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Under Mary Mack, the nation's third-largest retail brokerage is suddenly winning high marks for customer satisfaction.

Innovation is often slow going at large financial institutions, but PNC's Charlotte McLaughlin has a knack for pushing new products through the gauntlet of project managers and committees quickly.

Candace Browning is using insight gained from her position as head of global research to help improve operations in Bank of America's largest business lines.

As one of Bessemer Trust's most senior leaders — and the highest-ranking woman in the firm's 108-year history — Rebecca Patterson does it all, from developing new products to directing marketing initiatives to setting corporate strategy to commenting on market trends for CNBC.

Wells Fargo has seven women on its 16-member board, a 44% ratio that is twice that of the average top 25 bank. It got there, in large part, by looking beyond C-suites for qualified directors.

By locking up key clients, minimizing employee attrition and embracing innovation, Margaret Keane has made all the right moves in preparing Synchrony Financial to stand on its own.

Kelly Cochran has vetted every rule that comes out of the agency, making her one of the most influential people in the financial services industry.

Through weeklong mentoring trips to locales like Brazil, Haiti and Somalia, senior female executives at B of A are teaching other women the finer points of running a small business.

Whether it's raising money to build schools in Africa or creating programs internally to help advance the careers of women, the dozen women's networks at U.S. Bancorp strive to make a real difference in women's lives.

Like all banks, BMO Harris is trying to keep ahead of demographic and technological shifts that are transforming retail banking, and its female leaders are spearheading many of the initiatives it has underway.