Sallie Krawcheck

Sallie Krawcheck is one of the most senior women ever to lead major U.S. financial institutions. She served as CEO of Smith Barney and then of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management (under Bank of America) — both among the largest brokerage and wealth management businesses in the country. Known as "The Last Honest Analyst" for maintaining integrity in analyst research during the dot-com bubble, she faced the 2008 crisis at the helm of major wealth management businesses. After her time on Wall Street, Krawcheck co-founded and became CEO of Ellevest — a robo-advisory and digital investment platform designed specifically for women, incorporating gender-specific salary curves, career breaks, and longer lifespans into investment algorithms. Ellevest offers portfolio construction, financial planning, and banking services with a mission of closing the gender wealth gap. Krawcheck is a prominent voice on diversity in finance, gender pay equity, and the financial industry's failure to serve women clients as well as it serves men.