B.E. Wall St. All-Stars: from investment banking to asset management, these 50 MVPs score big in the financial markets - Special Report - Cover Story - Top 50 African Americans on Wall Street

Previous Experience: She has previous underwriting experience from James J. Lowery & Co., an independent financial advisory firm. She is also a former design engineer with General Dynamics.

Maceo Sloan Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Sloan Financial Inc. & NCM Capital Management Group Inc.

Age: 53

Education: B.A., Morehouse College; M.B.A., Georgia State University; J.D., North Carolina Central University School of Law

Responsibilities: He is in charge of strategic planning and new product development for both companies. He is also the portfolio manager for NCM Capital.

Previous Experience: Prior to founding NCM Capital. he spent 13 years with North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co and its subsidiary, NCM Life Communications Inc. He is a direct descendant of the founders of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co., a financial services legacy that dates back to 1898

Bottom Line: "I am proud that a significant number of young people have felt that I have been helpful to them in some way, either in their careers or their lives,"

Pro Bono Work: He is the only African American to serve on the Forum for Corporate Conscience, a committee made up of 22 business leaders from Fortune 500 companies who provide value-based leadership in their companies and communities.

Quinn R. Stills President, Mellon West Senior Vice President, The Boston Company Asset Management L.L.C. Mellon Financial Corp.

Education: A.B., Vassar College; M.B.A., Stanford University School of Business

Responsibilities: He oversees Mellon Financial Corp.'s operations in the western United States, positioning the franchise to deliver banking and investment solutions to its current customers in the marketplace, as well as calling on potential customers in the region. He also serves as the senior equity manager for The Boston Co. Asset Management firm, managing or comanaging several billion dollars for the firm's clients.

Previous Experience: Formerly, he was a research associate at Kidder Peabody & Co. in the international oil, high technology, and property-casualty insurance groups. He has also held associate positions in corporate finance at Drexel Burnham Lambert, and in futures trading at Goldman Sachs & Co. He has served as a member of the investment committee on the International Foundation of Employee Benefits.

Gerald B. Smith Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Smith Graham & Co.

Age: 51

Education: B.B.A., Texas Southern University

Responsibilities: He is the chief executive of one of the largest black-owned asset management firms in the country. Specializing in the management of domestic and global fixed-income securities for institutional clients, the firm had more than $2.1 billion under management in 2001. He keeps the firm focused on developing new value-added fixed-income products and strategies to meet the unique needs of its clients. He serves on the board of directors for Charles Schwab Mutual Funds and the Pennzoil-Quaker State Company Corp.

Previous Experience: Prior to forming his own firm in 1990, Smith served as senior vice president and director of fixed-income securities for Underwood Neuhaus & Co. He has also served as first senior vice president and director of marketing and sales for Westcap Corp., an investment banking firm.