Editor at Large

Barbara A. Rehm is American Banker’s Editor at Large. She also leads the paper’s annual ranking of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking.

Barb joined the daily newspaper in 1987 during the crunch of the savings and loan crisis and has covered the industry’s ups and downs for the past 24 years. She started as a reporter covering the Federal Reserve Board and was promoted to Washington Bureau Chief in 1995. She moved to progressively broader roles, and was named the paper’s first female editor in 2008. As editor in chief, Barb directed the paper’s coverage and shaped the newsroom’s culture. She moved to her current role in July 2010 and writes a weekly column for the paper.

On Women in Banking, Barb works with an editorial team to select the honorees and produce the monthly magazine that highlights their accomplishments. She hosts the annual dinner recognizing the women each October.

Barb is a semi-frequent (and always reluctant) public speaker, appearing before industry audiences as well as on CNBC and NPR.

Her hobbies mesh nicely. Barb loves to cook (and of course eat) and belongs to a competitive cooking club. She tries to burn off those calories with exercise. She’s completed the Marine Corp. Marathon as well as a triathlon and a cycling century and is currently discovering how hard Pilates can be. Barb is married to Jeff Knowles. They live in McLean, Va.

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