As Janet Currie eclipses her one-year mark in her new leadership role with Bank of America, she couldn’t be more motivated to reach her professional goals and inspire others around her.
As of March 15, 2022, Currie has been President of Bank of America Greater Maryland for one year following the retirement of then-president Sabina Kelly. Aside from that accomplishment, Currie has made history in the company.
The HBCU graduate from Washington, D.C. is the first Black female president of Bank of America Greater Maryland.
“It’s not about me, but it’s about the real acknowledgment that we recognize that diversity and inclusion is a business imperative as well and Bank of America does a great job of that,” Currie said. “The opportunity is important beyond me.”
In her role, Currie is responsible for connecting the banking and investment resources offered through the bank’s eight lines of business to companies, families and individuals across Greater Maryland.
Currie’s job consists largely of driving economic mobility for individuals, families and communities as she leads efforts to deploy Bank of America’s resources to address social concerns, strengthen economic opportunity and build strong communities. Supporting the health, safety and engagement of local teammates is another integral part of her duties as president.
Over the course of her professional career and beyond, Currie has had a deep-seated passion for helping others. As president and market executive of Bank of America Greater Maryland, one of her priorities is leveraging the capabilities of the company to help partners, people, and communities more effectively address a wide range of issues.
She and her colleagues are committed to providing local community members with resources that will propel their lives in a positive direction— whether it’s being there when one of her clients open their first checking account, purchase their first car and home, or start and build a business.
“I think for me one of the biggest life lessons is staying true to your priorities,” said Currie, a board member of the Maryland Bankers Association. “If you’re not true to your priorities, I think you’ll have a hard time doing what’s genuine.”
Coming from a tight-knit family, Currie learned the importance of togetherness and hard work at an early age. She learned valuable lessons from her mother— a woman Currie said was a “wizard with money”— so it comes as no surprise that she was seemingly destined to go into banking.
“I learned so much from her about really just being responsible and just making sure that you become an independent, contributing member of society,” Currie said about her mother, who lives in the same house she and her sibling grew up in in Northeast D.C.
Currie didn’t reach the level of success she achieved witPresident of Bank of America Greater ou t facing a good deal of challenges and obstacles along the way.
“I think the overcoming of adversity is two things: continue to make sure your work shines… and secondarily, remember that you have to control your career,” said Currie, a Howard County resident. “Nobody is more interested in your career than you are, so you have to be a proactive participant in it. You can’t just wait for folks to come and tap you on the shoulder, you have to seek out opportunities, you have to put in the time with the networking. All of that is really important and makes a huge difference in how things continue to move.”
Currie has earned several honors, being recognized as a Daily Record Influential Marylander, a Daily Record Power 30 Banking & Finance professional and a Baltimore Sun 25 Women to Watch, and received the Whitney M. Young Jr Service Award.
Since 1993, Currie has been with Bank of America, giving her nearly three decades of experience as a financial industry leader. During her time with the company, she has served in various leadership capacities within wealth management, consumer banking, operations and business control functions.
Prior to embarking on her professional journey, Currie earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Spelman before acquiring a master’s degree in accounting from the New York University Stern School of Business.
According to her job title, the territory Currie is responsible for includes Baltimore City and the town’s five surrounding counties: Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Carroll and Anne Arundel along with parts of the Eastern Shore. She is also a graduate of both the Leadership Howard County and the Greater Baltimore Committee’s LEADERship programs, and serves as Treasurer of the board of The Horizon Foundation.
Driven by the company’s mission of “making financial lives better through the power of every connection,” Currie said she gets a sense of fulfillment through her philanthropic efforts in the local community.
“It gives me a sense of purpose,” she said, adding that she takes pleasure in undertaking meaningful partnerships and outreach.