NAFE’s list serves as an annual benchmark for Corporate America. The number of women responsible for running operations (profit-and-loss, or P&L positions) at the NAFE Top Companies has reached 26 percent, significantly more than the 11 percent at Fortune 500 companies.

Each year NAFE conducts a survey to evaluate companies on all aspect of women’s advancement, including succession planning, profit-and-loss roles, gender pay parity, support programs, work-life balance programs and others. Since inception, the NAFE Top 50 was open only to public companies. For 2010, the list was opened to private companies.

“We are proud of the progress we’ve made at Grant Thornton to advance women within the firm and of our continuing efforts to improve gender diversity and create an inclusive environment for all our people,” said Jacqueline Akerblom, Grant Thornton LLP’s national managing partner of Women’s Initiatives and Programs. “It’s an honor to be recognized as a leader among all the companies doing work in this area by such a prestigious organization.”