The Most Powerful Women in Banking

Women at JPMorgan Chase don't just settle for the formal check-the-box networking groups. Their grassroots efforts have launched multiple programs to raise the profile of women at the company and help them advance, including a new "30-5-1" campaign inspired by Marianne Lake. Other examples include the globe-trotting Women on the Move initiative and the ReEntry program to help ex-bankers return to the workforce after extended time off.

There's a lot to be done now that KeyCorp has closed on its deal for First Niagara, and it's telling who has been put in charge of the many different facets of the integration. While some might have just a few token women on their leadership team, Key can boast about the diversity of its bench strength.

For several years, Zions Bank has monitored salaries to ensure women aren't being paid less than men for comparable work. Last year, the monitoring went from a semiannual review to a constant lookout.

What it takes to excel goes far beyond the daily work a job entails. It's about having the courage to be who you are, stand up for what you believe in, overcome great adversity, and make the world better in a way that is uniquely yours. Here are four executives who have done just that.
• Create a Ripple Effect: JPMorgan's Stacey Friedman
• Be Like a Puffer Fish: Barclays' Barbara Byrne
• Have the Courage to Believe: BBVA's Rosilyn Houston
• Power Through Adversity: First United's Karen Glenn

Lisa McDougald, the deputy general counsel at the $222 billion-asset BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Leon Holschbach, chief executive at Midland States Bancorp, a $3 billion-asset company in Effingham, Ill., were appointed to the board this summer.