Headline: Meet the Nine Black CEOs Shattering Barriers on the 2025 Fortune 500 List
Nine African-American CEOs Pioneering the Helm of Fortune 500 Enterprises
Here's a lowdown on the powerhouses breaking ground as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies:
Marvin Ellison - CEO at Lowe's
As the first Black executive to lead two different Fortune 500 companies, Ellison took over the reins at Lowe's in 2018. His impressive 35-year retail journey started at Target, where he began as a part-timer earning just $4.35 an hour.
Thasunda Brown Duckett - CEO at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA)
Duckett took charge at TIAA in 2021, following a successful career spanning 17 years at JP Morgan Chase. She held crucial executive roles, including CEO of the Consumer Bank and Auto Finance, and served on prestigious boards like Nike, Inc., Brex Inc., and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights.
Toni Townes-Whitley - CEO at Science Applications International (SAIC)
When Townes-Whitley stepped up as CEO of SAIC in 2023, she brought over three decades of experience to the table. Prior to her role, she shone as President of US Regulated Industries at Microsoft, leading the public sector and regulated commercial industries.
Christopher Womack - CEO at Southern Company
Boasting a distinguished career, Womack joined Southern Company as its CEO in 2023. He previously served as the chairman, president, and CEO of Georgia Power, Southern Company's largest subsidiary. Womack also worked on Capitol Hill before joining the corporate world.
Calvin Butler Jr. - CEO at Exelon
Butler became CEO at Exelon in 2022, but his roots run deep within the company, having joined in 2008. Before making his mark at Exelon, he held leadership roles at R.R. Donnelley and CILCORP, Inc. In 2024, Savoy magazine named Butler as one of the "Most Influential Executives" in America.
Dave Bozeman - CEO at C.H. Robinson Worldwide
Bozeman, with 30 years of middle-mile transportation, manufacturing, digital, and customer service experience, was appointed as CEO at C.H. Robinson in 2023. Prior to this, he served as Vice President of the Ford Customer Service Division and Vice President of Enthusiast Vehicles for Ford Blue at Ford Motor Company.
Michael Bender – Interim CEO at Kohl's
Bender has been acting as the interim CEO at Kohl's since 2019. He brings over three decades of senior leadership experience in retail to the table, having worked at retail giants like Walmart, Victoria's Secret, and Eyemart Express.
René Jones - CEO at M&T Bank
Jones became CEO at M&T Bank in 2017 and was also elected a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2022. He joined M&T in 1992 as part of the Executive Associates Program and climbed the ranks to become the CFO in 2005.
David Rawlinson II - CEO at QVC Group
Rawlinson ascended to the role of CEO at QVC Group in 2021, bringing insights from his past positions as CEO at NielsenIQ and President at Grainger Global Online. He serves on the boards of numerous companies, including QVC Group, Discover Financial Services, NielsenIQ, and the National Retail Federation.
Leadership within various sectors is being redefined as Black executives break barriers on the 2025 Fortune 500 list, with strong leadership displayed by Marvin Ellison in finance at Lowe's, Thasunda Brown Duckett in diversity-and-inclusion at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA), and Toni Townes-Whitley in business at Science Applications International (SAIC).
