The Most Powerful Women in Banking

Sandy Pierce is a lifelong Detroit resident who has the chance to help her hometown in a way that few bankers ever get. The FirstMerit vice chairman leads the board overseeing the distressed city's turnaround plan.

Cathy Bessant says a cancer diagnosis a few years ago got her thinking about the legacy she hopes to create. So she accelerated her longtime plan to establish a scholarship for women in rural areas of Michigan, women with backgrounds just like hers. Bank of America’s global technology and operations executive aims to pay forward the help she received.

As the founder and CEO of NorthStar Asset Management, Julie Goodridge is pushing companies like PepsiCo to adopt more socially responsible policies. But her biggest impact has been on public policy: it is her lawsuit that led to gay marriage becoming legal in the United States for the first time.

Through her work with NATO, Lisa Pollina came to appreciate the skills and dedication of the men and women in the U.S. military. As the vice chairman of RBC Capital Markets, she is spearheading a program, called the RBC Veterans Initiative, to help transition them into jobs in the financial services industry.

As M&T Bank's chief information officer, Michele Trolli is leading an overhaul of its anti-money laundering systems. She also has a sideline in finding homes for orphaned polar bears.