Claire Giannini Hoffman

Claire Giannini Hoffman (1904–1997) was the first woman to serve on the boards of Bank of America and Sears, Roebuck & Company. She also was the only woman guest invited at international bank conference events for some two decades.

Hoffman was born in San Mateo, California, on December 30, 1904. Her father was Amadeo Peter Giannini, founder of the Bank of America. Her mother was Clorinda "Clara" Agnes Cuneo. She went to San Mateo Grammar School, San Mateo High School, Rosemary Hall in Greenwich, Connecticut, Ransom School in Piedmont, California, Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, Mills College in Oakland, California, and a business school in Beverly Hills, California.

Hoffman became engaged in her father's banking enterprises and was his secretarial assistant during his business trips around the United States and Europe. He died in 1949 and she then took over his seat on Bank of America's board of directors, becoming the bank's first female director. Her brother Lawrence died in 1952 and she took over his position in the bank also.

Hoffman was deeply loyal to her father's banking principles and policies. Her relationships with the bank's management were often tempestuous, since they had their own agendas as to how the bank should be managed which were different. She resigned from the board of the Bank of America in 1985 because she felt the bank's executives were irresponsible in their management. The major issue she was dishearten over was the sale of the bank's World Headquarters at 555 California Street – which she considered sacred as a testament to her father. She further protested showing her displeasure by boycotting the annual meeting of the board of directors in 1987.

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