The year in review: The Climb

Last January, American Banker debuted a new column: The Climb, a series of interviews with senior executive women in banking and finance. The women discuss their career paths, their thoughts on leadership, what has changed in the industry since they first started, and offer their advice for young bankers. 

Of the 16 profiles published in the past year, nine were of current or former The Most Powerful Women in Banking honorees. And four of the profiles were exit interviews with longtime power women honorees. Sandy Pierce, the former private banking and regional banking director at Huntington, retired last December after spending 40 years in banking, while another 40-year veteran, Suni Harford, the former president of UBS’s asset management, retired in March.

Titi Cole, the former head of legacy franchises at Citi, left the industry to work for a nonprofit focused on women and healthcare. And Diane Morais, the former president of consumer and commercial banking at Ally, stepped down in July and is mulling over her next steps. 

The Climb also profiled women at smaller institutions such as Nicole Lorch, president of First Internet Bank and Elizabeth Magennis, president of ConnectOne Bank, who have also made their mark on the industry.

Read about their career trajectories and glean insights from these talented executives, listed in alphabetical order.