In a business in which the dominant image of leadership remains a male in a pinstripe suit, Joan Gulley provides a notable contrast.
As CEO of PNC Advisors, Gulley is the driver of PNC’s wealth management, institutional investment and brokerage units, an operation with $48 billion in assets under management and 300,000 clients.
Success for men or women, says Gulley, depends on going beyond being a strong manager.
“I think probably one piece of it is being able to distinguish between being a great manager and being a good leader,” says Gulley.
Although she says she never noticed or otherwise paid much attention to the glass ceiling during her career journey, she nonetheless sees the need for an effort to make sure women get the information they need to understand the world of finance. To that end, she is the executive sponsor of PNC Advisors Women’s Financial Services Network, which provides financial education and services to women.
An Athena Award winner in 2003, Gulley got her early experience in banking during 17 years at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., and Boston. By the time she was 32, she had reached the level of senior vice president.
At PNC, she has served in a number of positions of leadership, including as CEO of PNC business banking and director of strategic planning.
How to reach: PNC Advisors, www.pncadvisors.com.
