Part 2 highlights individuals who have laid the foundations of the modern financial system, captained some of the world’s largest financial institutions, and led change in the industry.</p> Stay tuned for the final instalment of the series in September. </p> </p> Frank McNamara & John Biggins – Pioneers of the credit card</strong> </p> In 1950, Frank McNamara, in collaboration with colleagues, founded the Diners Club card, which could be used in restaurants by members of Club. The member would show their card and the Club would then pay the bill, with the member reimbursing them later. </p> John Biggins had earlier created a ‘charge-it’ programme in 1946, through which a salesperson could charge a sale to the bank on behalf of the customer. The customer would then get the goods and make the necessary repayments to the bank later. </p> </p> Carl Reuterskiöld – Founding CEO of SWIFT </strong></p> Carl Reuterskiöld was the interbank cooperative’s founding CEO, a position which he held between 1973 and 1983.</p> An inspiring leader, he succeeded in bringing competing banks together in the spirit of collaboration to standardise the way they communicate with each other. He paved the way for SWIFT’s growth and his legacy is still evident today.</p> </p> The Medici family – Founders of the Medici Bank </strong></p> Created by the Medici dynasty in Italy during the 15th Century, the Medici Bank played a crucial role in shaping modern banking. </p> The largest and most respected bank in Europe at the time, it progressed the general ledger system through the development of the double entry system of tracking debits and credits, or deposits and withdrawals. </p> </p> Elvira Nabiullina – Economist and Head of the Central Bank of Russia</strong> </p> Tatar-born economist Elvira Nabiullina took up her post at the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) in 2013</p> A former minister of trade in Vladimir Putin’s government, she is the only female central banker in Europe. Under her stewardship, The Economist has called the CBR “a model of competent, technocratic policymaking.” </p> </p> John Law – Founder of the Banque Generale </strong></p> A preeminent Scottish economist, John Law was appointed Controller General of Finances of France under the Duke of Orleans, regent for the youthful king, Louis XV.</p> In 1716, he established the Banque Generale in France, a private bank, but three-quarters of the capital consisted of government bills and government-accepted notes, effectively making it the first central bank in the country. </p> </p> Warren Buffett – Business magnate and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway </strong></p> Warren Buffett, regarded as the most successful investor in the world, acquired Berkshire Hathaway in 1964 and currently serves as CEO.</p> A notable philanthropist, in 2006 he announced his intention to give the majority of his fortune to charity. The bulk of his donation was announced in a letter to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which – as of 2014 – had received 185 million shares on Berkshire Hathaway.</p> </p> Eileen Burbidge – American venture capitalist and Founding Partner of Passion Capital</strong> </p> Eileen Burbidge is a Partner at London early-stage technology investment fund Passion Capital, and is well-known across the FinTech scene.</p> In 2015, she was appointed as the British Treasury’s “special envoy” for FinTech, and also appointed Member of the order of the British Empire in the same year for services to entrepreneurship. Fortune has dubbed her the “Queen of British VCs”. She began her career in Silicon Valley, working for both Apple and Yahoo.</p> </p> Laurence Fink – Chairman and CEO of BlackRock</strong> </p> American Laurence Fink is a respected financial advisor and the current CEO of multinational investment manager BlackRock.</p> In 1988, he co-founded BlackRock under the corporate umbrella of The Blackstone Group, and has led the company to US$4.3 trillion in assets under management. He advises governments and businesses around the world, with past and present clients and partners including Her Majesty's Treasury, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, AT&T and Google.</p> Jane Gladstone – Senior Managing Director of Evercore Partners </strong></p> In her role at US investment bank Evercore Partners, Jane Gladstone leads the firm’s financial services corporate advisory business.</p> With 25 years’ experience, she has been named one of the Top 50 rainmakers on Wall Street by Dealmaker magazine. In 2015, she was included in Bloomberg Markets’ list of the 50 Most Influential, those “with the ability to move markets or shape ideas and policies.” In the same year, she was ranked second in the Institutional Investor FinTech Finance 35.</p> </p> Piyush Gupta – Chief Executive of DBS Group</strong></p> Widely seen as one of Asia’s most inspiring business leaders, Gupta joined DBS as CEO in 2009.</p> Since then, DBS has significantly grown its presence across Asia, posting record profits, and was named ‘Safest Bank in Asia’ between 2009 and 2014 by Global Finance. Prior to joining DBS, he was Citigroup’s CEO for South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.</p> </p> Mellody Hobson – President of Ariel Investments</strong></p> Mellody Hobson serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Ariel Investment Trust.</p> Beyond her work at Ariel, she has become an internationally recognised voice on financial literacy and investor education. She is a regular contributor and analyst on finance, the markets and economic trends for CBS News. In 2015, she was named in Time magazine’s annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world. </p> </p> Wim Duisenberg – Former Dutch politician and President of the European Central Bank</strong> </p> Wim Duisenberg was appointed as the first President of the new European Central Bank in 1998, where he defended the Euro through its early years. </p> He acquired a strong reputation amongst fellow central bankers during his tenure as governor of the Nederlandsche Bank, the Dutch central bank, from 1982 to 1997. He played a key role in turning the Dutch economy into one of the strongest and most stable in Europe. </p> </p> Franz Schulze-Delitzsch & Friedrich Raiffeisen – Early developers of the cooperative banking model</strong></p> Franz Schulze-Delitzsch set up a cooperative bank in Germany in 1852, and Friedrich Raiffeisen developed the movement further.</p> By the time of Raiffeisen’s death in 1888, credit unions had become a mainstay of finance and were spread across Europe. The concept then crossed the Atlantic at the start of the 20th Century.</p>