Diversity and equality

State Street makes a statement with a statue of a girl staring down the Wall Street bull; Bank of America's Andrea Smith and Cathy Bessant share lessons learned early in their careers.

State Street Global Advisors has placed a statue, titled "The Fearless Girl," across from the iconic bull statue in lower Manhattan to draw attention to gender diversity on boards.

JPM's Marianne Lake looks forward to a relaxing of regulations; Mary Callahan Erdoes emphasizes robo-advice limitations; Alice Dittman of Cornhusker Bank shares philosophy on building trust with customers; and more.

Banking loses a pioneering female CEO in Melanie Dressel; B of A’s Michelle Moore says mobile is used by most of its customers; Uber is the Tailhook of the new era, and more.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

Bank of America's Michelle Moore explains the role of design in the bank’s app's success; SoFi's Joanne Bradford claims money isn't the most important thing in taking a new job; TSB's Helen Rise urges women to be bolder.

One of the root problems of investing disparities is lack of diversity among those who make investment decisions. Here’s how to change the dynamic.

Elizabeth Warren getting shushed on the Senate floor gives her a much bigger (and wildly enthusiastic) audience for her message; ETFs set an example in female leadership for all of financial services; and more.

Dorothy Savarese and Rebeca Romero Rainey now chair two important trade groups … Mary Lynn Lenz, Patti Husic and Terry Jorde weigh in; Barclays CEO Jes Staley talks hiring diverse leaders and how to keep them; and more.

For the first time, the chairmen of the American Bankers Association and the Independent Community Bankers of America are women, marking an important milestone for the industry.

United FCU promotes a quartet of officers and other new hires, promotions and special recognition for CU professionals.

Wall Street women on what the Women's March meant to them; UBS implementing a more female-friendly approach to wealth management; Beth Mooney outlines post-merger ambitions; and more.

A pair of executives earn the “chief” designation in their titles, new hires, promotions and more credit union professionals in the news.

The Obama administration took two last-minute swipes at JPMorgan Chase, accusing the lender in separate lawsuits of discriminating against minorities in home lending and against its own female employees by paying them less than their male counterparts.

Empowering women to become more financially independent has been a hallmark of Lori Chillingworth's career as a small-business banker. Now she's on an even bigger mission: to help more women in Utah gain seats on corporate boards and compete for political office.

Accepting her award as the "most powerful woman in banking" at American Banker's annual awards dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on Thursday, KeyCorp's Beth Mooney anticipated a time when female leaders in the industry are so commonplace that gender is merely an afterthought.

In a year of upheaval, these women stood out for their leadership, their coolness under pressure, and their continued drive to innovate.

The 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking is U.S. Banker's annual tribute to the professional achievements, personal tenacity and influence of top-performing financial executives in 2008.

Rodman & Renshaw Inc. has settled two sexual harassment complaints that last year cost the firm a spot on the underwriting team for an Illinois bond issue.