Open to individuals of all identities who have supported and empowered women to fulfil their potential and achieve excellence within the workplace. Nominees must be able to demonstrate their impact over the past 12 months and be based in the US.
Individual Awards
Allyship Champion of the Year
Female Trailblazer of the Year
This award recognizes the outstanding female trailblazer in the wealth management and financial planning and is open to anyone in the industry whose astounding personal and professional achievements have earned them a place among the industry’s best.
Self nominations are welcomed.
When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered:
- Women in any facet of the industry, including those who have founded firms or created a unique innovation, such as type of portfolio, product, industry program or trailblazed in other unique ways
- Women who have innovated in measurable ways, bringing results that benefit the firm, the industry and/or their community and that has demonstrably advanced their own careers.
- Professional accomplishments over the past 5 years (e.g. innovative business initiatives in which the nominee played a critical role)
- Evidence that the individual is involved in the promotion, influence and championing of women within the wealth management and financial planning industry
- Other relevant accolades and involvements (charitable work, accomplishments outside the industry, leadership or professional associations, etc.)
The Alexandra Armstrong Award For Lifetime Achievement in the Financial Services Industry
This award recognizes and celebrates a female leader with a minimum of 15 years’ experience who has contributed greatly to the advancement of the wealth management and financial planning industry in the US.
This individual will have exhibited leadership and provided inspiration to others, whilst putting the interests of the industry at the top of their priorities throughout their career.
This award is eligible to female senior leaders; firm founders; innovator/inventors; and highly influential thought leaders whose perspective and advocacy has had a transformational effect.
There is no shortlist of excellence awardees for this category. Nominations will be evaluated by the InvestmentNews team and the selected recipient of this award will be contacted 3-4 weeks before the awards event and will be announced at the awards ceremony.
Portfolio Manager of the Year
This award recognizes the most outstanding female portfolio manager, based in the US, who has displayed excellence over the past 12 months.
Eligible nominees are portfolio/discretionary managers (in the advisor channel or the private discretionary division), who are working directly with investor clients / families.
Self nominations are welcomed.
When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered:
- Must be licensed as a portfolio/discretionary manager in the US
- Exemplary business development strategies to prospect and retain clients in innovative ways.
- Knowledge, understanding and communication of investment opportunities and strategies for their clients’ portfolios
- Client retention & relationship strategies & how it sets the portfolio manager apart from competition with a unique value proposition
- Examples of ways that the portfolio manager is educating the industry/clientele on investment strategies
- Approach to regulatory compliance
Rising Star Advisor of The Year
This award recognizes the outstanding female advisor who has displayed excellence in their first three years as an advisor.
To be eligible, nominees must have been accredited as an advisor on or after January 1, 2021.
Self nominations are welcomed.
When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered:
- Must be a licensed advisor that has established a book of business no earlier than Jan 1, 2021
- Knowledge, understanding and communication of investment opportunities and strategies for their clients’ portfolios
- Client retention & relationship strategies & how it sets the advisor apart from competition with a unique value proposition
- Examples of ways that the advisor has established themselves with their clients and peers in a short period of time
- Approach to regulatory compliance
Organizational Awards
Employer of Choice
This award recognizes an organization’s commitment to building a workplace that recognizes excellence and supports career growth for all and can be called an employer of choice within the wealth management and financial planning industry.
Nominations by employees, partners, peers, and clients are welcome.
When judging this category, the following criteria will be considered:
- Must have over 50 employees within US and be in the wealth management industry. – Workplaces with 30-50% proportion of women in the C suite.
- Demonstrates unique employee value proposition (e.g. business development support, marketing support, education, training, philanthropy)
- Defined workplace brand & culture to foster growth for employees
- Innovative approach to employee recruitment, retention, talent management, learning & development, mitigating employer-related risks, managing changes within the business (i.e. digitalization, customer expectations, compliance)
Excellence in Gender Diversity & Inclusion
Open to investment companies in the US who are leading the way in terms of improving gender diversity & inclusion at firm and industry level. Companies will have to demonstrate how they are championing gender diversity & inclusion across their business, driving change, as well as their influence and impact over the past 12 months in particular. Nominees must be headquartered in the US.
