The Most Powerful Women in Banking

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.

"As women, we need to remind ourselves to have an 'opt-in' attitude," said Abigail Johnson, President and CEO of Fidelity Investments. "Career downturns happen to everyone and we must remember to treat them as opportunities to change how we work or try something new. That is what shows our true mettle."

Since joining Schwab in September 2010, Marie Chandoha has made it one of her personal missions to foster an environment that promotes diversity.

It was one thing for Margaret Keane to lead the retail finance arm of GE Capital before it spun off from its parent company, General Electric. But completing the separation from GE in November 2015 was a wake-up call.

Networks are a big deal for Diane Offereins in more ways than one. When she's not busy running a worldwide card payments network, Offereins is often advocating for women's networking.