Women all over are using their leadership efforts to contribute to the world of business and finance. Through their endeavors, they are battling stereotypical roles and are fiercely holding on to their successes. Below are our five favorite female powerhouses.
1. Mary Callahan Erdoes
Photo: Mary Erdoes on Facebook
Mary Callahan Erdoes currently serves as CEO of J.P. Morgan Asset and Wealth Management, a subdivision of J.P. Morgan Chase. Here, she oversees $3.4 trillion worth of client assets.
Erdoes began her career with a B.A. in mathematics from Georgetown University. She also earned an MBA from Harvard. Her background consists of working in both corporate finance and merchant banking, as well as working in credit research and trading.
Erdoes is also involved in several charities. She is a board member of Robin Hood, a nonprofit combating poverty in New York City, as well as a board member for the U.S Fund for Unicef. Within the J.P. Morgan Asset and Wealth Managment company, she also helps development programs such as ASCEND, which focuses on retaining and promoting both women and minorities within the banking industry.
2. Mary Barra
Photo: Mary Barra on Facebook
The majority of car commercials have such masculine undertones that it’s easy to think they were created for men by men. But since 2014, the CEO of General Motors, one of the world’s most prominent vehicle manufactures, has been a woman, and her name is Mary Barra.
At the age of 18, Barra found a job in the manufacturing factory inspecting hoods and checking fender panels. However, she managed to claw her way up the ladder, as well as earn a B.A. in electrical engineering and an MBA from Stanford Business school.
Under her leadership, the company has invested billions in technological innovations such as self driving cars, and she has also supported the push towards more efficient, environmentally friendly engines. She was ranked fourth on Forbes list of powerful women in 2018.
3. Katy Knox
Photo: Bank of America
Katy Knox is president of Bank of America Private Bank, as well as a member of the company’s executive management team. In this role, she oversees thousands of employees who specialize in providing wealth strategy to high net worth people and corporations.
Prior to this, Knox was in a leadership role that was responsible for the company’s ATM network and digital banking platform.
She has been named as one of the Top 100 Diverse Executives & Emerging Leaders by Diverse MBA magazine. She is also active with Bank of America’s Global Ambassador program which advocates for worldwide economic empowerment and equal opportunities for women.
4. Susan Wojicicki
Photo: Susan Wojicicki on Facebook
Susan Wojicicki is a seasoned professional within the tech industry, as she was instrumental to the founding and early development of Google.
As the company’s first marketing manager back in 1999, she oversaw the company’s analytic and advertising tools such as AdWords, AdSense and Google Analytics.
Today, she is the CEO of YouTube, who followed her advice when she said that Google should acquire the video streaming company back in 2006. Under her leadership, YouTube users stream over a billion hours of content per day, with billions of users logging in every month. Since she took on the role of CEO, the tech company has seen a significant rise in the amount of female employees, marking an important milestone for the industry.
5. Sheryl Sandberg
Photo: Sheryl Sandberg on Facebook
Named one of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2012, Sheryl Sandberg currently serves as COO of Facebook. She is also the first female to be elected to the company’s board of directors.
Prior to Sandberg’s current position at Facebook, she was the VP of global online sales and operations at Google.
A prominent philanthropist, Sandberg is also committed to using her influence for good. She is the founder of the nonprofit LeanIn.org, which is dedicated to inspiring and supporting female professionals and encouraging representation in prominent leadership roles.
