Thasunda Brown Duckett

In 2021, Thasunda Brown Duckett became the CEO of retirement services and investment firm TIAA, making her one of the most powerful women in finance, and one of only two Black women leading Fortune 500 companies. With the post-pandemic economy still recovering and inflation a top concern across the country, Duckett’s first year on the job hasn’t been a walk in the park. However, she’s jumped right in, tackling the usual questions about diversity in the corporate world. In an interview with Fortune, she made it clear that it’s not all on her to get more Black women in the C-suite. "It's not just my responsibility; it's the responsibility of the boards, of all the companies that may not have the level of representation, as well as my allies and my counterparts leading companies." The impact of Duckett’s leadership and presence at the highest levels of finance will be felt for decades. There are young Black women and girls who are seeing her rise to the top and believing that they can follow the road she’s paved into the executive level. Duckett is a trailblazer in the truest, most literal sense of the word.