Kari Lusby, CFP®

Regional Vice President, Voya Financial

What changes do you hope to see for women in the retirement industry in the next 5 -10 years?   We have made great progress for women in our industry over the past two decades of my career and we have more work to do. I have three hopes for our future:

• I hope more women choose a career path in the retirement industry.  We serve a noble purpose and women tend to be well equipped with qualities that help us succeed here.
• I hope to see more women supporting women, instead of seeing each other as competition.
• And I hope more women have the confidence to both build a meaningful career and experience the joys of motherhood.

How important is it for you to be a role model for the upcoming generations of women in the retirement industry? I have a passion for coaching and mentorship and actively look for opportunities to help others grow.  As we seek to promote our industry to upcoming generations of women it is critical we have leaders (both male and female) lead by example and exemplify the values we hold dear.  We have the opportunity to greatly impact the lives of individuals, the future of our industry, and Americans preparing for retirement. With this higher purpose, I believe each of us should consider the role we play in the development of others and the positive influence we can have in this role.

How did you find out about WIPN? And, how would you describe WIPN to a peer or colleague? I have loved the idea of WIPN since Day One. I helped to set up the Bay Area Chapter several years ago and am excited to re-engage with the group at a local level in Sacramento.  I describe WIPN as an organization that helps women in the retirement industry to build community by providing growth and networking opportunities both locally and nationally.

Is WIPN a force for change? If so, how?  I see WIPN as an organization to help women in this industry to create our own change. That’s where it all starts. With you and me taking personal responsibility for the changes we want to see in this industry and in this world. The relationships built within our local chapters and nationally provide a soft place to land and an understanding ear on hard days at the office or in the field. I’m thankful to have an organization providing opportunities for each one of us to do just that.

My favorite quote is … Let all that you do be done in love, (1 Corinthians 16:14).  The more we do that, the better this world becomes.

Tina M. White, AIF®, CRPC®

Senior DCIO Specialist, Franklin Templeton

What made you decide to become a WIPN co-chair, and what do you want to achieve with your new chapter? I first became a co-chair for the CO chapter. Taylor Pluss and I established that new chapter several years ago because we saw the demand and potential in that geographical area. I noticed the same thing along with two colleagues of mine (Kari Lusby/Ava Carnavale) within the Greater Sacramento area. Our capital city was without a chapter, so we decided to move ahead and change that. Our WIPN kickoff event is 5/20 and we are very excited. We are hoping to create a very large network of retirement professionals.

How important is it for you to be a role model for the upcoming generations of women in the retirement industry? This is my mission — I want to help females achieve success in any way that I can. Everyone needs a mentor and people are my passion. I believe in pay it forward. Every one of us has a story.

I love the retirement industry because … I love helping people. We are very lucky to have such incredible people to partner with inside our industry. We make life-long friendships and are collaborative. It is a very tight knight community.

Prior to joining WIPN — how difficult (or easy) was it to find networking and/or mentoring opportunities in the retirement industry?  It wasn’t easy.  Back then, there was a shortage of females in the industry. I found myself paring up with other females organically through territory travel over time. WIPN has been a blessing. I have met so many amazing, incredible women across the US. It’s a very powerful network and I want to help others achieve the same thing.

My favorite quote is … ”Do what is good for your soul!” because we need to remind ourselves to have fun and enjoy our life, as it is way too short and we all work very hard.