Linnet F. Deily, First Interstate Bank

Linnet F. Deily has read enough to be aware of the complaints by women in banking and other professions, but she said she has seen no indication of a so-called glass ceiling at First Interstate Bank of California.

Deily, who was promoted to executive vice president at First Interstate a few weeks ago, said the bank is “a meritocracy--you perform and you get the job.”

As head of a bank division in Los Angeles, Deily has control over 53 branches and seven commercial lending facilities with a total of 1,240 employees.

“I absolutely love my job,” she said.

Deily, 42, has a master’s degree in international management from the University of Texas. She joined First Interstate in 1981 after serving as a senior vice president for international management at Republic Bank in Dallas. At First Interstate, she has been head of corporate banking, coordinated a bank merger and was chief financial officer for the wholesale banking division.

Deily said women could not even get into management training programs in big corporations when she graduated from college 20 years ago. Today, she said she believes that the chief executive’s job at First Interstate is a “reachable goal.”