Female Finance Firsts: A Celebration of Women in Finance

March 01, 2023
Our Female Finance Firsts feature showcases the achievements of women who were pioneers in the finance and business fields.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Center for Women & Wealth is celebrating women who were pioneers and leaders in finance and business. These women, dating back to the 1780s to the present day, broke new ground to pave the way for the success of the women who came after them. During this month, we recognize their courage, intelligence, and tenacity.

1780

Abigail Adams
The second first lady of the United States, Adams was also the first documented female investor in the United States.

1870

Victoria and Tennessee Woodhull
The Woodhull sisters opened their own firm, Woodhull, Claflin & Co., in 1870, making them the first female stockbrokers on Wall Street. Victoria Woodhull was also the first woman to run for president in 1872.

Late 1800s

Hetty Green
Green was the first female “tycoon” and was also known as the “Witch of Wall Street.” When she died in 1916, she had an estimated net worth of between $2.49 billion to $4.98 billion in 2023 dollars, making her the richest woman in the world at the time.

1903

Maggie L. Walker
Walker was the first Black female bank president to charter a bank in the United States. The bank she founded was the United States’ longest continually run Black-owned bank. Disabled later in life, Walker served as an example for not only women, but also the disabled community.1

1910

Madam C.J. Walker
Walker was not only the first female self-made millionaire in the United States – she is also one of the most successful Black business owners ever. Read more about her philanthropy here and here.

1937

Mary Roebling
As the first woman to head a major U.S. bank and recognized as the “banker in high heels,” Roebling brought Trenton Trust Company’s assets from $17 million to $1.3 billion until retiring as chairman of the board in 1984.

1942

Margaret Ogden
Ogden was promoted to analyst at Scudder Stevens & Clark (SSC) when the U.S. entered World War II. She remained as an aerospace analyst at SSC until she retired, making her reportedly the first female analyst on Wall Street.

1963

Katharine Graham
Graham made history after becoming the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She joined The Washington Post in 1938 and led the paper from 1963 until 1991. Among her many notable achievements was her role in The Washington Post’s uncovering of the Watergate scandal, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. 

1967

Muriel Siebert
Known as the “First Woman of Finance,” Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1967 and was the first woman to head one of the NYSE’s member firms.

1978

Janice Bryant Howroyd
Howroyd founded ActOne Group with just $1,500. She grew the business into the largest privately held, woman- and minority-owned workforce management company in the U.S. In 2020, Forbes called her one of America’s richest self-made women.

1984

Rosemary McFadden
McFadden became the first women president of a U.S. stock exchange when she was named president and CEO in 1984 of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYME).

1999

Cathy Hughes
Hughes founded Urban One and took the media company public in 1999, making her the first Black woman to lead a publicly traded corporation.

1999

Carly Fiorina
Fiorina became the first woman to head a Fortune 50 company when she was named CEO of Hewlett-Packard in 1999. During her tenure, HP became the 11th largest U.S. company.

2007

Ursula Burns
Burns was named CEO of Xerox in 2007, making her the first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. During her time as CEO, she transformed Xerox to a formidable global competitor within the tech industry.

2011

Christine Lagarde
In 2007, Lagarde became the first woman to hold the post of finance and economy minister of a G7 country. In July 2011, she became the first woman to serve as a managing director of the International Monetary Fund. In 2019, she began serving as president of the European Central Bank.

2012

Sarah Blakely
Due to the popularity of Blakely’s shapewear brand Spanx, by 2012, she was named the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire at age 41. 

2014

Kate Ryder
Ryder founded Maven Clinic, now the largest virtual clinic, and the first “unicorn,” dedicated to women’s and family health in the world. In November 2022, the company announced it had closed a $90 million Series E fundraising round — bringing the value of the company to $1.35 billion.

2014

Janet Yellen
Yellen not only became the first woman to serve as chair of the Federal Reserve, but also the first Democratic nominee to run the Fed since Paul Volcker in 1979. In 2021, she began serving as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

2014

Mary Teresa Barra
When she was named CEO of General Motors in 2014, Barra became the first female CEO of a major automaker. In this position, she has been credited with ensuring that the customer is the center of decisions made a GM.

2017

Geisha Williams
Williams was named CEO of PG&E in 2017, becoming the first Latinx female CEO to head a Fortune 500 company. In this role, she ran a $30 billion firm with 20,000 employees. 

2021

Whitney Wolfe Herd
Herd, the founder and CEO of dating-app Bumble, became the 22nd woman, and the youngest at 31, to bring a U.S. company public. Today, the company is valued at $4.74 billion.

2022

Rihanna
Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, the singer and beauty CEO became America’s youngest female self-made billionaire at age 34. Her companies (Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Savage X Fenty) all focus on bringing more inclusivity to the market.

2023

Women Run More Than 10% of Fortune 500 Companies for the First Time
For the first time ever, more than 10% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women CEOs. On January 1, 2023, five new Fortune 500 chief executives brought the number of female CEOs up to 53.

The Center for Women & Wealth is committed to engaging and supporting women as they create and manage wealth. Learn more here.

1 Photo courtesy of National Park Service, Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site.

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH”) may be used as a generic term to reference the company as a whole and/or its various subsidiaries generally. This material and any products or services may be issued or provided in multiple jurisdictions by duly authorized and regulated subsidiaries.This material is for general information and reference purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice and is not intended as an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy securities, services or investment products. Any reference to tax matters is not intended to be used, and may not be used, for purposes of avoiding penalties under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, or other applicable tax regimes, or for promotion, marketing or recommendation to third parties. All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy is not guaranteed, and reliance should not be placed on the information presented. This material may not be reproduced, copied or transmitted, or any of the content disclosed to third parties, without the permission of BBH. All trademarks and service marks included are the property of BBH or their respective owners.© Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 2021. All rights reserved. PB-05807-2022-10-12

As of June 15, 2022 Internet Explorer 11 is not supported by BBH.com.

Important Information for Non-U.S. Residents

You are required to read the following important information, which, in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions, governs your use of this website. Your use of this website and its contents constitute your acceptance of this information and those Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with this information and the Terms and Conditions, you should immediately cease use of this website. The contents of this website have not been prepared for the benefit of investors outside of the United States. This website is not intended as a solicitation of the purchase or sale of any security or other financial instrument or any investment management services for any investor who resides in a jurisdiction other than the United States1. As a general matter, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. and its subsidiaries (“BBH”) is not licensed or registered to solicit prospective investors and offer investment advisory services in jurisdictions outside of the United States. The information on this website is not intended to be distributed to, directed at or used by any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation. Persons in respect of whom such prohibitions apply must not access the website.  Under certain circumstances, BBH may provide services to investors located outside of the United States in accordance with applicable law. The conditions under which such services may be provided will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis by BBH. BBH will only accept investors from such jurisdictions or countries where it has made a determination that such an arrangement or relationship is permissible under the laws of that jurisdiction or country. The existence of this website is not intended to be a substitute for the type of analysis described above and is not intended as a solicitation of or recommendation to any prospective investor, including those located outside of the United States. Certain BBH products or services may not be available in certain jurisdictions. By choosing to access this website from any location other than the United States, you accept full responsibility for compliance with all local laws. The website contains content that has been obtained from sources that BBH believes to be reliable as of the date presented; however, BBH cannot guarantee the accuracy of such content, assure its completeness, or warrant that such information will not be changed. The content contained herein is current as of the date of issuance and is subject to change without notice. The website’s content does not constitute investment advice and should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. There is no guarantee that any investment objectives, expectations, targets described in this website or the  performance or profitability of any investment will be achieved. You understand that investing in securities and other financial instruments involves risks that may affect the value of the securities and may result in losses, including the potential loss of the principal invested, and you assume and are able to bear all such risks.  In no event shall BBH or any other affiliated party be liable for any direct, incidental, special, consequential, indirect, lost profits, loss of business or data, or punitive damages arising out of your use of this website. By clicking accept, you confirm that you accept  to the above Important Information along with Terms and Conditions.

 
1BBH sponsors UCITS Funds registered in Luxembourg, in certain jurisdictions. For information on those funds, please see bbhluxembourgfunds.com


captcha image

Type in the word seen on the picture

I am a current investor in another jurisdiction