Women in banking CEOs

December 28, 2022 1:52 PM

The 23 CEOs on this list run banks and credit unions. But no matter the size of their institution, these women shape business strategy, gender and diversity initiatives, culture and community. The list, starting with Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser at #1, is ranked according to asset size.

Jane Fraser, CEO

Citi
Assets: $2.91 trillion

Over the past year, Jane Fraser, Citi's first female CEO, completed a strategy refresh at the world's most global bank. Despite an implausibly volatile geopolitical environment, she steered Citi to robust first quarter 2022 earnings—returning $4 billion to shareholders, while commanding 200,000 employees globally, and serving millions of consumers and businesses across 95 countries. In Q3 of this year, Fraser's strategy of leaning into treasury and trade solutions and branded cards paid off handsomely: treasury and trade revenues were up 40% from the previous year and branded cards revenue increased 10% year over year.

Read her full profile.

Mary McDuffie, President and CEO

Navy Federal Credit Union
Assets:$156.5 billion

Navy Federal outperforms most financial institutions in gender diversity — more than 65% of its employees and 60% of its management team are women. The credit union also frequently hires spouses of active duty members and veterans. Navy spouses "have a depth of understanding of our members and their lifestyles that only enhances our service," McDuffie said.

Read her full profile.

Nandita Bakhshi, President and CEO

Bank of the West
Assets: $91.7 billion

Nandita Bakhshi has been a leading force behind the changes at Bank of the West as she steadily climbed the ranks. Today, as president and CEO of Bank of the West, the San Francisco-based U.S. banking arm of BNP Paribas, she has made a workplace that calls for collaboration and consensus-building rather than conformity. As Bank of the West's pending acquisition by Bank of Montreal ticks closer to completion, Bakshi's next act could be a different challenge.

Read her full profile.

Kelly Coffey, CEO

City National Bank
Assets: $91.3 billion

In her fourth year as CEO of City National Bank, Kelly Coffey is expanding the types of lending her bank offers while also increasing diversity in her leadership team. Since Coffey was named CEO in February 2019, business has grown substantially. The Los Angeles bank, which made its name as a bank for the entertainment industry and became a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada in 2015, now has 70 branches in more than a dozen states.

Read her full profile.

Beverly Anderson, President and CEO

BECU
Assets: $30.2 billion

Beverly Anderson became president and CEO of Boeing Employees Credit Union on December 5th. Anderson, who currently sits on the board of directors of the Expedia Group, succeeds Benson Porter, who had been the CEO of the $30.2 billion asset credit union for more than 10 years.

Read her full profile.

Donna Bland, President and CEO

Golden 1 Credit Union
Assets: $18.3 billion

Golden 1 Credit Union President and CEO Donna Bland began her career in finance with a love of math and an entry-level position as a bank teller during college. Today she's recognized as one of only three women CEOs leading a top-10 credit union in the United States. Under her leadership, Golden 1 has grown to more than $18 billion of assets and more than 1 million members.

Read her full profile.

Sandy Jelinski, President and CEO

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Lake Michigan Credit Union
Assets: $11.8 billion

As the CEO of Lake Michigan Credit Union, Sandy Jelinski drove steady, steep growth since the last major economic downturn by responding to opportunities. Adding a mortgage department helped expand assets from $1.8 billion in 2008 to more than $11 billion this year.

Read her full profile.

Teresa Campbell, President and CEO

San Diego County Credit Union
Assets: $11.5 billion

During the dozen years Campbell has led SDCCU, both its assets and membership have more than doubled, now reaching nearly a half-million people. Honored last year as San Diego Business Woman of the Year, she routinely racks up honors and awards by turning in consistent growth with 900 employees across 43 branch locations in Southern California.

Read her full profile.

Shruti Miyashiro, President and CEO

Digital Federal Credit Union
Assets: $9.9 billion

A serial credit union leader, Shruti Miyashiro this year switched from the west to the east coast, taking over as CEO of Digital Credit Union from the same role at Orange County's Credit Union in California.

Read her full profile.

Erin Mendez, President and CEO

Patelco Credit Union
Assets: $9 billion

While there are women in executive C-suite positions in credit unions, that representation is not expanding into larger asset sizes at a significant rate, according to Patelco CEO Erin Mendez, adding she is hopeful this will improve in the next 10 years given the growing societal awareness of the importance of diversity at the board level.

Read her full profile.

April Clobes, President and CEO

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
Assets: $6.9 billion

CEO April Clobes launched a pair of digital brands this year that are designed to improve connections to fintechs and reach members who aren't near a branch: AlumniFi and Collegiate.

Read her full profile.

Priscilla Sims Brown, President and CEO

Amalgamated Bank
Assets: $6.57 billion

When Priscilla Sims Brown took over as head of Amalgamated Bank in June 2021, she made her goals clear. The New York-based company would increase profits and market share. Accomplishing those aims would, in turn, expand the union-owned bank's voice on social issues. So far, so good.

Read her full profile.

Carla Cicero, President and CEO

Carla Cicero Numerica Credit Union Carla Cicero Numerica Credit Union

Diane Maehl

Numerica Credit Union
Assets: $3.6 billion

When Cicero first starting in the credit union industry, "I was told women don't become CEOs," said Cicero, who has been CEO of two credit unions — having been president and CEO of CitizensFirst (now Verve) Credit Union in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, before coming to Numerica.

Read her full profile.

Delores Broeske, President and CEO

HAPO Community Credit Union
Assets: $2.3 billion

Ten years ago, women CEOs were often found to be running only small credit unions and earning less than their male counterparts, according to HAPO CEO Delores Broeske, who said HAPO's executive team currently has seven positions, five of which are held by women.

Read her full profile.

Karen Roch, President and CEO

Credit Union West
Assets: $1.1 billion

Improving the quality of member service at Credit Union West for CEO Karen Roch meant first improving conditions for its staff. This was accomplished through such initiatives as raising the minimum wage to $20 per hour and instituting programs such as employee and family zoo day.

Read her full profile.

Laura Lee Stewart, President and CEO

Sound Community Bank
Assets: $919.7 million

For years, Sound Community Bank in Seattle organized its workforce around bank branches and specialists for retail lending, commercial banking and home mortgage. But in the last year, "we threw all that out the window," said Laura Lee Stewart, the bank's president and CEO since 1989. Stewart recast onetime specialists as "relationship managers" in their area of expertise, and branches are being staffed with "client success managers" who focus on working with repeat customers.

Read her full profile.

Amey Sgrignoli, President and CEO

Belco Community Credit Union
$917 million

For a credit union established in 1939 to serve Bell Telephone Co. employees, Belco aims to be on the cutting edge of modern. CEO Amey Sgrignoli, who was hired in 2004 after holding various roles at banks, points to a focus on technology for years of steady growth at Belco.

Read her full profile.

Stephanie Sievers, CEO

Alta One Federal Credit Union
Assets: $794 million

This is Stephanie Sievers' fifth time serving as a credit union CEO in a fast-paced career that has included teaching and consulting, giving her the aura of a turnaround expert. "I had to improve the company quickly," she said of her arrival last year after the longtime CEO retired.

Read her full profile.

Julieann Thurlow, President and CEO

Reading Cooperative Bank
Assets: $722 million

Julieann Thurlow is working to ensure that smaller institutions don't get left behind as the megabanks make better use of new technology. "I think our biggest challenge is what is happening in the technology space and how consumer behaviors are changing," said Thurlow, who has served as president and CEO of Reading Cooperative Bank in Massachusetts since 2006. Thurlow currently serves as the Chair-Elect of the American Banking Association.

Read her full profile.

Wendy Cai-Lee, Founder and CEO

Piermont Bank

Assets: $449 million

Wendy Cai-Lee launched Piermont Bank in 2019 with a goal of helping entrepreneurs access financial services through a digital platform. "I remember setting out to build a bank that we hoped to see in the world, and three years later we grew to more than $420 million in total assets," said Cai-Lee, who is both founder and CEO of Piermont.

Read her full profile.

Jill Castilla, President and CEO

Citizens Bank of Edmonds
Assets: $370.5 million

Chief executive officer Jill Castilla is growing her main bank. Citizens Bank of Edmond's asset size grew 13% year-over-year in 2021 to $370 million. The suburban Oklahoma City-based bank racked up 850 loans totaling $130 million last year. She's also building out Midtown Bank, a 24-hour-a-day interactive teller machine in downtown Oklahoma City that lets customers talk remotely with bank personnel. In January, the Federal Reserve Board appointed Castilla to serve on its 12-member Federal Advisory Council.

Read her full profile.

Winona Nava, President and CEO

Guadalupe Credit Union
Assets: $271 million

As CEO, Winona Nava believes that all of her credit union's members should be able to access every product or service, regardless of their circumstances or earning power. "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, no matter what choices they have made in their life, where they came from, or any other obstacles they face," said Nava, the president and CEO of Guadalupe Credit Union in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Read her full profile.

Tammy Passafiume, President and CEO

Diamond Lakes Credit Union
Assets: $86 million

As one of the founding members of the Credit Union Women's Leadership Alliance, Diamond Lakes Credit Union CEO Tammy Passafiume mentors other women and spreads her passion for an industry she believes offers unique benefits for women.

Read her full profile.