The Most Powerful Women in Banking

Empowering women to become more financially independent has been a hallmark of Lori Chillingworth's career as a small-business banker. Now she's on an even bigger mission: to help more women in Utah gain seats on corporate boards and compete for political office.

Women in banking and finance face plenty of obstacles in their efforts to ascend to senior positions. But quotas only serve to reinforce the assumption that women are less capable and talented than their male counterparts.

Lebenthal Holdings, the family-owned wealth management firm run by Alexandra Lebenthal, has hired former Ally Bank chief Barbara Yastine to be co-chief executive.

One woman on the all-male management board is not too much to ask, especially if it can take two years (or 20?) to get there, Deutsche Bank decides; Goldman, Morgan Stanley and Citi try mending their leaky pipeline, with some success (but sadly, 100 more years of this is what we're looking at, ladies); also get updates on Mary Jo White, Sallie Krawcheck and WomenCorporateDirectors.

As men and women in banking work toward achieving workplace equality for all, it's important to remember that women can also cultivate opportunities in their individual careers.