No. 12: Anne Finucane, Bank of America

Anne Finucane
Vice Chairman and Global Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Bank of America

Anne Finucane's primary duties at Bank of America — setting strategy and overseeing marketing and advertising — are evident in her title. But she actually does a whole lot more.

Finucane is in charge of B of A's lobbying efforts and counsels the board on issues related to reputation and public policy. Corporate social responsibility — an area that has long been under Finucane's purview — has emerged as a larger priority for her with the company seeking to rebuild its credibility following the financial crisis. And as chair of the company's charitable foundation, Finucane is overseeing an ambitious plan to give away $2 billion over 10 years.

Her team also manages a $1.2 billion portfolio that invests in community development financial institutions and Finucane herself spearheaded a financial literacy initiative in which B of A teamed up with the Khan Academy to create the website BetterMoneyHabits.com. The site has had roughly 8 million visits in the two years since it launched.

Given her experience, it's no wonder that Finucane is often asked to serve on nonprofit and corporate boards. She is doing so for a handful of nonprofits, including the Special Olympics, and for the pharmacy chain CVS, where she was part of its momentous decision to stop selling tobacco products last year.

Though board service can be a major commitment, Finucane says it has made her better at her own job. "You witness another management team and operation and see how they deal with change, crisis, opportunity," she says. "It's enlightening and certainly energizing."