Next to Lead: The 25 Most Powerful Rising Executives in the Fortune 500 Methodology (2025)
The Fortune Next to Lead list recognizes 25 rising executives inside the Fortune 500 who exhibit the performance, scope, and leadership attitude associated with the next generation of CEOs. Now in its second year, the list reflects shifting power dynamics inside America’s largest companies and the accelerating pace at which future chief executives are emerging.
To identify this year’s honorees, Fortune conducted months of reporting and consultation with executive search firms, board directors, management consultants, leadership advisors, recruiters, and current and former Fortune 500 CEOs. The goal: to surface the executives whose results, influence, and upward trajectory signal they are credible contenders for the corner office.
Candidates were evaluated across several dimensions:
Role, remit, and enterprise scale
They hold senior leadership roles within Fortune 500 companies or major subsidiaries, overseeing businesses, divisions, platforms, or global operations that rival entire companies in size or strategic importance. This includes multibillion-dollar P&Ls, mission-critical product lines, complex supply chains, or technology and operations infrastructure that sit at the center of corporate performance.
Financial and operational performance
They demonstrate a sustained record of results, such as accelerating growth, expanding margins, strengthening market position, or delivering significant operational or technological transformation. They have steered their organizations through uncertainty, executed at scale, and delivered measurable outcomes across multiple years.
Strategic vision and transformative leadership
They have demonstrated the ability to set strategy, reinvent business models, lead digital or AI-driven transformation, and make high-impact decisions. They exhibit the foresight and judgment that boards increasingly prioritize in succession discussions.
Enterprise influence and industry impact
They have influence that extends beyond their immediate remit. They help shape enterprise-wide decisions, contribute meaningfully to corporate strategy, and in many cases, influence the trajectory of their industries—whether through AI adoption, global expansion, supply-chain modernization, new product architectures, or reimagined customer and employee experiences.
Global fluency and leadership credibility
They possess deep global experience or oversee international teams and markets. Many have earned the confidence of boards and senior leadership teams, reflected in their inclusion on public company boards, executive committees, or key governance bodies.
Leadership durability and consistency
Their careers reflect a consistent ability to deliver results, build high-performing teams, lead through crises, and maintain momentum over time.