(CNN) -- She is poised to become one of the world's most powerful women, joining an elite club of fellow female trailblazers including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff. But when President Obama announced his nominee for the next chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve last October, few outside the financial world had heard of Janet Yellen. Serving as the current deputy to Ben Bernanke for the past three years, the Senate confirmed Yellen's nomination Monday. CNN takes a look at the woman who will serve as first female chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the world's most powerful central bank, when Bernanke steps down at the end of the month.
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The Senate confirms Janet Yellen as the next chair of U.S. Federal Reserve
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Current chairman Ben Bernanke will complete his second term this month
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Yellen will be the first woman head in the Fed's 100-year history
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The native New Yorker has extensive economic and academic experience
"She is a proven leader because she's tough ... Janet is exceptionally well qualified for this role," @placeholder told reporters in October.