Page 20 - Investment Advisor September 2021

The
Industry’s

Changing Profile:

Meet the 2021 LUMINARIES in Diversity &

Inclusion and Thought Leadership & Education

BY JEFF BERMAN, MICHAEL S. FISCHER, EMILY HOLBROOK, JANET LEVAUX,
BERNICE NAPACH, GINGER SZALA AND MELANIE WADDELL

e’re pleased to present the first winners of need for the future,” explained Edelman, who also founded the
our new, pioneering recognition program: Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals.
the LUMINARIES. The program’s Class of An evolution of our Broker-Dealers of the Year awards,
W 2021 members are being honored for the the LUMINARIES program shines a spotlight on how the
dynamic and inclusive ways they are driving the financial ser- top-performing industry participants are producing mean-
vices industry forward. ingful results in the areas that matter most to advisors ,
This month’s special coverage features winners in the rather than emphasizing asset levels, rankings or the latest
Diversity & Inclusion and Thought Leadership & Education industry buzz.
categories. (Winners in Executive Leadership and Dealmaking/ “During times of transformation like the period of change
Growth will be the focus of our November issue.) our industry is experiencing right now, thought leader-
“Why are we doing what we’re doing? Why are we doing ship is particularly critical,” according to Charles Schwab
it that way? How can we be doing it better? What are we not Chief Digital Officer Neesha Hathi, who also served as a
doing that we need to do? What is — or what might be — com- LUMINARIES judge.
ing, and what must we do to prepare?” asked Ric Edelman, Overall, the industry needs to “consider new perspectives,
founder of Edelman Financial Engines and a LUMINARIES keep our eye on the potential that the future holds and inspire
Class of 2021 judge. important conversations on what we, as an industry, need to
“It’s essential we focus on these and related questions so we do to innovate and steer our companies and our marketplace
can make sure the advice we give our clients is the advice they toward a better future for those we serve,” Hathi added.

18 INVESTMENT ADVISOR SEPTEMBER 2021 | ThinkAdvisor.com