Most Powerful Women in Banking: Next 2022

By Kate Berry, Penny Crosman, Mary Ellen Egan, Chana Schoenberger

May 1, 2022 12:01 AM

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors.

As we exit a global pandemic crisis that exacted a toll on many people’s professional and personal lives, it’s not surprising that a recurring theme among this year’s nominees was empathy.

Four of the 15 Women on The Most Powerful Women in Banking: Next list noted valuing empathy as a leadership quality. “Compassion, or, as I like to say, empathy with action, is the most important quality for a leader to have,” said Caroline Donlin, managing director and group head of BMO Harris Corporate Advisory.

Emily Turner, managing director and head of business development for the institutional clients group at Citi, cited her boss’ outlook on empathy and leadership. “Our CEO, Jane Fraser, has discussed how leading with empathy is a competitive advantage, and I agree. I believe that as we pursue excellence, we need to apply strong emotional intelligence to understand our clients' challenges, as well as to develop and support our talent,” Turner said.

In a year when we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking, it’s also notable that this year’s Next list showcases how far many women have come. Four of this year’s nominees started at entry-level jobs in the banking industry and worked their way up through the ranks. Tonya Calix, senior vice president of human resources and diversity at Beach Bank, started as an executive assistant. Beth Fite, director of retail banking at First Carolina Bank, began as a teller at a local bank before being hired as a private banker. Sonia Fraher started as an intern at Ally Financial’s predecessor, GMAC Bank, and is now a senior director of product and strategy at the bank. And Laura Howe, a regional bank director at Wells Fargo who now oversees branch operations in five states, got her start in the bank’s call center.

Among their many accomplishments, one of our honorees is one of the youngest chief financial officers in the industry; another is a former professional flutist; and another has started a nonprofit to encourage minority youth in the Cleveland area to consider a career in technology.

Read on to discover more about these talented rising stars, and join us in celebrating their accomplishments.

Tonya Calix, Beach Bank

Senior Vice President, Human Resources & Diversity

Where she’s based: Land O Lakes, Florida

What she does: Develops comprehensive strategic recruiting and retention plans, comprehensive compensation and benefits plans, and focuses on career and personal development for employees.

Nominating executive: Charles “Chip” Reeves, Chief Executive Officer and President

What he said: “ Tonya has the most potential of any human resource executive I have worked with in my 30-plus-year career. She inspires trust and respect from her peer group executives based on her intellect, work ethic and authentic true collaboration.”

(Read the full profile here)

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Ashley Comstock, Vectra Bank Colorado

Chief Financial Officer

Where she’s based: Denver, Colorado

What she does: Comstock is responsible for financial projection and strategic planning. Day-to-day, she measures the overall performance of the bank and manages reporting, risk and controls assessments. She is also responsible for employee incentives and compensation.

Nominating Executive: Bruce Alexander, President and CEO

What he said: “For ten years, Ashley Comstock has served Vectra Bank and our holding company, Zions Bancorporation, with professionalism, competence and forward-thinking. It has been an immense pleasure to watch her grow from Assistant Controller, to Manager of Finance, and ultimately CFO of the bank.”

(Read the full profile here)

Alina Crisi, PNC Bank

Head of PNC Merchant Services

Where she’s based: New York, New York

What she does: Leads PNC Merchant Services, a $250 million business with over 75,000 clients. With a scope of responsibility for more than 200 employees coast-to-coast, she oversees sales, risk, operations, product and strategy to help PNC Small Business clients.

Nominating executive: Alex Overstrom, Head of Small Business/Deputy Head of Retail Banking

What he said: “At just 30 years old, Alina has recently taken the helm at PNC Merchant Services, running one of the nation's largest merchant acquirers. She was also a major driver of PNC's successful integration of BBVA USA. It was an enormous responsibility, driving much of the day-to-day execution and overseeing teams across the company. She excelled on every front, helping our integration team deliver, announce, close and convert BBVA USA in just 11 months.”

(Read the full profile here)

Caroline Donlin, BMO Harris Bank

Managing Director and Group Head, BMO Harris Corporate Advisory

Where she’s based: Chicago, Illinois

What she does: Donlin leads the 10-person corporate advisory practice, which works with the commercial bank to advise companies on M&A and growth, as well as running the $5 billion national Employee Stock Ownership Plan practice and managing the group’s partnerships with the capital markets and wealth management units.

Nominating executive: Dave Casper, U.S. CEO and Group Head, North American Commercial Banking

What he said: “Caroline is highly respected at BMO, where she and her team play a critical role advising business owners on key decisions related to buyside M&A transactions, liquidity events and ownership transactions. A mentor to many, she plays a leadership role within BMO, not only on her team, but throughout our commercial bank.”

(Read the full profile here)

Dana Evans, Baker Boyer Bank

Vice President, Credit Administration Officer

Where she’s based: Walla Walla, Washington

What she does: Reporting to the chief credit officer, she works on compliance, audit, and risk issues, and manages all loans in litigation.

Nominating executives: Rosendo Guizar, Senior Vice President, Chief Credit Officer, and Mark Hess, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

What they said: “She is the type of person who takes great pride in her work but perhaps more importantly takes great pride in contributing to the improvement of our organization and development of others. It is these latter attributes that give her the potential for a future C-suite position.”

(Read the full profile here)

Beth Fite, First Carolina Bank

Director, Retail Banking

Where she’s based: Raleigh, North Carolina

What she does: Develops, implements and executes the bank’s retail sales, treasury, and residential mortgage strategy. Manages training and development of regional and branch managers, as well as managing consumer lending at all branches.

Nominating Executive: Kristen Brabble, Chief Operating Officer

What she said: “There is no ceiling for her! She is typically the first in and last to leave each day... and always with a smile on her face. Through 2020-2021, she managed staffing issues due to COVID, branch closures/limited hours, and numerous other situations without any guidebook.”

(Read the full profile here)

Sonia Fraher, Ally Financial

Sr. Director, Product and Strategy

Where she’s based: Wayne, Pennsylvania

What she does: Leads the team managing end-to-end consumer and product strategy for Ally's Savings products. In addition to managing savings growth and its P&L, she also leads the bank’s financial and social inclusion efforts.

Nominating Executive: Diane Morais, President, Consumer & Commercial Banking

What she said: “Sonia takes full ownership of any project she joins and challenges her teammates to act similarly. This, coupled with her honesty, integrity and work ethic, are a perfect summary as to why she's so impactful.

(Read the full profile here)

Jennifer Gravenor, The Northern Trust Company

President, Austin Region

Where she’s based: Austin, Texas

What she does: Responsible for overseeing the firm's high-growth business across Central Texas, leading a growing team who deliver wealth management, trust and estate planning, investments, private and commercial banking, and financial consulting for personal and institutional clients across the region.

Nominating executive: Colter Lewis, President, Texas

What he said: “In just a short time, Jennifer has attracted the best talent in the industry and concentrated them in the local market. The talent and experience in this team is unrivaled in the Central Texas region, and their contagious energy is winning in a very competitive environment.”

(Read the full profile here)

Laura Howe, Wells Fargo

Regional Bank Director

Where she’s based: Des Moines, Iowa

What she does: Oversees branch banking operations across five states including Iowa, western Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. She is responsible for 99 branches with $11.7 billion in deposits and 847 employees, including the 17 Wells Fargo branches in the Des Moines region.

Nominating executive: Laurie Nordquist, Lead Regional President, Central Region

What she said: “Laura is known for her outstanding care and commitment to employee development, which she demonstrates through mentoring. When I walk into a branch with Laura, she knows every employee, their families, their interests, and their career aspirations.”

(Read the full profile here)

Lindsay Huston, Bank of America

Managing Director, Head of B2B Payments and Commercial Card Products

Where she’s based: Charlotte, North Carolina

What she does: Within Global Transaction Services, Huston is responsible for leading a team whose roles includes partnering with fintechs to deliver solutions to corporate clients around the world.

Nominating Executive: Jennifer Petty, Managing Director, Head of Global Card and Comprehensive Payables, Global Transaction Services

What she said: “Lindsay excels in executing projects where she applies her analytical skills, her ability to articulate complex solutions, and ability to persuade senior leaders and junior colleagues alike. She is dedicated to her team's well-being and professional development, generating strong followership from a group of strong performers.”

(Read the full profile here)

Becky Lansen, Synchrony Financial

Senior Vice President, General Manager–Venmo

Where she’s based: Stamford, Connecticut

What she does: Leads Synchrony's Venmo partnership and credit card portfolio with full P&L responsibility, overseeing the product launch, strategy and execution with a focus on driving business growth.

Nominating executive: Carol Juel, EVP and Chief Technology and Operating Officer

What she said: “Becky led Synchrony's 100-person team to successfully launch Venmo's first-ever credit card, a major opportunity to tap into 83 million Venmo customers, developing industry-leading mobile and social experiences with agility, creativity and speed during the pandemic. Under Becky's strong leadership, this program has exceeded expectations and is well-positioned for future growth."

(Read the full profile here)

Meghan Shue, Wilmington Trust

Group Vice President, Head of Investment Strategy and Portfolio Construction

Where she’s based: Radnor, Pennsylvania

What she does: Responsible for helping manage Wilmington Trust's asset-allocation process, developing market research, and communicating the investment team's market outlook and positioning to clients and prospective clients.

Nominating executive: Anthony Roth, Chief Investment Officer

What he said: “Meghan is currently the senior female on our Investment Committee and has become an industry-recognized investment strategist. She speaks with certainty and confidence about multiple asset classes and in multiple media outlets. Meghan is a consummate team player, and she brings unique perspectives and an exceptional capacity to synthesize disparate views into a coherent, holistic outlook.”

(Read the full profile here)

Alicia Stone, KeyBank

Senior Vice President, Business Technology Executive

Where she’s based: Brooklyn, Ohio

What she does: Responsible for building and executing on Key's strategic vision for critical technology platforms, including Key's client-facing commercial digital properties, as well as enterprise credit and customer relationship management platforms.

Nominating executive: Amy Brady, Chief Information Officer

What she said: “She is passionate about her work and cares deeply for her team members and their careers, while providing an example to others on how to balance her career and raise her family, while also contributing to the community with a focus on STEM education.”

(Read the full profile here)

Emily Turner of Citi, on February 14th, 2020, in London, United Kingdom.

Micha Theiner

Emily Turner, Citi

Managing Director, Head of Business Development, Institutional Clients Group

Where she’s based: London, England

What she does: Turner is on the ICG leadership committee, responsible for defining the group’s strategy for growth, as well as its digital asset plans and innovation.

Nominating executive: Paco Ybarra, CEO, Institutional Clients Group

What he said: “Emily is a leader for our firm and she will continue to advance her career, taking on larger responsibilities in the future.”

(Read the full profile here)

Amy West, TD Securities

Global Head of Sustainable Finance & Corporate Transitions

Where she’s based: New York, New York

What she does: Provides Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) advice and solutions to corporate and institutional clients.

Nominating executive: Robbie Pryde, Executive Vice Chair and Head of Corporate & Investment Banking

What he said: “Amy was an influential leader in Sustainable Finance well before her appointment, rising to the rank of Managing Director in our Debt Capital Markets group, with a focus on Green, Social and Sustainable bonds. She brings not only the skillset but true passion to her role - our clients have clearly recognized this, entrusting TD Securities to advise and execute on their strategic ESG goals.”

(Read the full profile here)