The path to executive leadership is often non-linear, with setbacks and opportunities shaping careers. Women in particular have frequently had to break through barriers to enter spaces where they were previously excluded. Early career experiences vary widely, from factory floors and retail shelves to airline cabins and Wall Street cubicles. Many leaders did not start with a clear roadmap to the top, but instead relied on adaptability, sustained effort beyond expectations, and readiness to take advantage of openings. Ambition often shows up early in resumes, even before boardroom roles and major decisions. Jane Fraser’s career illustrates this through moves across countries, additional education, and progression from analyst roles to CEO leadership.
"The path to the C-suite is rarely linear-more often a winding road marked by setbacks as much as opportunity. For women in particular, the climb across industries from Wall Street to Silicon Valley has often meant breaking through glass ceilings to enter rooms where they were once told they did not belong."
"What united them isn't having a perfect plan, but a willingness to adapt, outwork expectations, and seize opportunities when they appeared. While landing the corner office may not have been the goal from the outset, the earliest signs of their ambition can often be found in the first lines of their résumés."
"After graduating from the University of Cambridge with a degree in economics in 1988, Jane Fraser began her career as a mergers and acquisitions analyst at Goldman Sachs. While the job taught her some of the foundations of finance, and how to navigate a major firm, she admitted she wasn't satisfied with where she was in life."
"So, once her new-graduate analyst program was over, she moved to Spain-despite knowing little Spanish-and later pursued her MBA at Harvard Business School. She spent 10 years at McKinsey in financial services and strategy before landing at Citi in 2004. By 2021 she was named CEO, becoming the first woman to helm a major Wall Street bank."
Read at Fortune
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