The Most Powerful Women in Banking: No. 11, Tracy Kerrins, Wells Fargo

Tracy Kerrins focuses not only on the digital tools needed to transform the customer experience at Wells Fargo , where she is head of technology, but also the people who are making it happen.

Over the last year, Kerrins has increased the frequency of employee recognition among the global team of more than 35,000 information technology and security professionals she leads. In addition, she spearheaded the creation of a new identity for the tech team, designed to instill a sense of pride in its work. It includes visual markers that convey her team's role in leading the bank's digital transformation.

"Our modernization journey is an exciting and essential one," Kerrins said. "It's literally rebuilding and rewiring the technology chassis that supports every part of the company, from back-office workloads to developer applications, employee workstations to customer-facing applications."

Among the centerpieces of the transformation is the Wells Fargo app, which was relaunched two years ago. This year, the app earned a 4.9 rating (on a 5-point scale) on the Apple app store and reached more than 30 million active mobile customers.

Kerrins also has overseen efforts to enhance Fargo, the bank's AI-powered virtual assistant. Since its 2023 launch, customers have interacted with it more than 100 million times, she said.

Internally, Kerrins is leading efforts to simplify the technology used at the $1.9 trillion-asset Wells Fargo, including an investment in four new data centers. She also has leveraged AI to automate portions of software development, reducing the amount of manual input needed.

"By intentionally focusing on transformation using modern technology, we're ensuring our important support of Wells Fargo's business growth strategy," Kerrins said.

Efforts to nurture the next generation of tech talent draws Kerrins' attention beyond her work at the bank.

Among her priorities is the National Center for Women in Technology, where she joined the board in March 2023. Founded in 2004, the center works to ensure the perspectives and contributions of women are represented at all levels of computing.

"Wells Fargo strongly believes in NCWIT's mission of increasing opportunities in technology and computing for women," Kerrins said. "We also want to be active in telling and amplifying stories that highlight the impact that women in technology are having at our company, in our industry and across the world."

To boost awareness of the center and promote its impact, Kerrins helped arrange funding from Wells Fargo that allowed the NCWIT to launch a new media hub last year. The hub is a one-stop online shop for stories and research from the center.

"Thus far, we're pleased with the progress that the Media Hub has made and looking forward to growing it as an even more powerful and engaging platform, one that adds another dimension to our talent strategy of making Wells Fargo an employer of choice," Kerrins said.

In her home community of Charlotte, North Carolina, Kerrins last year joined the board of Discovery Place, a science education center with four locations, where she pitched in on a campaign to replace an aging nature museum with a new one. After years of planning and discussion, the nonprofit broke ground earlier in 2024 on the new museum.