Black Female CEO's of the Fortune 500
On the 2022 FORTUNE 500 list, 44 companies were led by women CEOs, which is an all-time high but only five Black women have ever led a Fortune 500 company. OnJuly 1, 2009,Ursula Burnsbecame thefirst Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company. Ms. Burns stepped down as the CEO of Xerox in late 2016,following the completion of the separation of Xerox into two independent, publicly-traded companies.She served as chairman of the board of the post-separation Document Technology company from 2010 to 2017.
Mary A. Winston was the second Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. Sheservedasthe interim CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond between May andNovember 2019.
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) announced on January 26, 2021the appointment ofRosalind (Roz) Breweras the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective on March 15, 2021. Ms. Brewer becamethe third female Black American to lead a Fortune 500 company. She resigned from her position as CEO and from the board of directors in September 2023.
Thasunda Brown Duckettbecome the fourth Black woman to head a"Fortune 500" company, on May 1, 2021, when she succeeded Roger Ferguson, who announced his retirement from TIAA in November 2020, after a 13-year run as CEO.
Toni Townes-Whitleyassumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Science Applications International (SAIC) on October 2, 2023 making her the fifth Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.
FAQs
The bad news is only eight Fortune 500 companies have a Black CEO. That's just 1.6%, a far cry from Black Americans' 14.4% share of the population.
How many black people are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies? ›
The bad news is only eight Fortune 500 companies have a Black CEO. That's just 1.6%, a far cry from Black Americans' 14.4% share of the population.
Who are the top black CEOs? ›
4 Black CEOs Leading Fortune 500 Companies
- Do you know the name Rosalind Brewer? Brewer joined Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. ...
- Do you know the name René F. Jones? ...
- Do you know the name Thasunda Brown Duckett? Duckett joined TIAA as President and CEO in 2021. ...
- Do you know the name Marvin R. Ellison?
1986: Gerald Tsai became the first East Asian male to become a Fortune 500 CEO (American Can Company). 1987: Clifton R. Wharton Jr., CEO of TIAA-CREF, became the first black male to be a Fortune 500 CEO (TIAA-CREF).
Who is the black female Fortune 500 CEO? ›
With her appointment, Townes-Whitley becomes one of two Black women currently serving as Fortune 500 CEOs. The timing is notable; for all of September, TIAA CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett stood alone as the only Black female CEO in the Fortune 500 following the exit of Walgreens chief Roz Brewer.
What is the biggest company owned by a black person? ›
These Black-owned businesses bring in the largest yearly revenues
- World Wide Technology had a revenue of $17 billion in 2023.
- Bridge Water Interiors generates an annual revenue of $2 billion.
- ActOne generated a revenue of $1.1 billion in 2022.
There are currently no Black American majority owned company listed on the Fortune 500. On the 2022 rankings each company on the Fortune 500 list reported at least $5.6 billion in revenues.
Which bank has a black CEO? ›
“Black Americans have put their blood, sweat and tears into making America great.” Kevin Cohee is the chairman and CEO of One United Bank, the largest Black-owned financial institution in America.
Who is the richest black person in the world? ›
Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa and the richest Black man in the world, with an estimated net worth of around $13.4 billion in 2024.
How many black female Fortune 500 CEOs are there? ›
Brewer is the third Black female to serve as CEO at a Fortune 500 company. Ursula Burns was CEO of Xerox Co. from 2010-16, and Mary Winston was interim CEO at Bed Bath & Beyond in 2019.
What is the oldest black owned company? ›
A historical look at EE Ward Moving and Storage, the nations oldest, continuously run, black owned business. It got its start as part of the Underground Railroad system in Columbus, Ohio in the 1840's.
What company was the first black billionaire? ›
Reginald F. Lewis (December 7, 1942 – January 19, 1993), was an American businessman. He was one of the richest Black American men in the 1980s, and the first African-American to build a billion-dollar company: TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc.
Who is the black CEO of Walgreens? ›
Walgreens Boots Alliance (2021-2023)
On 15 March 2021, Rosalind Brewer was appointed as the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Brewer became the only current black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. Brewer mutually agreed to step down as CEO in September 2023 after being in the role for two years.
Who is the black woman billionaire in the world? ›
Despite her efforts to keep BET going, Sheila Johnson says, "I was being erased." After her divorce, she went on to found a hotel chain and become part-owner of several pro sports teams.
What is the demographic of Fortune 500 CEOs? ›
Executive leadership and board membership of Fortune 500 companies continues to be mostly composed of non-Hispanic white men, who hold an average of 56.63% of all corporate governance positions.
What race are most CEOs in America? ›
Chief Executive Officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among chief executive officers is White, which makes up 76.0% of all chief executive officers.
What percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are men? ›
The team here at Allsorter analyzed 1000 of the World's largest companies and found that of the 1000 companies, only 64 (6.4%) of the company CEOs were women. Meanwhile, 936 (93.6%) were male.
