into leadership roles at the company. Fortune

- Additional allegations. One hundred and twenty more sexual assault lawsuits—legal action that’s “unprecedented in scope”—will be filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs, according to a team of lawyers representing the accusers. Combs is currently in jail on sexual trafficking and racketeering charges; he’s denied the allegations against him. Washington Post

- Struck down. On Monday, a judge struck down Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, which went into place in 2022. The new ruling will allow abortions up to at least 20 weeks of pregnancy. AP

- Open book. Melinda French Gates has a new book coming out in April 2025 titled The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward. She said, “I decided to start writing this while I was still in the middle of this season of change, rather than safely on the other side.” People

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Zappos, the Amazon-owned shoe and clothing retailer, named Kim Fleissner chief executive officer. She is also CEO of Amazon’s Shopbop.

EY appointed Anna Anthony as its U.K. managing partner, making her the first woman to lead the day-to-day operations at a Big Four business in the U.K. She previously served as a partner and headed the firm’s U.K. financial services division.

Zoom named Michelle Chang chief financial officer. Most recently, Chang was CFO of Microsoft’s commercial sales and partner organization.

Klaviyo, a marketing automation data platform, named Surabhi Gupta chief technology officer. Most recently, she was SVP and head of engineering at Robinhood.

AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm, appointed Jill Hudkins as chief executive of the firm’s new water and environment advisory global business line. Previously, Hudkins was president at Tetra Tech.

Nareit, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, named Cameron Arterton deputy executive vice president of policy and public affairs. Most recently, she served as vice president of emerging companies and capital formation at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.

Allianz Commercial, a business insurer, appointed Priscilla Pazmino-Vitela as natural resources hub lead for the Americas. She was most recently at AIG as head of multinational energy for North America.

ON MY RADAR

They call themselves the ‘Strange Sorority.’ Trump was their initiation New York Times

Crafting a new brew: How Talea Beer Co. is tackling an untapped market Inc.

Pharma eyes male birth control pill for Gen Z Axios

PARTING WORDS

“Being involved from very beginning to end and not waiting for someone else to believe in you is empowering.”

— Actress Dakota Fanning on starting a production company with her sister