Top 5 Women Leading Globally Listed Companies
Spanning industries from healthcare to banking, here are the top five female CEOs leading publicly-listed companies on Forbes' Global 2000 list 2021. They served a combined average of a decade working at their companies before being appointed to the C-suite.
Spanning industries from healthcare to banking, here are the top five female CEOs leading publicly-listed companies on Forbes’ Global 2000 list 2021. They served a combined average of a decade working at their companies before being appointed to the C-suite.
1. Jessica Tan
Co-CEO, Executive VP, Ping An Insurance Group
CITIZENSHIP: Singapore
COMPANY RANK ON GLOBAL 2000: 6
Tan first joined the Chinese finance insurance giant Ping An in 2013 as group CIO and became the group's co-CEO in 2018. Until February 2021, Tan was also the company's COO. Before joining Ping An, she was a global partner at McKinsey & Company. The Singaporean holds master's degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ping An ranks as the top insurer globally according to Forbes, boasting 218 million customers at year-end 2020, up 9% from the start of the year.
2. Jane Fraser
CEO, Citigroup
CITIZENSHIP: U.S.
COMPANY RANK ON GLOBAL 2000: 16
In February 2021, Fraser was appointed as the CEO of Citigroup, making her the first female CEO in the banking firm's history. She joined Citi in 2004 in the corporate and investment banking division and has since served in multiple departments and positions. Prior to working at the US-headquartered bank, Fraser was a partner at McKinsey & Company. The 54-year-old has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a master's degree in economics from Cambridge University.
3. Karen Lynch
President and CEO, CVS Health
CITIZENSHIP: U.S.
COMPANY RANK ON GLOBAL 2000: 37
After over three decades of healthcare industry experience, Lynch became the CEO of CVS Health in
February 2021. She joined the company in late 2018 as executive vice president. Lynch's immediate priorities include leading the firm's national response to the COVID-19 pandemic and improving the health of communities. Her career began with Ernst & Young as a certified public accountant. The 58-yearold has an MBA from Boston University.
4. Mary Barra
Chair and CEO, General Motors
CITIZENSHIP: U.S.
COMPANY RANK ON GLOBAL 2000: 47
GM's CEO since 2014, Barra, is the firm's first female CEO and the first woman to lead any major automaker in the U.S. She began her career with GM as a General Motors Institute co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division in 1980. Having earned $21.6 million in 2019, the 59-year-old has the highest compensation of a Detroit Big Three automaker leader. GM has consistently scored highly in gender equity reports; in 2018, it was one of only two global businesses with no gender pay gap.
5. Safra Catz
CEO, Oracle Corp.
CITIZENSHIP: U.S.
COMPANY RANK ON GLOBAL 2000: 71
Catz has served as CEO of software firm Oracle since September 2014, when founder and fellow billionaire Larry Ellison stepped down from the role. She joined Oracle in 1999 and is credited with spearheading Oracle's aggressive acquisition strategy, helping close more than 130 acquisitions. The 59-year-old also serves as a director of The Walt Disney Company and previously served as a director of HSBC Holdings plc.