U.S. Bancorp announced on Tuesday that President Gunjan Kedia will become its chief executive, effective April 15, becoming the first woman in the bank's history to take up the role. Kedia joins only a handful of female CEOs in the finance sector,

Kedia is scheduled to become the first woman to run the nation's seventh-largest bank by asset size. Some analysts expressed surprise over the timing of the announcement.

Kedia, who joined U.S. Bancorp in 2016, has been a key driver of the company’s revenue lines and brings nearly 30 years of experience in financial services. Before U.S. Bancorp, she held global executive roles at State Street Financial and BNY Mellon and worked in leadership positions at McKinsey & Company and PwC.