LEADING THE CHARGE

SPOTLIGHTING THE 25 COMPANIES SMASHING THE GLASS CEILING

- RYAN HOGG

FORTUNE'S inaugural list of high-growth, innovative companies led by women offers a stark reminder of the state of play at the top of the corporate ladder: Women at the summit still have a long way to go in the search for equality.

To build this list, we looked at the fastestgrowing companies across all sectors in Europe and selected those with women holding key positions that drove growth and innovation. That includes women working in roles like CEO, COO, and CCO, as well as in more explicitly innovation-oriented positions like chief AI officer, head of technology, or chief digital officer.

The 25 companies on our list represent standout leaders in a range of sectors, including banking, cybersecurity, and retail, where a focus on equality has helped women move into positions of influence.

Combined, these 25 companies earned €18.7 billion ($20.5 billion) in profits in 2023. They have also grown revenues at an average rate of more than 50% in the past three years, demonstrating that having smart women at the top pays dividends.

Milena Mondini de Focatiis, CEO of Welsh insurance firm Admiral, is one of the leaders driving that growth. She became the insurer's first female boss in 2021 and is on track to break the 10 million customer mark, as her group recorded a 31% jump in revenue last year.

Mondini de Focatiis is not alone on this list. Others, including Benedicte Schilbred Fasmer of Norway's SpareBank 1 and Poppy Gustafsson of U.K.cybersecurity firm Darktrace, have also grown their companies as CEOs.