Kirsten Rhodes, Vice Chair and Client Relationship Development Leader at Deloitte, Named 2025 FWSF Financial Woman of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Financial Women of San Francisco (FWSF) today named Kirsten Rhodes as the organization's 2025 Financial Woman of the Year. Rhodes is a distinguished leader at Deloitte*, serving as vice chair of client relationship development and a technology, media and telecom principal. With more than 30 years of experience in the finance and tech sector, she's responsible for developing and leading Deloitte's client relationship strategy to drive business growth and deliver solutions to her clients' most complex business challenges.
Kirsten exemplifies the mission of Financial Women of San Francisco—to advance the success of women in finance through mentorship, leadership, and opportunity. Her distinguished career and passion for uplifting women reflect the values we strive to promote
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Through her professional leadership and advocacy work, Rhodes' achievements exemplify her dedication to mentoring and empowering professionals in the financial industry. For example, her passion for leadership development served as a springboard for the creation of a Women on Boards program that explores topics relevant to today's board directors. She not only convenes leaders to foster growth, support and development, but also regularly shares insights from her network with a wide LinkedIn audience to exponentially reach more professionals seeking to learn from her experiences, financial acumen, and deep understanding of the C-suite.
Rhodes' commitment to fostering an environment that supports career growth and well-being is reflected in Deloitte's recognition as one of the top 10 best companies for future leaders. A sought-after thought leader, Rhodes is consistently tapped by leading business publications to share her insights and knowledge about strengthening client relationships and cultivating personalized experiences to foster deeper connections.
Inspiring and leading positive change within Deloitte and across the broader business community, Rhodes linked business, innovation, and purpose through her leadership of the Yes SF Challenge upon its launch in 2023, driving collaboration across sectors. Her multifaceted commitment to advancing women in leadership and improving the communities where they work, live and play are among the many reasons Kirsten Rhodes has been named as the FWSF's 2025 Financial Woman of the Year.
'I am deeply honored to receive the Financial Woman of the Year award,' said Rhodes. 'I share this recognition with esteemed past honorees who have paved the way before me and inspired me to be a champion helping more women achieve their fullest potential. It takes a collective commitment to create cultures and communities where everyone has an opportunity to excel, and together, we can make an impact beyond our own workplace and drive meaningful change across broader society.'
In addition to her responsibilities at Deloitte, Rhodes' leadership extends to her involvement in local corporate citizenship strategies and board membership with organizations such as the Bay Area Council and the California Academy of Science, where she contributes to broader community initiatives. She was recognized through the Jefferson Award for public service in 2018 and was named among the San Francisco Business Times Most Influential Women in Business for three consecutive years.
Mona Ahmadi, FWSF's 2025 president and director of FP&A at Earnin, also shared her excitement regarding the FWSF's 2025 honoree: 'Kirsten exemplifies the very mission of Financial Women of San Francisco—to advance the success of women in finance through mentorship, leadership, and opportunity. Her distinguished career, commitment to inclusive leadership, and passion for uplifting women reflect the values we strive to promote. Kirsten's impact reaches far beyond her own accomplishments, inspiring and enabling the progress of countless women across the industry. We are proud to honor her as our 2025 Financial Woman of the Year.'
The Financial Woman of the Year award was established in 1996 to mark the 40th anniversary of FWSF. Created by past FWSF presidents Leslie Miller and Shelly Porges, the honor and related event serve three key purposes: fundraising for FWSF's scholarship program, expanding awareness of FWSF, and recognizing the leadership and achievements of senior financial executives. Over the years, the award has become a platform for trailblazing women to share their insights, inspire the next generation of leaders, and highlight the evolving landscape of finance.
This year, Rhodes joins an esteemed group of past honorees, including Lisa Pantages, CFO of the San Francisco Giants; Teresa Bryce Bazemore, CEO of FHLBank of San Francisco; Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner of DBL Partners; Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton; Terri Kallsen, chief operating officer at Wealth Enhancement Group; Heidi Roizen, partner at Threshold Ventures; Robin Washington, president and COO of Salesforce and former CFO of Gilead; Debbie Messemer, former managing partner of KPMG's Bay Area Market; Carrie Dolan, CFO of Kraken Digital Asset Exchange; Sarah Friar, CFO of OpenAI and former CEO of NextDoor and CFO of Square; and Pat Yarrington, former CFO of Chevron.
ABOUT FINANCIAL WOMEN OF SAN FRANCISCO
Financial Women of San Francisco advances the success of women in finance in the Bay Area. Formerly known as 'The Financial Women's Association of San Francisco,' the organization is an essential source of insight and inspiration to more than 300 financial women throughout the Bay Area. Members are executive and managerial-level women who work in finance or financial services. Many are CEOs, CFOs, corporate treasurers, CPAs, and attorneys. FWSF also welcomes commercial and private bankers, investment advisors, fund managers, securities analysts, administrators, financial planners, consultants, recruiters, marketers, and other professionals who work in financial services. It's membership represents all generations and cultural backgrounds. In addition to the FWSF's professional organization focused on advancing women, since 1985, the FWSF Scholarship Fund (a 501(c)3 organization) has awarded more than $3 million in scholarship grants to more than 355 Bay Area women. Beyond financial support, FWSF scholarship recipients are mentored by FWSF members, become members of the organization, and attend career development and networking events. Learn more at www.financialwomensf.org.
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