Good morning. What does it take to ascend to executive leadership roles at America’s largest corporations? The inaugural Fortune Next to Lead: The 25 Most Powerful Rising Executives in the Fortune 500, released this morning, highlights high-performing trailblazers.
Top leaders at Fortune 500 companies in roles such as CEO, CFO, COO, president, and executive vice president representing industries including tech, retail, health care, and energy have earned a spot on the list. Fortune evaluated candidates through in-depth reporting and insights from executive search firms, recruiters, management consulting firms, current and former CEOs, and board members.
Among the factors of assessment are leaders that drive exceptional financial outcomes, including revenue growth, profitability, or increased market share. That’s certainly something CFOs know a lot about.
Here are the three finance chiefs at Fortune 500 companies who earned a spot on the list:
Eimear Bonner, VP and CFO at Chevron
At Chevron Corp., Eimear Bonner is responsible for global audit and investor relations, as well as tax, treasury, and financial operations. Since joining the company in 1998, she has held several key leadership roles, including general director of Tengizchevroil LLP in Kazakhstan and chief technology officer, a position in which Bonner made history at Chevron as its first woman CTO.
Rejji Hayes, EVP and CFO at CMS Energy
Rejji Hayes has held the role of EVP and CFO at CMS Energy and its principal subsidiary, Consumers Energy, since 2017. Previously, he served as EVP and CFO of ITC Holdings Corp., where he co-led the strategic review that resulted in the company’s sale to Fortis. During his tenure, ITC’s market capitalization grew by approximately $2.3 billion. Hayes serves on the board of Fortive, chairing the audit committee.
Gina Mastantuono, CFO at ServiceNow
As CFO, Gina Mastantuono leads accounting, investor relations, real estate, and global impact strategy at the workflow automation platform. She was previously EVP and CFO at Ingram Micro, an IT products and services company, and has held senior roles at Revlon. Mastantuono sits on the board of Roblox.
You can view the complete Fortune Next to Lead: The 25 Most Powerful Rising Executives in the Fortune 500 here. In addition, you can sign up for the Fortune Next to Lead weekly newsletter by Ruth Umoh, which offers a look into the careers of rising stars of the corporate world.
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
Leaderboard
Ashima Ghei was named CFO of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), effective immediately. Ghei has led Broadridge’s global finance team as interim CFO since July 1. She joined Broadridge in January 2022 as CFO of Broadridge’s Investor Communications business. Ghei also played a leadership role in shaping the future of Broadridge’s Governance business. Prior to Broadridge, she had an 18-year career with American Express, where she most recently served as its head of merchant pricing for the Americas.
Big Deal
A report by Deloitte predicts that in 2025, 25% of companies that use generative AI will launch “agentic AI” pilots or proofs of concept. Agentic AI refers to autonomous generative AI software solutions that can complete complex tasks and meet objectives with little or no human supervision. The firm also predicts that by 2027, agentic AI use by companies will grow to 50%.
“Investors have poured over $2 billion into agentic AI startups in the past two years, focusing their investment on companies that target the enterprise market,” according to the report. In addition, many tech companies, cloud providers, and others are developing their own agentic AI offerings.
Going deeper
Apple Inc. had a really good day. The tech giant’s stock, which closed at a record $251.04 on Monday, has gained more than 50% since bottoming out around $165 in April when the company launched Apple Intelligence, Fortune’s Greg McKenna writes in a new report. “Overall, shares are up 35% on the year, outpacing the S&P 500’s 28% gain, and letting Apple reclaim its spot as the world’s most valuable company,” McKenna writes. He also talks with analysts about whether the optimism surrounding Apple is warranted.
Overheard
“Maybe, just maybe, the Grateful Dead’s legacy can be even more than a songbook. It’s a playbook for corporations—at least the ones flexible enough to look for inspiration in the unlikeliest of places.”
—Lindsay Trout, a partner at Egon Zehnder, a leadership advisory and executive recruiting firm, writes in a new Fortune opinion piece, “What the Grateful Dead can teach CEOs about succession planning.” The band has managed to appeal to both veteran Dead Heads and a new, younger audience, Trout writes. “This harmonious passing of the baton, done posthumously (Jerry Garcia died in 1995), was a shining example of a process many successful corporations can’t seem to get right: succession,” she writes.
