Women to Watch 2016: Nominations open for female leaders of the advice industry

When you launch something new, you can only hope it takes off the way you envision. Our Women to Watch initiative did just that — and then some.

After announcing our call for nominations last July, we received more nominations than we expected. What’s more, the caliber of those nominations was higher than we could have imagined.

(Nominate today: Submit a candidate for the 2016 Women to Watch list)

Of course, that made the selection process incredibly difficult. But, in the end, our final list of 20 Women to Watch, along with our Lifetime Achievement Award winner Alexandra Armstrong, proved outstanding. We brought their stories and their accomplishments to life through an entire issue dedicated to the role of women in the advice industry and a robust microsite on InvestmentNews.com featuring videos of many of our select group of women.

Our Women to Watch initiative culminated with an awards luncheon in New York in March. At that luncheon, each honoree had a chance to share a few words about her journey. Some were inspirational. Some were funny. All were relevant and heartfelt, proving once and for all how women have contributed greatly to the success of the financial advice industry.

InvestmentNews is proud to shine a light on the many talented, successful women who serve as role models and leaders in our industry.

Encouraging women to become financial advisers — or to work for companies that support advisers — is crucial to the growth and prosperity of our industry. The next generation of Women to Watch will inevitably look to today’s female leaders as an example of what is possible.

I have seen this dynamic at work first hand. Over the years, I’ve spoken to many young women who are studying to be financial advisers and they tell me that they are encouraged and motivated by the many female leaders and advocates that make up our industry.

Our coverage, as well as the many other initiatives we do to showcase female leaders, helps them see what opportunities lie ahead for women in the industry.

So, as we open nominations for 2016, I am confident that our next class of Women to Watch will continue the tradition of excellence that the 2015 honorees established. To ensure that, we will continue to uphold the high level of criteria used to inform our selection process.

That includes restricting nomination to women who are:

• Making a lasting impact on the industry through their work

• Serving as distinguished leaders at their firms

• Demonstrating a willingness to share their experiences with others

• Giving back to the industry in a meaningful way.

Please consider nominating a deserving woman you know for this honor.

To nominate a candidate for the 2016 InvestmentNews Women to Watch Award, click here. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 16, 2016.