by Alez Biles

It didn’t take very long for Benzinga to identify dozens of the top African-American heads of big-name American firms, despite an overall lack of representation in the higher levels of business.

The black CEOs on our list come from all corners of the country and lead public and private companies across all sectors of the economy.

1. Jan Adams, JMA Solutions

Adams founded JMA in 2005 following 24 years of service in the United States Air Force. Her vision has fueled JMA’s growth into the #125 ranking in the 2012 Inc. Magazine 5000, including the #1 ranking in Washington, D.C. The company provides financial management, IT services, systems and concept engineering and program management to the federal government.

2. Joseph B. Anderson, TAG Holdings, LLC

A former General Motors (NYSE: GM [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]) executive, Anderson is the CEO of the Troy, Michigan-based TAG Holdings, whose subsidiaries include Korean and Chinese plumbing ceramics makers, automobile wheel-assembly suppliers and warehouse services. 2010 revenues were over $700 million.

3. William Bailey, Rapier Solutions

William Bailey is a former veteran who founded Rapier in 2002. The IT company is based in Matthews, North Carolina and landed a spot at #139 in the 2012 Inc. Magazine 5000 rankings. 2011 revenues were $3.6 million.

4. Oprah Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network

Read more at  The Top 20 African-American CEOs in Business Today | Benzinga.