The Latest from Women in Banking

Sure it was painful, but the tumult of the last 12 months hasn't slowed down these 25 women. Whether in new positions or old ones, they are poised to play leading roles in the industry's recovery.

The stimulus bill thrust the Small Business Administration back into the spotlight and its new administrator is determined to make sure it stays there.

Their titles may be different, but these investment bankers, card executives, fund managers and private-equity investors are under the same pressures as their banking counterparts — and are meeting the challenges head on.

Nicole Arnaboldi, vice chairman of alternative investments of Credit Suisse, has long hewed to a belief that bear markets often present the best opportunities to generate profits.

At a time when Wall Street firms have had few success stories either in relative or absolute terms, the accomplishments of Goldman Sachs' fixed-income sales unit stood out in terms both qualitative and quantitative. "I can say publicly that the business I represent has had a record year," Goldman partner and managing director Stacy Bash-Polley says.

Western Union has long been synonymous with consumer money transfers, but Christina Gold, its president and chief executive officer, is determined to expand the company's repertoire deeper into the global payments space.

Abigail Johnson is nearing the summit of the Mount Everest of mutual funds, Fidelity Investments.

Anne Stausboll, the recently appointed chief executive officer of the California Public Employees' Retirement System, has good reason for supporting national health care reform. CalPERS is the nation's second-largest purchaser of health care, and this year will spend $5.7 billion on health care for its 1.3 million members.

One of Maliz Beam's major initiatives since joining TIAA-CREF in 2004 has been building out the advice platform.

Kathleen Murphy, the new head of Fidelity Investments' personal investing unit, sees plenty of challenges and opportunities ahead at her new employer. But the former CEO of ING's U.S. wealth management unit has already tackled what has to be one of the toughest: Maintaining employee morale as the market convulsed.