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Melanie Dressel manages by walking around. Each year, the president and CEO of Columbia Banking System makes it a priority to visit each of the bank's branches, as well as its various departments, to help her better understand what is working for customers and what the bank can be doing better.

Doing better is what Diana Reid is always aiming for and that approach to her work is serving her well. As head of PNC Real Estate, her business has posted double-digit commercial real estate loan growth for four consecutive years.

Huntington Bancshares pulled the trigger on the largest acquisition in its history because it had Helga Houston on its side.

Regions Financial was more proactive than most energy lenders in getting ahead of credit troubles caused by falling oil prices, and the Birmingham, Ala., company has Chief Credit Officer Barb Godin to thank for that.

When the movie "Equity" arrived in theaters — with women in the leading roles as Wall Street executives — Barbara Byrne had her name in the credits. The project is just one of the distinctive ways that Byrne, Barclays' vice chairman of investment banking, has been promoting gender diversity. She is motivated to make a difference and tries to choose projects that will have a big impact.

Meet JPMorgan Chase's new general counsel. Stacey Friedman, a tough financial litigator who also fights for social justice, is the only woman to serve as the general counsel of a systemically important U.S. bank. From crisis-era legal strategy to a recent failed grade on a living will, she embraces every challenge. But one of her proudest accomplishments is unrelated to banking: a pro bono case she helped win to stop a ban on same-sex couples adopting children.

Some bankers are proud of making it through the financial crisis. Imagine doing that while also contending with a huge personal crisis. Karen Glenn, the chief executive of a Kentucky community bank, is a single mom of twin boys. She had just made it through a major health issue with one of her sons, when the other was diagnosed with cancer.

Rosilyn Houston couldn't have known it at the time, but the year she spent caring for her toddler son while he underwent treatment for leukemia would have a profound impact on the trajectory of her career.

When Laura Sikora interviewed at BMO Financial 20 years ago, she was struck by the fact that several people asked her what she wanted to do next. She got the message that her aspirations were important to the company, and now she has spearheaded a new micromentoring program to give others help with realizing their career goals. Employees who have specific skills they want to improve can get matched up with a colleague for some customized coaching sessions.

Centric Financial is one of the few publicly traded banking companies with women in the chief executive and chief financial officer roles. Centric is also distinctive for its enviable growth and performance. Those two facts are not purely coincidental, according to President and CEO Patricia Husic.