With the resignation of Campbell Soup Company CEO Denise Morrison, 23 female executives remain at the top of publicly traded companies on the S&P 500 index. At index 500 companies, 45 percent of employees are women, but just 37 percent of midlevel managers and 27 percent of senior managers are women, according to Catalyst, a consulting and research firm focused on women in leadership. On the plus side, Stacey Cunningham has been appointed President of the NY Stock Exchange, the first woman to hold that post. Currently COO, Cunningham began her NYSE career as an intern. She joins Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq since January. Two women leading the major US equity marketplaces could help change the way people think about female leaders in the financial sector, said Brande Stellings of Catalyst.

John Howell, Editorial Director