The Latest from Women in Banking

We all say things can be better. These women act.

• FirstMerit's Sandy Pierce: Standing up for Detroit
• Bank of America's Cathy Bessant: Paying It Forward
• M&T's Michele Trolli: Leading a Bear of a Digital Transformation
• Zions' LeeAnne Linderman: Starting a Charity from Scratch
• RBC's Lisa Pollina: Creating Jobs for Military Veterans
• NorthStar's Julie Goodridge: Fighting for Investors and Gay Marriage

Debby Hopkins' team brings fresh ideas to Citigroup by thinking and acting like tech entrepreneurs. Her Citi Ventures unit is an outlier in that its top four executives are women.

We recognize five banks where women are playing outsized roles in setting strategy and driving results, and each one has an interesting story to tell. Check out how the female executives at Bank of America, Bank of the West, BMO Harris, Citizens Bank of Edmond (Okla.) and Zions are making a difference.

• Bank of America
• BMO Harris Bank
• Bank of the West
• Zions First National Bank
• Citizens Bank of Edmond

Lisa Carnoy's career path at Bank of America is a perfect example of how the company is actively encouraging its female executives to take on new challenges.

BMO Harris Bank is on a mission to place more women in executive posts.

The quest for diversity in the senior ranks sometimes means competing for talent. Bank of the West has been winning its share of those competitions.

A sense of common purpose is evident in Zions' approach to employee relations, and it's drawing kudos from constituencies not typically known for a love of the industry.

The executives setting the strategy at Citizens Bank of Edmond have not only revived the once-troubled community bank, but are turning it into a model of success.

Janet Yellen's tenure as Fed chair could open more doors for women in the C-suite. It also sends a powerful message to younger generations: math and economics are cool.

If women’s progress in the industry is giving you a sense of 'two steps forward, one step back,' this group of extraordinary female role models offers comfort.