Last October, when Fortune published its 25th Most Powerful Women list, I wrote that I had mixed feelings about the franchise. On the one hand, we’re far from equity in the leadership ranks, so it’s important to spotlight diverse executives. On the other, I can’t wait for the day when we can simply rank the world’s “most powerful,” knowing that women and people of color will naturally be all over that list.
There are signs of progress—slow, but real—in this year’s Fortune 500. Fifty-two women run companies on the list, up from 44 at this time last year, meaning more than 10% of the nation’s biggest businesses are run by the “opposite sex” for the first time ever.
