The Most Powerful Women in Banking

"To help teach, mentor and sponsor women to realize their full potential and contribute to our business and society inspires me, and keeps me motivated for both my colleagues and for my two daughters," said HSBC's Katia Bouazza.

"One of the most important responsibilities of a leader [is] motivating people and developing the future leaders of the organization," Citi's Julie Monaco said. "When you take the time to communicate these messages to your team you are creating a culture that is distinguished by a commitment to excellence."

Courage is key for Wells Fargo's Diane Schumaker-Krieg. Her 37 years in financial services is practically a road map on how to embody it.

Noticing that clients were placing more emphasis on planning for specific goals than on simple returns and performance benchmarks, JPM's Kelly Coffey oversaw the development of a new wealth management platform to help project wealth, monitor and adjust their portfolios, and deploy surplus assets.

Attacking a problem — whether it's structuring an acquisition or merger for a Citigroup client or mastering the crescendo of a complicated piece — is about approaching it with creativity for Elinor Hoover.