IBM Picks First Female CEO

Question

After Yahoo, HP, now it is IBM.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- IBM Corp. has passed a milestone, naming the first female CEO in the company's 100-year history.

The selection of Virginia "Ginni" Rometty, announced Tuesday, is also a statement about the growing influence of women in the top tiers of business. Although women have made momentous strides, breaking through corporate America's "glass ceiling" over the past half century, a woman's ascendance into the chief executive position of a major corporation still holds significance. Currently, only 16 Fortune 500 companies are led by a woman; Rometty will be the 17th when her appointment takes effect on on Jan. 1.