Joanna Ridgway
About Joanna Ridgway
Joanna Ridgway is a financial executive experienced in C-suite global banking advisory, due diligence and a strong domestic and international network across multiple industries and sectors. She established and led Santander Bank's Corporate Banking business in the Southwest Region from 2018 - late 2023. Her banking experience includes credit and relationship management at BofA, JPM, Fifth Third, and has worked with private and publicly traded companies headquartered in the US, UK and Germany. Known for leading cross functional teams and spearheading corporate and community strategic initiatives, she is entrepreneurial, creative and adept at influencing leaders across an organization. Since 2019, Joanna has personally invested in startups, primarily focused on femtech, and has advised early stage companies (particularly women founders) on business strategy, pitch decks, and has made multiple strategic connections, generating revenue for those companies. She was named to Cien.ai's Advisory Board in November 2023. Cien.ai is a transatlantic company powered by AI and machine learning, seamlessly delivering go to market sales insights to companies utilizing a CRM. Engaged in the community, Joanna serves on the Boards of Directors of the World Affairs Council DFW (governance chair), Jubilee Center (vice president), Texas Lyceum and the Texas Women's Foundation Economic Leadership Council. Joanna is German Marshall Fund Marshall Memorial Fellow, British American Project Fellow, Dallas Business Journal 2021 Women in Business and named to D CEO 2022 Dallas 500 Leaders. In 2019-2021, Joanna led a cooperative project between Jubilee Center & Parkland Hospital to design, fundraise and build a $7.5mm health and dental clinic (the first of its kind) in south dallas. It opened to the community in 2022 and will serve approximately 3,500 patients each year. A classically trained violinist, Joanna has focused on American Folk Fiddle Styles since 2012 and founded a fiddle duo with 6 time National Fiddle Champion, Roberta Smith. The duo, June Blount, has given two SMU TEDX talks on fiddle styles. Joanna earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Rhodes College, and lives in Lakewood with her family.