Page 29 - Investment Advisor - November 2021

multiple successful resets at the end of the outcome periods, Lon T. Dolber, CEO and president of American
meaning the Buffer ETFs work as intended, providing inves- Portfolios Financial Services Inc., led the firm
tors with the range of outcomes advertised; maintaining sig- in new hires during the height of the pandemic.
nificant liquidity through one of the most significant market Despite 2020’s challenges, AP saw a 5%
shocks in modern history; and further confidence from ETF increase in total revenue, a 14% increase in
analysts and recognition that the funds achieved their out- advisory total revenue and a 12% increase in AUA. Dolber also
comes and had a place in investor portfolios. is passionate about corporate social responsibility endeavors.
The firm currently sponsors 12 NPOs. Through his leadership,
Manish Khatta of Potomac Fund Management AP has raised more than $1.02 million in the last 18 months for
made two strategic decisions over the last 18 worthy causes. Dolber also serves as board president for the
months to fuel Potomac’s growth: 1) the cre- American Portfolios Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-
ation of the Union UMA platform, designed to profit organization.
provide white-glove-service to sub-$100 mil-
lion AUM advisors; and 2) the creation of the Conquer Risk Dawn Cooper, EVP of service & operations at
funds, which allowed Potomac’s strategies to become available Ameriprise Financial, is implementing and
on numerous platforms such as Envestnet and SMArtX. enhancing digital capabilities to improve the
Serving as president and CIO of Potomac, Khatta is a staunch experience for clients, advisors and employ-
believer that investment risk is something that can be con- ees. Her team is currently deploying robotics
tained and conquered by using quantitative trading systems. to process business at rapid speeds with more accuracy.
Potomac’s AUM has almost tripled in the past 13 months, Cooper and her team worked to enhance the service experi-
growing to $430 million from $120 million. ence at Ameriprise. These changes put the firm in a position
to earn a J.D. Power certification for the second consecutive
Cheri Belski of T. Rowe Price is the leader of the year for providing ‘An Outstanding Customer Service
firm’s U.S. retirement business, with $370 bil- Experience” when they contact the company by phone for
lion AUM. She serves on the Retirement assistance. She also co-chaired the Ameriprise Women’s
Leadership Council, representing the largest Interest Network and invests heavily in developing female
book of business for the enterprise. The culmi- leaders through mentorship.
nation of her leadership and thinking for the industry is T.
Rowe Price’s new campaign: “Retirement. Meet Your Match.” Steve Stroker, managing director of Black
She is also a leader in Diversity Equity & Inclusion. Belski Creek Capital Markets (now Ares Wealth
focuses on identifying, elevating and retaining women at the Management Solutions) with more than 36
firm. She spearheaded the Gender Dialogues with Management years of experience, has been influential in
Committee to bring forward the conversation of the bias, ineq- shaping Black Creek Group’s capital raising
uity and solutions to investing in women. strategy. In 2020, the firm raised more than $1.5 billion in
capital. Additionally, since the start of 2020, he grew the
sales team by 20%. He focuses on helping advisors build and
INDIVIDUALS – BROKER-DEALERS grow their businesses using Black Creek products. He also
cultivates a collaborative partnership across the firm with
Erinn Ford, Advisor Group’s EVP of Advisor the marketing and product management, investor relations,
Engagement, possesses an exceptional ability strategic accounts and institutional teams working together
to connect with advisors. She was instrumental to ensure a best-in-class investment experience for advisors.
in conveying the benefits of the Advisor Group
platform to KMS advisors as she steered the Amy Webber, CEO of Cambridge Investment
firm through Advisor Group’s acquisition of KMS parent, Research Inc., has spent the last 20 years
Ladenburg Thalmann, and subsequent integration efforts establishing a flexible business model, a com-
aimed at expediting advisors’ access to the full range of her mitted senior leadership team, a detailed legal
firm’s technology and service offerings. Thanks in part to her structure and a formal succession plan. Webber
leadership, overall retention results from the Ladenburg has a unique connection with female financial professionals,
transaction exceeded the firm’s expectations. The results are and she hosts Cambridge’s Women Advisor Forum while also
the product of hundreds of conversations between dedicated serving as a mentor to many individuals. In terms of advocacy,
leaders and the advisors who depend on them for guidance, she continues to be active with continuous legislative engage-
support and stability. ment for the independent advice channel. With Webber’s

NOVEMBER 2021 INVESTMENT ADVISOR 27