Wells Fargo Foundation Hands Reins To First Black Woman President, Darlene Goins

As president of its philanthropic Wells Fargo Foundation, Goins will implement strategies for housing, financial health, and sustainability.

Wells Fargo has appointed Darlene Goins its head of philanthropy and community impact as well as president of the Wells Fargo Foundation.

The new role positions Goins as the first Black woman president for the financial services company, The Chronicle of Philanthropy noted.

According to a Wells Fargo press release, Goins will chart the course of the company’s community and philanthropic efforts by driving the development and execution of its strategies pertaining to housing access and affordability, financial health, and small business growth and sustainability.

“With her banking expertise and track record in creating community impact, we aim to open pathways to economic advancement and strengthen historically marginalized communities,” said vice chairman of public affairs Bill Daley. Goins will report to Daley in her new position at Wells Fargo.

Daley said Goins’ personal insight and professional acumen at the intersection of banking, business, and community service will bring “a deep understanding of consumers and communities” to her new leadership position, “which will help us take our philanthropic investments to the next level.”

In her prior role as head of diverse customer segments for the company, Goins leveraged consumer insights and data to better serve minority groups and spearheaded Wells Fargo’s 10-year Banking Inclusion Initiative to increase access to low-cost banking and financial education.

“It is expensive to be unbanked and underbanked in this country; and we know there is a racial disparity in who has open pathways to economic advancement,” Goins said on the initiative’s page. “There are so many opportunities for us to reimagine what our society looks like as it pertains to financial inclusion.”

Goins also led financial health philanthropy at the foundation, assisting under-resourced groups with debt reduction, savings, and wealth building.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and completed a master’s degree in engineering-economic systems at Stanford University. The new president currently serves on the boards of national nonprofits Prosperity Now and the Bank Administration Institute.