The Most Powerful Women in Banking

British taxpayers — and anyone who finds bank bailouts distasteful — should probably thank Caroline Silver for her work last year.

After a 20-year career at the World Bank, Beschloss is now president and CEO of the Rock Creek Group, a global advisory and asset manager, previously called Carlyle Asset Management Group.

"Diversity" has become a buzzword as companies position themselves to take advantage of an increasingly disparate clientele. But Kelly Williams can stake a solid claim to having led the charge, not just having responded to the call.

Since taking the helm at the nation's third-largest retail brokerage in January, Mack has split the financial services group she once ran into three distinct units, reshuffled management and strengthened collaboration between the brokerage and banking units to boost cross-sales and referrals.

With her daughter heading off to college, Julie Goodridge has more time to give back to the community. And she recently acquired a much better space to do it in.