The Most Powerful Women in Banking

Fidelity is America's second-largest mutual fund company, behind Vanguard Group, with nearly $2 trillion in assets under management, and Abigail Johnson is now in charge of it.

In recent years Barclays' Barbara Byrne has found some atypical ways to support the careers of women. The latest is her investment in the film "Equity," which is about Wall Street and features women in the starring roles as well as behind the camera.

As it seeks to gain more market share in the fiercely competitive payments world, Discover Financial counts heavily on Diane Offereins to cultivate relationships with merchants, financial institutions and emerging players, like Apple and Samsung.

Marie Chandoha has guided Charles Schwab Investment Management to record growth by focusing on lowering fees and improving investor education.

By staying laser-focused on customer and employee retention, Margaret Keane has made sure that Synchrony Financial's split from General has gone off without a hitch.