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.

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.

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.

What it takes to excel goes far beyond the daily work a job entails. It's about having the courage to be who you are, stand up for what you believe in, overcome great adversity, and make the world better in a way that is uniquely yours. Here are four executives who have done just that.
• Create a Ripple Effect: JPMorgan's Stacey Friedman
• Be Like a Puffer Fish: Barclays' Barbara Byrne
• Have the Courage to Believe: BBVA's Rosilyn Houston
• Power Through Adversity: First United's Karen Glenn

Here are some strategies for dealing with gender bias, as explained by executives at BBVA Compass, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Kentucky's First United Bank.

"Self-doubt is the biggest thief," warns Rosilyn Houston, Chief Talent and Culture Executive at BBVA Compass, who explains why having both mentors and sponsors is important, and offers some practical advice for those who want to reach their full potential as leaders.

The staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission is working on a proposal to amend the current diversity disclosure rule to require more specificity, including information on the race, gender and ethnicity of board members and nominees. Here's why.

These 25 leaders are using their influence to make banking — and their communities — better.

Among the impressive women you'll want to keep an eye on moving forward are: two new female CEOs at top-40 banks; Mary Mack, who'll now oversee consumer banking at embattled Wells Fargo; and community bank CEOs Mary Anny Scully and Karen Glenn.

Women are arguably even more outnumbered in the upper ranks of finance than in banking, and the executives on this list stand out not only for their performance but for their work to help create a path to parity.

Arkansas regulators have closed the $66.3 million-asset Allied Bank in Mulberry, the fifth institution to fail this year.

First Bancorp in Southern Pines, N.C., has terminated loss-share agreements tied to a pair of failed-bank acquisitions.

Only a dozen banks still owe the government Troubled Asset Relief Program money, and an unspecified number of others including Reliance Bancshares in St. Louis owe investors who bought their Tarp balances. But Reliance has made problem loans vanish and has a credit line in hand to help retire its $62 million Tarp-related debt.

Randolph Bancorp raised $57 million in a mutual-to-stock conversion and is using the proceeds to fund acquisitions — it closed its first-ever deal in July — and dramatically improve its digital capabilities.

Bankers can bolster investor confidence by showing they are taking a disciplined approach to M&A. That involves thorough due diligence, strong rationales for deals and the ability to step away from the table.

The $8.3 billion-asset CVB said Thursday that it would pay $57.5 million in cash and stock for the $416 million-asset parent of Valley Business Bank.

Lisa McDougald, the deputy general counsel at the $222 billion-asset BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Leon Holschbach, chief executive at Midland States Bancorp, a $3 billion-asset company in Effingham, Ill., were appointed to the board this summer.

Home BancShares co-founder and Chairman John Allison is shrinking his ownership stake in the Conway, Ark., company for estate-planning purposes.

Farmers Capital Bank in Frankfort, Ky., has announced a plan to restructure its balance sheet.