The Most Powerful Women in Banking

The outstanding results Alberta Cefis posted last year — improving revenue, deposit balances, expense control, risk management and so on — extend a streak of contributions she has made going back more than 14 years, to when she joined Scotiabank.

Michelle Van Dyke's definition of power is not based on how big her territory is (it covers parts of five states and holds $25 billion of Fifth Third's assets) or how many employees she is responsible for (5,500). To her, power comes from being a role model and paving the way for others.

With its new branding effort, Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks is declaring its purpose: Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being. Rilla Delorier personally developed and spearheaded the concept, after she came to the conclusion that SunTrust had been focused too much on perspiration rather than inspiration.

Perhaps it is a manifestation of Maura Markus' get-things-done attitude that new technology and products are rolling out so quickly at Bank of the West these days. Outstanding results are a priority too, and she is not falling short in that regard either.

Caryl Athanasiu might not contribute directly to profit at Wells Fargo, but at a time when operational risk is a key concern for regulators, keeping the bank out of trouble ultimately can have an earnings impact.