Top Female CEOs of 2025: Women Leading in Business
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in gender diversity within corporate leadership. By 2025, women represent 10.4% of CEO roles in Fortune 500 companies, with 52 females heading these major organizations, marking a historic peak.
Increase in Female CEO Representation by 2025
The proportion of women in executive roles has been gradually increasing. As of 2023, women held 10.4% of top leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies, with 52 women serving as CEOs. This trend highlights the corporate world’s growing focus on gender diversity and inclusion.
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Jane Fraser, leading Citigroup since 2021, is recognized as one of the world’s most influential female bankers. Under her direction, Citigroup’s performance improved, highlighted by a 37% rise in the bank’s stock in 2024. Her total five-year compensation reaches $107.5 million, reflecting her significant impact on the company’s success.
The Leading Five Female CEOs in 2025
Mary T. Barra – General Motors
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Position: CEO since 2014
Company Overview: General Motors, a leading automotive manufacturer, has achieved substantial growth and innovation in electric vehicle technology under Barra’s leadership. Since taking the helm in January 2014, Mary Barra has steered GM through significant changes, focusing on developing electric and autonomous vehicles, securing GM’s status as a leader in automotive innovation.
Gail K. Boudreaux – Anthem Inc.
Position: CEO since 2017
Company Overview: Under Boudreaux’s leadership, Anthem Inc., a prominent health insurance provider, has expanded both its services and membership base. Originally building her career in healthcare leadership roles with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and UnitedHealth Group, Boudreaux has, since becoming CEO of Anthem in 2017, rebranded the company as Elevance Health and focused on innovative healthcare solutions and digital transformation.
Carol Tomé – UPS
Position: CEO since 2020
Company Overview: As the first female CEO of UPS, Tomé has guided the logistics giant through global challenges by enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability. With her background in finance, Carol Tomé has prioritized operational excellence and expanded UPS’s global logistics network, playing a crucial role during the rise of e-commerce.
Emma Walmsley – GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Position: CEO since 2017
Company Overview: At the helm of one of the world’s prominent pharmaceutical companies, Walmsley has placed an emphasis on innovation within healthcare and consumer products. After a successful stint at L’Oréal in global consumer divisions, she joined GSK in 2010 and became its CEO in 2017, becoming the first woman to lead a major pharmaceutical company. Her tenure has been marked by a focus on innovation in vaccines, consumer healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.
Thasunda Brown Duckett – TIAA
Position: CEO since 2021
Company Overview: As one of the few Black women leading a Fortune 500 company, Duckett heads TIAA, focusing on retirement services for the academic, research, medical, and cultural sectors. Thasunda Brown Duckett rose through the ranks in financial services, with leadership roles at Fannie Mae and JPMorgan Chase, where she led the Consumer Banking division. In 2021, she became CEO of TIAA, advocating for financial inclusion and wealth equality.
These pioneering women embody the progress made toward gender diversity in corporate leadership, serving as inspirations for future generations aiming to secure executive positions across numerous industries.
Women’s Insider Contributor
Lauren E. Whitman
Lauren E. Whitman covers women in business, lifestyle trends, and personal growth. Her work focuses on practical insights that help readers navigate modern careers and everyday life.
This article features partner, contributor, or branded content from a third party. Members of the Women’s Insider editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content. All views and opinions are those of the contributor alone.
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