Study: Women representation in bank leadership increased in ’25

The percentage of women in executive roles at the nation’s largest banks increased last year, according to the Women at the Top Study undertaken by Red Ladder..The annual study found women held 30 percent of senior management positions at the 50 largest U.S. banks, up slightly from 29 percent in 2024. More than 60 percent of those female executives occupy top C-suite roles, a modest increase from the prior year, with the number of women in C-level positions steady at 133.The report revealed longer-term gains in women’s representation in bank leadership. In 2015, women accounted for 129 of 720 senior management roles. By 2024, that figure had grown to 220 of 724 positions, after stagnation earlier in the 2010s. The 2025 study shows improvement despite a reduction in the number of senior management roles among the top 50 banks.The stability in C-suite representation is positive, even as some executive roles declined year over year, said Regina Barr, founder and CEO of Red Ladder and the Women at the Top Network. The study identified three women serving as bank CEOs, an increase from last year, while the number of women leading bank divisions slipped.Women increased their presence in certain key leadership roles, including chief credit officer and chief risk officer positions, while representation declined in chief financial officers and chief audit officers. The number of large banks with no women in management has remained low, fluctuating between two and three in recent years.“There are some shifts in the C-level positions in banking that will continue to need monitoring,” Barr said. “In addition, the jury is still out on the impact of the back-to-the-office movement on women in senior management positions as well as the shifting economy. One area we need to keep our eye on is the impact of AI on women in business, and whether that helps or hinders their career advancement.”The study was conducted by students at Weber State University using FDIC data and publicly available disclosures from the nation’s 50 largest commercial banks.