BNY Mellon Vice Chairman Karen Peetz has been named the “Most Powerful Woman in Banking” by American Banker magazine as part of its annual ranking of women in banking and finance. The rankings are based on the financial performance of each organization or woman-led division, combined with each nominee’s job responsibility, management style, crisis management skills, influence within the industry and charitable endeavors.

“Karen Peetz personifies the attributes of powerful leaders. Beyond her corporate responsibilities, which make her powerful by anyone’s definition, her intelligence, confidence and approachability have made her an influential force in the industry,” said Heather Landy, editor in chief of American Banker magazine. “Significantly, as a founder and leader of her firm’s network for female employees, she helps cultivate others’ talent.”

Peetz joined BNY Mellon in 1998. In her current vice chairman role, she leads a broad range of the company’s investment services businesses, which include Pershing, treasury services, corporate trust, depositary receipts, shareowner services, broker-dealer services, and alternative investment services. These businesses account for approximately 40 percent of BNY Mellon’s overall revenue and comprise 17,000 employees globally.

An active member of BNY Mellon’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Council, Peetz is the founder and chairperson of the company’s Women’s Initiatives Network (WIN), which has chapters in nearly 50 locations with almost 4,000 members.

Peetz serves on The Pennsylvania State University’s Board of Trustees, and is a member of the Carey Business School’s Corporate Advisory Board at Johns Hopkins University and the Financial Services Roundtable. She is a Board member for the Brooklyn Academy of Music and serves as the Chairperson of the Board for United Way of New York City.

The awards will be presented by American Banker magazine and its parent company, SourceMedia, on October 6, during an event at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.