Special Program Root Tag

After buying Marshall & Ilsley in 2011, BMO Financial Group's U.S. arm faced a full plate of challenges. But with the guidance of Justine Fedak, head of brand, advertising and sponsorships in North America, BMO Financial and its BMO Harris Bank subsidiary took their message straight to Milwaukee.

Two years ago, Huntington Bank laid out an inclusion strategy that would make senior leaders more accountable and leave other employees feeling better trained, better utilized and more engaged. The results so far have been as impressive as the Midwestern regional's recent financial performance.

Revenue up, expenses down. That's the formula Julie Castle helped perfect as chief operating officer of Zions First National Bank's wealth management affiliate, Contango Capital Advisors. In June she was rewarded with a promotion to CEO of the unit.

KeyCorp's Beth Mooney tops the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking list; the 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance list is led by Karen Peetz of BNY Mellon; and Mary Callahan Erdoes at JPMorgan Chase heads the 25 Women to Watch list.

When the division of labor at home isn't so clear, relationships with our partners can feel very transactional.

A pillar of stability on JPMorgan Chase's 12-member operating committee, Mary Callahan Erdoes runs the asset management division with a sharp eye for talent and a calm appraisal of the company's recent run-ins with regulators.

KeyCorp wasn't looking to make history when it named a female CEO in 2011. It wanted a stronger leader and a good fit for the company. Based on what Beth Mooney has accomplished so far, she's delivering on all fronts.

Last April, Abigail Johnson spoke with a group of 350 brokers and registered investment advisers about the strategy and innovation that lie ahead for Fidelity Investments. What emerged out of the executive forum in Naples, Fla., was an excited boost of confidence.

With a significant promotion at BNY Mellon and an eventful year as chairman of the Penn State trustee board, Karen Peetz further refines the leadership skills that have long made her worth watching.

The winners of the American Banker Young Women's Leadership Award aim high.

Remembering Muriel Sievert: an excerpt from Sheri J. Caplan's "Petticoats and Pinstripes: Portraits of Women in Wall Street's History"

Wells Fargo, BMO Financial, Huntington Bank and Zions First National Bank saw women's team efforts impact the bottom line.

Jane Fraser's no longer running a global franchise — CitiMortgage is a U.S. business serving 5 million customers — but her track record as a savvy manager of capital, talent development and technological innovation suggests that Citi has fresh ambitions for its home loan division.

Irene Dorner, our No. 1 Most Powerful Woman in Banking in 2012, has seen her stock rise internally at HSBC, having been appointed in February as a group managing director of HSBC Holdings and as a member of the HSBC Group Management Board.

Patti Husic became a CEO when she bought a bank. Now she is rolling out a program to help more women reach the C-suite.

Caryl Athanasiu is studying up to be a corporate director through a new program that hopes to move the needle on women's advancement in the boardroom.

To Janice Fukakusa, diversity is about more than platitudes. It's about solutions—and a willingness to examine the metrics.

When she started in banking, Cece Stewart had little interest in finding a women's network—not that there were many to join. But her priorities at work no longer include blending in with the men.

KeyCorp chairman and CEO Beth Mooney says the new regulatory, reputational and cost pressures on banks aren't going away anytime soon.

Whether newcomers to the power scene or bank industry veterans taking on a new challenge, these women bear keeping an eye on.