It was a celebration more than anything else Thursday night, and pictures of Marianne Lake's new twins underscored that in a big way.
The chief financial officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co. had plenty to say on themes that were sure to resonate with the tuxedoed and gowned crowd at the Waldorf Astoria for American Banker's annual Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance gala dinner.
Her call to action — which she directed at the women themselves — was one example. "
But Lake — a rising star at JPMorgan with a reputation for
She explained that she wasn't part of a
"I've literally had my hands full," she said.
Then, warning the audience to prepare for "an overdose of super cuteness," she shared photos of her newborn twins with their 3-year-old brother, to a chorus of "awwwws."
It was perhaps the evening's most touching moment.
The mood remained light and celebratory, even through the many reminders about how far women still have to go to achieve gender parity in banking and finance.
Beth Mooney, the chief executive of KeyCorp, urged companies to put more focus on showing tangible results. "We are stewards … for the next generation," said Mooney, who accepted the evening's
Only two women hold the reins of a major U.S. bank — fewer than
"I agree the pace has been slow," said Pat Callahan, who retired as Wells Fargo's former chief administrative officer in August and
Callahan pointed to a recent study from
But Callahan disagreed with the findings, citing the progress she's observed firsthand. "We're going to get this right much sooner than that. There's been so many changes in the years that I've seen, and certainly there's so many changes still to come," she said.
The Community Impact Award went to Lori Chillingworth of Zions First National Bank — who is actually trying to make some of those changes.
Chillingworth recently launched a nonprofit, known as the
In her speech, Lake, the
Going through "mortgage hell," though difficult at the time, has made banks stronger, Lake said — pointing, in particular, to stress tests and other crisis-era regulations.
Despite the changes, banking still attracts the "best and brightest" in the business world, and offers opportunities for long-term careers, Lake said.
After dinner, many bankers stuck around for the gala's after-party. The evening wound down in much the same lighthearted spirit that it began, as a 1920s-era jazz band serenaded a roomful of bankers, mingling (and sometimes dancing) as they enjoyed one last nightcap.