JPMorgan Chase’s Heidi Miller landed the No. 1 spot as Most Powerful Woman in Banking for the third year in a row, reports the US Banker. Miller warned attendees: “No matter what financial crisis, men, you have historically landed on your feet. But given what we’re up against today as women we’d be foolhardy if we didn’t think about how we should land on our feet.” The economic crisis has thrust all bank executives into hard times and 19 percent of women reported they lost their jobs compared to only six percent of men, according to a Catalyst survey. BNY Mellon CEO Bob Kelly plans to focus his efforts on increasing gender equality in his bank’s senior ranks. “Half the population is women, but the reality is that half of our senior management is not yet women,” says Kelly, noting research that indicates companies “that have done a better job at getting women into the executive ranks and developing women more effectively” generate higher revenue growth and deliver “better client service and, ultimately, greater shareholder value over time.”
On the list, 52 women are repeat winners from last year, but their categories may have shifted. The winners also included several other returns to the rankings after an absence. After Miller, BNY Mellon’s Karen Peetz shifted to the second spot, a rise from her 6th place finish in 2008. Not surprisingly, the largest banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Citi, led the top winners. Click here to read the full list of recipients.