Barbara Desoer was once thought to be a candidate to become CEO of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC). That was before former CEO Ken Lewis was forced to resign in ignominy. In the Brian Moynihan era, the chatter has been about the predicament she and the bank find themselves in. She's the woman in the middle of the storm, and how she deals with the foreclosure fiasco will determine her legacy in the industry.

Desoer made a huge decision on Oct. 1, that the bank would suspend foreclosures in 23 states, reports Bloomberg. She later expanded that to 50. As she starts to crank up the foreclosure machine again, she finds herself in uncharted territory. Her PR team has not let her down yet.

The Bloomberg article begins with her "sitting down alone to listen to another 20 telephone recordings" of customers who are irate about their mortgages. She wants to feel their pain. But what about the bank's pain? It remains to be seen how this issue will play out for her bank. If it works out well, we may hear talk once again of Desoer heading a major bank.

For more:
- here's the article

Related Articles:
Bank of America suffers all sides of the foreclosure fiasco
A succession plan after all?
So who will succeed Ken Lewis?
Brian Moynihan, man with a Midas touch?