CEO exits and chief executive contenders not getting the top job are normal machinations of corporate C-Suites, but this year they’ve added up to a stark trend: the number of female CEOs in the Fortune 500, long on a steady climb, has plateaued, underscoring a broader trend in which corporate workplaces seem to be pushing women to the margins once again. In the new year, the Fortune 500, the largest U.S. companies by revenue, will have 54 women CEOs, one fewer than it had when the 2025 Fortune 500 list was published in June.
Women’s momentum in gaining board seats has also slowed. Their share of board seats in the Russell 3000 and S&P 500 reached 30.3% and 34.3%, respectively, both records, according to The Conference Board. But the 0.1 percentage point year-over-year increase in women’s representation on Russell 3000 boards in the second quarter was the smallest uptick in over a decade, according to 50/50 Women on Boards and its data partner Equilar. At the same time, women’s share of new board appointments is declining. In the third quarter, women made up 22.5% of 448 new board seats in the Russell 3000, the lowest rate in more than ten years. “At this pace, the overall percentage of women on boards may begin to decline in upcoming quarters,” a Women on Boards report says.
