Are women making progress in leadership roles? It's a reasonable question. There are currently 15 Fortune 500 companies run by women - the same number as last year, though some of the names have changed. Katharine Graham of The Washington Post was the first female executive to run a Fortune 500 company when the media firm joined the list in 1972. So, a hefty 38 years later, women still only represent 3 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs.