Ruth Porat, the Chief Financial Officer at Morgan Stanley, is one of the top women in banking - reports Susanne Craig of the NYTimes.  She "has a knack for escaping unscathed from tough situations."  Here's Ms. Craig's account:

She joined Morgan Stanley in 1987 just before the stock market crash, yet managed to hang onto her job.  During the Internet boom she was a technology banker.  When that sector blew up she reinvented herself, eventually becoming a financial services banker.  The banking industry almost collapsed in 2008, but Ms. Porat’s star has continued to rise.

“The chief financial role at a global investment bank is an incredibly challenging job; you have to know everything about everything,” said Glenn Schorr, an analyst with Nomura.

In Ms. Porat’s case, she's often reminded about recent Wall Street history.  “Be careful in everything you do, because we all know how this ended before,” another stock analyst told her at a cocktail party earlier this year on the 41st floor of Morgan’s Stanley’s headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, according to attendees.

To continue reading, click onto:   [ NYTimes 'Porat', 11/10 ]