The Most Powerful Women in Banking

Smarts matter, of course, but the key to career advancement lies in your ability to lead and motivate others, says Nandita Bakhshi.

Bank of the West is widely viewed as a tech innovator, and some of the credit goes to CIO Kirsten Garen.

A former regulator, Yvette Hollingsworth Clark is boosting compliance staff at one of the nation's largest retail banks.

One of the things that struck me in getting to know the women in our rankings better is that some of them have had significant career setbacks along the way. But they exude confidence anyway, because they have learned how to be fearless.

Confidence, accountability and a willingness to take risks are common traits among highly motivated executives. But true power comes from execution, says HSBC's North American CEO, who advises women to "be in it to win it."