Publsihed on WealthSolutionsReport.com | Authored by Janeesa Hollingshead
Our Pathfinder Awards series honors outstanding professionals and executives of underrepresented groups and backgrounds in wealth management, and the organizations that empower those groups. Following on February’s Top Black Industry Leaders of 2025, we honor Women’s History Month with the fourth annual awards recognizing top women industry leaders and supporting organizations.
Each installment of this series not only highlights excellence, but also provides a platform for winners to address the industry. For this purpose, WSR is concurrently publishing two articles featuring multiple winners addressing women’s advancement in both the industry and in the communities we serve.
After reviewing many exceptional women leaders in wealth management for these invitation-only awards, the WSR team arrived at the winners listed below. We considered their reputation and influence in the industry, their track records and dedication to wealth management, and their ability to serve as role models. We also honor one organization in this installment of the Pathfinders for its multi-faceted program empowering women advisors.
Please join us in congratulating the winners, who are in alphabetical order below:
Financial Planner Of The Year
Kofo Akosile, Financial Planner, Prudential Advisors
Kofo Akosile is a Financial Planner in Prudential Advisors’ Houston office who has built her practice around empowering first-generation immigrants, millennials and women to achieve financial confidence and break generational cycles. In the past 18 months, she has achieved 25% total revenue growth, 41% investment revenue growth and a 45% financial planning increase.
A first-generation Nigerian American, Akosile inspires other underrepresented professionals to pursue paths in financial planning. For example, on March 6, she hosted a “Wealthy and Worthy Fireside Chat,” an empowering panel discussion designed to guide women on how to thrive in finances, career and life, along with accountant Adeola Mosanya and licensed therapist Monique Dunn.
Akosile is a member of the Million Dollar Round Table and holds the Chartered Financial Consultant and Certified Financial Planner designations. She earned a Bachelor of Science in economics at the University of Houston.
Philanthropy Champion Of The Year
Hayley Wood Bates, Senior Financial Advisor, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors
Hayley Wood Bates is a Senior Financial Advisor at Signature Estate & Investment Advisors (SEIA) with over 14 years of experience serving businesses and high net worth clients. She actively promotes youth empowerment, philanthropy and community engagement.
She leads SEIA’s philanthropic arm, the Signature Fund for Giving, which raised $150,000 in 2024. From inception, the fund has raised and distributed $1.8 million. She also organized a mentorship event with women of SEIA for 50 girls from A Place Called Home, a community service organization in South Central Los Angeles.
An alumna of Appalachian State University, she helped advance the Personal Wealth Management Program of the Walker College of Business, providing students with education and career opportunities. She also supports mental health services for youth in Redondo Beach, California, through the Richstone Family Center, and youth athletics in Cleveland by partnering
with the Naismith Award for Women’s Basketball and funding the Cleveland YMCA’s basketball court refurbishment.
Advisor Leadership Executive Of The Year
Moira Buckley, Vice President Of Western Territory, Prudential Advisors
With 30 years of experience, Moira Buckley, Vice President of Western Territory at Prudential Advisors since 2018, oversees strategic planning, growth and regulatory compliance across nine firms in 25 states, reaching 800 advisors and 50 field leaders. She emphasizes a collaborative, inclusive work environment.
Buckley has received Prudential’s Business Value award twice for innovations that enhanced financial advisors’ workflows. She began her career as a financial advisor and recruiter, and also held roles in sales, project management, strategy and senior leadership.
Buckley founded Prudential’s Retail Advice and Solutions Women’s Program in 2018, promoting
peer learning, business growth and career advancement for women in financial services. Her efforts led to a 223% increase in female hires since 2022.
Outside of the office, she volunteers for Project Lemonade, which supports foster youth in Portland, Oregon. She has served on the board of SIDS of Oregon and Oregon Episcopal School.
Brand Advocacy Executive of the Year
Diana Cabrices, CEO, Diana Cabrices Consulting
Diana Cabrices, CEO of Diana Cabrices Consulting and a second-generation Latina, introduced the fractional chief evangelist offering to the wealth management industry in 2023. Leveraging fintech and advisor engagement, she empowers wealthtech companies to build brand loyalty, amplify their audience and strengthen their industry presence.
Before founding her firm, Cabrices played a role in multiplying Snappy Kraken’s revenue 10 times. She has worked with Wealthbox, Nitrogen, Wealthtender, Trust & Will and White Glove, developing educational content, leading advisor engagement initiatives and forging industry partnerships.
She is also a Next-Gen Task Force Ambassador at the American College of Financial Services and meets with women to provide guidance and support as they pursue their own ventures. She is a graduate of Georgia State University, where she earned a Bachelor in Business Administration.
Women Advisors Empowerment Program Of The Year
Choreo Momentum
Choreo launched its Choreo Momentum program in 2024 to help accelerate advisor growth
through integrated community-building networks, practice management and sales training for the firm’s women advisors. Led by Chief Marketing Officer Marissa Fox-Foley, the program uses custom-built, digital prospecting campaigns to assist in advisors’ brand awareness and client acquisition. It also offers programming that highlights best practices in growth and advisory management education.
Momentum has held a series of virtual and in-person sessions encompassing cross-functional career development themes and enhanced education opportunities for women at Choreo.
For 2025, the program expanded to include quarterly workshops and a rotation of educational, advisor-hosted webinars to encourage discussion and inspiration. Early in the second quarter of 2025, a new integrated marketing campaign featuring three Momentum advisors will launch, culminating in a series of in-person prospect and client events across the country.
Advisor Recruiter Of The Year
Julie R. Davis, Head Of MMFA Field Recruiting & Development, MassMutual
With over 24 years of experience in recruiting and sales, Julie R. Davis, MMFA Head of Field Recruiting & Development at MassMutual, specializes in strategic leadership, business development and talent acquisition. She leads field recruiting and development for MassMutual’s network of 6,500 affiliated financial professionals, representing more than 50 firms across the U.S.
Previously, as Vice President of Sales at Penn Mutual, Davis led the generation of record-setting sales results while supporting professional development for her team members, enabling greater profitability. Prior to that, she oversaw a region with more than 2,000 financial professionals within the MassMutual network, recruiting talent and implementing programs to drive multimillion-dollar growth. Davis has also held recruiting and leadership roles at Allegiant Wealth Management, New England Financial and Genworth Financial.
With a longstanding reputation as a trusted leader and strategic visionary in the wealth management industry, Davis also specializes in developing and executing strategies that drive transformational change.
Her diverse experience is complemented by a strong coaching style that focuses on people development, change management and continuous operational improvement.
CEO Of The Year
Heather Fortner, Chair And CEO, SignatureFD
With 22 years at SignatureFD, Heather Fortner, its Chair and CEO, champions diversity, equity and inclusion in the office. Under her leadership, the firm’s client assets doubled since 2020, and she built a 58% female executive team.
She was instrumental in the development of SignatureWOMEN, an advisor-led community designed to empower women through financial literacy and planning, and the reimagining of the firm’s equity structure to broaden ownership opportunities to create generational wealth for women and underrepresented groups in finance.
She also initiated SignatureGIVING, which integrates philanthropy into the firm’s operations, enabling employees to support causes through donor-advised funds and volunteer efforts to drive positive change in the community.
Fortner mentors female professionals and supports them with leadership, live discussions and industry advocacy. She serves on the board of historically Black Morris Brown College. She advocates for the importance of representation in financial services through public speaking and industry engagements.
Strategic Innovation Executive Of The Year
Terri Kallsen, Managing Partner, Rise Growth Partners
Terri Kallsen, a Managing Partner at Rise Growth Partners, brings her broad-ranging experience to bear in developing innovative strategies for RIAs. Previously, she was the Chief Operating Officer of Wealth Enhancement Group, leading advisor teams, platform and digital strategy, and high net worth and trust services.
Prior to Wealth Enhancement, she was Executive Vice President of Investor Services at Charles Schwab, where she managed a team of 7,000 employees and oversaw $1.6 trillion in AUM. At Schwab, she helped secure multiple JD Power awards for client satisfaction.
Kallsen is actively involved in mentoring, especially women in the workplace. In 2019, she was honored with the San Francisco Financial Woman of the Year award, in recognition of her efforts to support and uplift women in the financial services industry.
She is also a member of the CFP Board. She earned a Bachelor of Science at the College of St. Benedict and an executive MBA in finance from the University of Chicago.
Private Wealth Executive Of The Year
Beth Lawlor, President, Private And Affluent Wealth Management, U.S. Bank
With more than 25 years of experience, Beth Lawlor joined U.S. Bank in 2020, leading the bank’s Private Wealth Management division. In 2023, she was promoted to also oversee Affluent Wealth Management. She leads over 3,000 advisors and specialists. She tripled the bank’s Private Wealth Management advisor base and leads efforts to launch the bank’s wealth management services in new markets.
Prior to U.S. Bank, Lawlor was Head of National Field Engagement and Sales, Wealth Management Banking and Lending at UBS. She has also held leadership positions at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo Advisors and Chase Personal Financial Services.
Last year, Lawlor hosted a speaker series for women that focused on helping women navigate the career ladder, for which she spoke at 14 different venues and several virtual events to more than 3,000 people. She also serves as a mentor for five women at U.S. Bank and serves on the board of directors at Bottomless Closet, which serves women who are victims of domestic violence.
She serves on the boards of New Jersey Fencing Alliance and CAPIC Animal Rescue, as well as mentoring students at the Boston College Alumni Eagle Exchange. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications and psychology from Boston College.
M&A Executive Of The Year
Jacqueline Martinez, Managing Partner, Alaris Acquisitions
Jacqueline Martinez has served as Managing Partner at M&A advisory firm Alaris Acquisitions since 2021, where she spearheads the firm’s acquisition strategies, putting cultural fit above financial auctions. At Alaris, she helped lead the team through 43 closed acquisitions in three years.
Before joining Alaris, she served as Head of Acquisitions at Goldman Sachs’ Personal Financial Management division, following the firm’s acquisition of United Capital, where she spent five years. At Goldman, she led the transformation of deal structures, successfully orchestrating two major acquisitions within her first year, setting a strong foundation for future growth. She played a key role in shaping the firm’s acquisition strategy.
Martinez’s prioritization of cultural fit derives from her time with United Capital’s M&A team, where they added $10.5 billion in acquisitions in five years. As co-host of the podcast The Buyer’s Boardroom, she shares insights and best practices for sellers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of San Diego.
Trusts & Estates Executive Of The Year
Paulina Mejia, National Fiduciary Counsel, Fiduciary Trust International
With almost eight years at Fiduciary Trust International, Paulina Mejia, National Fiduciary Counsel, rose from Regional Managing Director and Trust Counsel to National Fiduciary Counsel in 2023. In this role, she leverages her experience in wealth management along with her background as a trust and estates attorney to advise the firm’s largest and most complex clients. She emphasizes multi-generational education and philanthropy.
She led the development and implementation of the firm’s “Walking the Walk: Women & Wealth” program to empower and engage girls and women, both inside and outside of the firm, fostering a more inclusive and holistic dialogue around wealth. She is also responsible for the firm’s national attorney outreach strategy, focusing on its integrated delivery of fiduciary and investment services.
Mejia serves on the firm’s management and operating committees, the board of Fiduciary Trust Company of Delaware and the firm’s DEI Council. She is Co-Founder of the Public Prep Network’s Leadership Board, which connects young girls with professionals to explore mentoring and career opportunities. She volunteers to serve children with Girl Scouts and Graham Windham, and serves on the board of trustees of Miss Porter’s School.
She is a graduate of Boston College and Boston College Law School.
Chief Product Officer Of The Year
Elizabeth Pavlik, Chief Product Officer, Docupace
Elizabeth Pavlik joined Docupace in 2014, and recently was appointed Chief Product Officer. In her role, which influences almost 350,000 users, she aligns the firm’s product strategy with market demands and technological advancements. She joined Docupace as Director of PMO and later served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives before taking her current role.
Her leadership has earned Docupace eight industry awards for excellence.
Prior to Docupace, she was Director Information Technology – Business Partner at National Life Group, which worked closely with broker-dealer ESI, and Director of Business Intelligence at New York Life.
In the office, she fosters inclusive environments that harness diverse perspectives to innovate for a broad client base, and advocates for women in financial services and technology.
Pavlik earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from the University of California, San Diego.
CMO Of The Year
Samantha Schwimmer, Chief Marketing Officer, Advyzon
Samantha Schwimmer joined Advyzon last July as Chief Marketing Officer to help the firm’s enterprise, institutional and investment management services move into new markets segments.
In February, she led promotional efforts on Advyzon’s second annual conference, doubling in size from the inaugural conference and sold out at 500 attendees. In November, she oversaw the announcement and brand launch for Auria, a new offering from Advyzon Institutional for family offices and ultra-high net worth clients.
She also oversaw the announcement and promotion of Advyzon Investment Management’s integration with FINIAT and its partnerships with Fidelity, Innovayte, Syntax Data and iCapital.
Before Advyzon, she served as Vice President at Northern Trust Asset Management, Marketing Director at Ariel Investments, RIA Channel Director at Charles Schwab and Marketing Director at Hightower Advisors. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University.
Operations Executive Of The Year
Brandy Weiberg, Managing Director And Head Of Operations, Wealthcare Capital Management
Brandy Weiberg served over two decades at Wealthcare Capital Management, rising through the ranks to Managing Director and Head of Operations in 2020. In her role, she leads the firm’s trading, planning and operations teams, as well as overseeing its advisor and TAMP onboarding process. Prior to this role, she served as Chief Compliance Officer.
During her time at Wealthcare, she has managed corporate retirement plan relationships, worked with ERISA third-party administrators, contributed to model portfolio design and research for college and university retirement plans, developed trading systems and processes, conducted performance measurements for client accounts and designed individual plans.
She earned a degree in business administration from the University of Mary Washington.
Behavioral Finance Executive Of The Year
Naomi Win, Behavioral Finance Analyst, Orion
Naomi Win is the Behavioral Finance Analyst at Orion. In her role, she uses applied psychology to strengthen advisor-client relationships, boost investor resilience and improve returns during market turbulence. She applies clinical practice and research to uncover the psychological factors shaping decision-making, helping clients adapt strategies to enhance well-being and wealth.
At Orion, she has supported the development of behavioral finance tools, created four complimentary Orion Advisor Academy continuing education courses and trained advisors on behavioral finance. She shares her strategic insights through various podcasts and media publications. She helped with the launch of BeFi20, which uses personality assessment to uncover financial bias, fears and needs. She also led the launch of PulseCheck, a tool that includes investors’ well-being and fulfillment in the holistic financial planning process.
Win works with the Foundation for Financial Planning and CFP Board, and is a member of the
American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists. She has developed multiple continuing education resources for advisors. She provides pro-bono service to children on the borderline of special education to help address and resolve socio-emotional challenges.
Win received her master’s degree in psychoanalysis from Brunel University of London and her Doctor of Psychology degree from the University of Colorado, Denver.
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