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.

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.

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.

With a down-home — yet high-tech — approach to banking (not to mention a management team that's predominantly women), Citizens Bank of Edmond is proving that there still are advantages to being small.

The decision to leave Charles Schwab for a startup seemed crazy, especially since Carrie Dolan wasn't entirely sure, when a headhunter first called to recruit her for Lending Club, precisely what peer-to-peer lending was. But now her move looks like a good one.

A nonprofit she started in 2010 helped to earn Suni Harford a prestigious award from the U.S. Army.

Joyce Chang has made it her mission to encourage more young women to pursue careers in finance.

Katia Bouazza has built HSBC's Latin American franchise into an investment banking powerhouse.

Since Julie Monaco became Citigroup's global head of public-sector corporate and investment banking in 2013, she has reoriented the $1.8 billion business to focus on clients, rather than products.

In an industry known for its high turnover, Wells Fargo Securities, under Diane Schumaker-Krieg, has thrived by committing to a culture of promoting from within.

The highest-ranking female at Key's corporate and investment bank, Amy Carlson built the debt capital markets business from the ground up.

Veteran investment banker Elinor Hoover strives to keep Citi's clients ahead of the latest trends.

Liz Myers and her team are winning deals by tapping into the banking giant's existing capabilities and entering new business lines.

Tracey Brophy Warson is leading Citi's North American private bank to new heights. As one of the bank's highest-profile women, she's also playing an increasingly important role in helping to advance the careers of promising women.

Paula Polito has revived UBS' wealth management business in the Americas by targeting the emerging affluent and upgrading the firm's client service.

Under Fiona Bassett, Deutsche Bank's nascent U.S. exchange-traded fund business into one of the fastest-growing ETF platforms in North America.

TIAA-CREF's unit that provides financial advice to individuals has more than doubled in size since Kathie Andrade took the helm in 2011.