A new global index reveals which of the world’s largest corporations are building gender-balanced leadership teams, and how accelerating women into senior roles is delivering stronger business performance.
As organisations around the world mark International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, a new global ranking is highlighting the companies making the most meaningful progress towards gender-balanced leadership.
Released by House of Rose Professional Ltd (HORP), the 2026 Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky® 101 Best Global Companies for Women in Leadership Index (BTC 101 Global Index) identifies the world’s largest corporations with the strongest representation of women across their boards and executive teams.
Now in its seventh year, the Index has become a key global benchmark for measuring gender balance at the highest levels of corporate leadership. Its latest findings suggest that companies embracing diverse leadership are also delivering stronger financial results.
GLOBAL INITIATIVE TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP
The 2026 Index evaluates gender representation across the boards and management teams of the 500 largest companies in the world by revenue, ranging from $32 billion to $680 billion in annual turnover. Researchers assessed the leadership composition of more than 10,000 executives between October and December 2025. A total of 106 companies appear on the 2026 Index, reflecting tied ranking positions.
Importantly, inclusion in the ranking cannot be purchased or applied for. Companies earn their place solely through publicly available leadership data, making the BTC 101 one of the most transparent global indicators of gender balance at the top of corporate organisations.
The Index forms part of HORP’s broader Mission 2029 for a Better World, a global initiative aimed at transforming leadership balance across the Fortune Global 500.
DIVERSE LEADERSHIP, STRONGER PERFORMANCE
One of the most striking findings from the 2026 Index is the clear link between gender-balanced leadership and financial performance. Companies featured on the Index consistently outperformed their peers. According to this year’s Index:
- 73% of Index companies reported year-on-year revenue growth, compared with 60% among non-Index companies
- 52% reported profit growth, compared with 47% among companies outside the ranking
Among the least gender-balanced companies assessed, the gap becomes even more pronounced: only 48% reported revenue growth and 44% profit growth. The findings reinforce an increasingly recognised reality in global business: diverse leadership teams are often more resilient, innovative and better positioned to drive sustainable growth.
PROGRESS AT THE TOP BUT WORK REMAINS
Representation of women in senior leadership continues to rise across the world’s largest companies. Companies included on the 2026 Index average 41.43% women across boards and executive teams, compared with 20.76% among companies not included.
The bar for entry into the Index is also rising. In 2020, companies needed 22.2% female representation to qualify. By 2026, the minimum threshold has climbed to 35.71%. Notably, the top 10 companies in the ranking now demonstrate near gender parity in leadership representation. This signals a meaningful shift in how global corporations approach executive diversity.
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
Geographically, the Index is dominated by companies headquartered in North America, Europe and Australia. The 2026 ranking includes:
- 38 companies from the United States
- 15 from the United Kingdom
- 14 from France
- 9 from Germany
- 6 from Canada
- 6 from Switzerland
- 5 from Australia
- 4 from China
However, the data also reveals stark regional disparities. Asia – home to 198 of the world’s 500 largest companies – contributed just four companies to the Index, all based in China. Meanwhile, none of the Middle East’s Fortune Global 500 companies appear in the ranking.
These gaps highlight what researchers describe as a major opportunity for organisations across these regions to accelerate gender-balanced leadership strategies.
PERSISTENT CEO GAP
Despite progress in boardrooms and executive teams, the top corporate role remains overwhelmingly male. As of early 2026, just 31 women serve as CEOs among the world’s 500 largest companies, representing 6.2% of the total.
Given that women now account for the majority of university graduates globally and represent a substantial share of consumer markets, the disparity highlights the scale of the challenge – and the opportunity – ahead.
TOP 10 COMPANIES FOR WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
The organisations leading the 2026 BTC 101 Global Index include companies spanning banking, retail, healthcare, energy and technology. The top 10 ranked companies are:
- Woolworths Group
- BHP Group (tie)
- GSK (tie)
- UniCredit Group
- AXA
- Northrop Grumman
- Target
- Starbucks
- NatWest Group
- Banco do Brasil
- JPMorgan Chase
These companies represent some of the most influential corporations in the global economy and demonstrate that balanced leadership can be embedded even in the world’s largest and most complex organisations.
Commenting on the findings, HORP Chairman and CEO Anthony A. Rose said the Index highlights both progress and the opportunity ahead: “The 2026 BTC 101 Global Index highlights the continued progress many leading companies are making in building inclusive and high-performing leadership teams. We congratulate the companies featured this year and look forward to sharing best practices and insights during the 2026 Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky® World Tour. We also encourage companies to build their business and organisation by leveraging HORP expertise in accelerating business and organisational impact via accelerated balance at the C-suite.”
ACCELERATING PROGRESS FOR WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
The world’s 500 largest companies generate more than $41 trillion in revenue and employ over 70 million people, giving them immense influence over the global economy. HORP’s Mission 2029 aims to leverage that influence by quintupling the number of female CEOs and doubling the number of male ally CEOs across the Fortune Global 500 by the end of the decade. If achieved, the initiative could help reshape the leadership landscape of global business, and accelerate progress towards a more balanced and inclusive corporate world.
HORP will host the 2026 Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky® World Tour, a global leadership summit bringing together senior executives, emerging leaders and organisations focused on advancing leadership excellence. Since launching in 2015, the summit has featured more than 1,200 C-suite speakers and participants from over 700 global organisations.
Click here for more information on the summit and the full list of this year’s 101 global companies leading the way for women in leadership in 2026.
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