Women in Fintech Top 100: A review

FinTech Magazine looks back on 2023 with a roundup of our Top 100 women in the industry for 2023. 

In an industry still dominated by men, particularly in leading positions, it is gratifying to shine a light on the women leading representation in the industry and inspiring future generations to come. 

Below, we round up the top 10 of our Top 100 companies in 2023. And for the full list, you can follow the link HERE. 

10. Jilian Slyfield

Slyfield serves as Aon's Chief Innovation Officer for the Innovation at Scale strategy, which addresses growing unmet client needs related to increased volatility, improved access to capital, developing resilient workforces and developing original products for customers not seen in the market. 

To find, create, and grow important new sources of value for clients, she collaborates with colleagues across Aon.

9. JoAnn Stoiner 

Executive Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Mastercard, Stonier is in charge of the company’s enterprise-wide data strategy and management, aiming to ensure the company gets the most out of its information assets. 

Stoiner formerly served as the organisation's EVP Chief Information Governance & Privacy Officer. She oversaw those teams and led regulatory interaction in this area, while being in charge of global privacy and information governance.

8. Aneta Kolankowska 

Kolankowska started working for BNP Paribas in 2001 as a Junior Business Analyst. She quickly advanced to the position of Senior Project Manager, where she was responsible for Local Systems Analysis, Managing Systems Upgrades and Development, Reporting Systems Support and Creating Local Systems Documentation. 

After leaving, she returned to BNP Paribas back in October 2022 as the Chief Information Officer.

7. Sweatha Donkada

With 14 years of expertise in data, advanced analytics, and IT delivery & management, Donkada is both a technical and people leader. She also serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership in technical strategy and has received the accolade of Distinguished Engineer in recognition of her leadership in developing engineering techniques and culture.

Donkada has been with UBS for just over 13 years now, starting as a Trading Desk Developer and advancing to her current role as Executive Director - Head of Architecture and Transformation, Data & Analytics. She worked as a trade analyst at Barclays Capital before joining UBS. 

6. Isabel Jimeno Fernandez 

Isabel Jimeno Fernandez, a distinguished and creative leader in her field, has served as Santander's CIO for almost nine years. Before joining Santander, she worked for almost 10 years at Produban, the technological arm of Grupo Santander, which focuses on the ongoing design and management of IT infrastructures. 

Her skills, however, are not limited to the banking industry. Tech-savvy and cerebral, Isabel has a history in management and customer service, Java, PHP, and disaster recovery. She holds a Master of Sciences from The Catholic University of America University in Washington, DC.

5. Allegra Driscoll

Driscoll joined American Express back in 2020 as its SVP, Unit CIO Corporate Systems and Head of Technology Strategy & Transformation, before going on to SVP, Unit CIO Global Commercial Services.

Before joining American Express, Driscoll was the Managing Director of Credit Suisse in the Global Markets division, based in New York. There, she was the Global Head of Client & Content Technology, responsible for the development of client-facing applications and internal client management tools. 

She has previously worked on the business side at Credit Suisse, with responsibility for designing and optimising the Investment Bank’s client service functions and related technology.

4. Ghinwa Baradhi

Baradhi is the Chief Information Officer for HSBC's Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and is responsible for the Bank's regional technology function. In this role, Ghinwa concentrates on enhancing business value and customer experience by fusing IT strategy with business efficiency and simplification. 

Baradhi was awarded the 2019 MENA CIO Excellence Awards by International Data Corporation (IDC) in honour of her efforts. Since joining HSBC in 2006 as the region's Head of IT Operations and Quality, Ghinwa has spent 13 years holding a variety of positions inside the company, including managing the operational effectiveness of global banking and markets, as well as overseeing IT operations and software delivery.

3. Lori Beer

Beer is JPMorgan Chase & Co's Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) and a member of the operating committee. In charge of the company's global IT infrastructure and systems, she oversees a US$14bn budget and the 55,000-plus technicians who work for JPMorgan Chase's asset & wealth management, retail and wholesale operations. 

Beer joined the company in 2014 and most recently served as the Corporate & Investment Bank's Chief Information Officer (CIB). She was in charge of a US$10bn business unit, which comprised WellPoint's Specialty Products, while serving as Executive Vice President of Specialty Companies and Information Technology for WellPoint, Inc., before joining the company. Beer is also a member of the New York Advisory Board for Teach for America.

2. Sarah Garvey 

Garvey works for Citi as their Singapore-based COO for data and analytics, APAC and EMEA. For six years, she served first as the global head of data centre services and then as the head of group technology infrastructure for Deutsche, where she partnered with the Global Head of Data Centre Services/APAC Head of Group Technology Infrastructure to execute the technology strategy and transformation roadmap.

Her responsibilities span strategy, analysis and planning, financial management, people, risk and control, vendor management/procurement, and programme execution.

Between 2010 and 2017, Garvey served as the head of technology for corporate affairs & brand marketing and experience at Standard Chartered in Singapore. She was previously the head of product engineering, user experience, and employee experience at Stan Chart.

1. Cristina Junqueira 

The Co-Founder of Brazil’s Nubank, Junqueria was recognised as the most inspirational female leader in fintech as part of FinTech Magazine’s annual Top 100 Women supplement.

Junqueira studied industrial engineering at the Universidade de São Paulo and, after graduating, obtained a position as an associate consultant with the Boston Consulting Group while completing a Master's degree in economic and financial modelling. 

In 2007, she enrolled at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, where she graduated with an MBA.

Junqueira returned to Brazil after earning her MBA, working as the sector head for small and medium-sized businesses at Unibanco, the biggest private banking organisation in the country.

The post of portfolio manager was made available to Junqueira when Unibanco merged with Ita, Brazil's second-largest private banking firm, the following year. 

Armed with a thorough understanding of the nation's financial sector and a concept of what she wanted to change, she left her position after five years to co-found Nubank, which today is the largest neobank in the world.

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