Sponsors

WIPN Sponsor Member Spotlight

Barbara Redstone

Vice President – Divisional Sales Manager, Retirement Plan Sales

Ameritas®

What has been your most rewarding accomplishment in your career to date?  I believe my most rewarding accomplishment is where I stand today.  As a recent new member of the management team at Ameritas, I now have a voice at the table to influence the direction of the retirement plan division.  In addition, as a manager I am able to use my 20+ years of sales experience to mentor and train salespeople to realize their full potential while increasing the revenue for the company

What changes do you hope to see for women in the retirement industry in the next 5 -10 years?  What I really hope to see is more women entering the retirement industry. I think WIPN has a huge opportunity to direct change and influence women while they are in still college or fresh into their careers. I have been asked to speak at a WIPN event for college age women in November in Omaha and I hope it is the first of many.

How important is it for you to be a role model for the upcoming generations of women in the retirement industry? This is so important to me. It is my passion to see more women entering our industry. I take pride in training and mentoring other women in the industry – both in my company, my division, and other aspects of the financial services industry. This career path has been a successful one for me personally and professionally and I would like to see more women thrive in this industry as well.

How did you find out about WIPN and how would you describe WIPN to a colleague?  I really became involved in WIPN through the involvement of the leaders of the WIPN Texas Chapter. To me, WIPN is a community of women all in the retirement services industry looking to serve and empower one another to the next level. WIPN really filled a void during the Covid lockdowns and gave me a place to learn and share ideas through regional and national virtual events. I have also enjoyed my newest role as a member of the DEI committee and treasure the new relationships we are building in addition to the cause.

Please share a WIPN-inspired story that influenced your professional career?  For many years in my earlier career days, I truly felt like a woman trapped in a male industry. It wasn’t until I moved to Texas and got to know the female DCIOs, TPAs, Advisors, and other fellow recordkeepers that I realized there was a network like WIPN. The strong and empowering women I meet day after day that are a part of WIPN continue to inspire me and give me the confidence to “go for it” every day. I am proud of how far I have come and am happy I am able to serve WIPN and give back to other women in the industry where I can.

Prior to joining WIPN — how difficult was it to find mentoring opportunities in the retirement industry?  Honestly, prior to joining WIPN I did not know of any women- based mentoring opportunities so this has definitely been a positive experience for me.

Any other thoughts you would like to add?  I would like to give a special shout out to Katelyn Boone and Kassandra Hendrix who led the Texas Chapter of WIPN and also to Rosalyn Brown Head of DE&I who leads the DEI committee for WIPN of which I am a member.

Barbara Redstone