What classifies a woman as “powerful?” According to Forbes, money, media, impact, and spheres of influence make “The World’s Most Powerful Women” in 2023.
“For political leaders, we weighed gross domestic products and populations; for corporate chiefs, revenues, valuations and employee counts were critical,” the outlet explained. “Media mentions and social reach were analyzed for all. The result: 100 women who are shaping the policies, products and political fights that define our world.”
Joining the likes of Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey, and Beyoncé, to name a few, this leader in financial services has come in at No. 34 — Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO of TIAA.
After her appointment in 2021, Duckett became the first woman to hold the position of CEO at the financial retirement services company in over 100 years, per American Banker. Prior, she was the CEO of Chase Consumer Banking, where she “oversaw a network with more than $600 billion in deposits and 50,000 employees.”
What’s more, AFROTECH reported that Duckett made history as the second Black woman to be named as a Fortune 500 CEO that year.
“Thasunda Brown Duckett is widely recognized as an exceptionally dynamic and inspirational leader,” Ronald L. Thompson, chairman of the board of trustees for TIAA, told CNN. “She brings invaluable experience leading and growing large, complex businesses, setting and executing strategy, improving client experience and attracting and developing talent. Equally important, she [has] a passion for financial inclusion and empowerment.”
Outside of Duckett’s leadership at TIAA, she is a board member for Nike, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, Sesame Workshop, and the National Medal of Honor Museum, per Forbes.
In September 2023, she was listed at No. 3 for American Banker’s “Most Powerful Women in Finance.”
Editorial Note: This piece has been edited since initially published.
