A Message from Brenda Rynski, WIPN’s Head of Sponsorships
This year we have seen much success with our WiPN Board roadshow partnering with sponsors on national sales calls to help launch WIPN’s sponsorship and encourage membership with your firms’ female associates. By teaming up with our sponsors, we can leverage momentum and support for not only WIPN but also showcase our added value in supporting DE&I efforts within the firms.
Established in 2009, WIPN has experienced tremendous growth with a membership of over 1300 women and 30 Local Chapters around the country. WIPN members freely share their experience and expertise and generously support one another’s professional and personal growth via on-site and remote regional and national events, webinars, mentoring opportunities, and conferences.
Our presentations range from 20 – 40 minutes and are based on mutual schedules. We are planning for 2021 so please let us If you’re interested in having the WIPN Board present to your firm’s group of women on the benefits and value of joining WIPN at the discounted sponsor rate. Contact the Sponsorship Chair.
Meet the 2021 WiPN Board
President
President-Elect
Treasurer
Secretary
National Events
Strategic Marketing
Membership
Programming & Research
Sponsorship
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Mentoring & Scholarship
Eastern Local Chapters
Western Local Chapters
Past President
Jennifer Norr, CUNA Mutual
Lisa Smith, Fidelity
Lauren Hill, John Hancock
Jillian White, JP Morgan
Val Ferrara, Wilmington Trust
Jennifer Mulrooney, American Century
Tina Schackman, BFSG, LLC
Cindy Horn Kennedy, YSK, LLC
Brenda Rynski, Capital Group
Rosalyn Brown, Newport Group
Jean Martone, T. Rowe Price
Pam Brooks, Oswald Financial
Ivana Polonijo, Fiduciary Benchmarks
Daniella Moiseyev, PCS Retirement, LLC
WIPN Joins the Conversation
According to McKinsey’s Lean In, women are losing ground in the pandemic. If companies act now to build a more equal workplace, they can curtail women from leaving their jobs or downshifting their careers.
WIPN is committed to doing our part to help companies in the retirement plan industry advance diversity and opportunities for women in the workplace on all levels.
That’s why WIPN is leading a proprietary, groundbreaking study focused exclusively on women in the retirement plan industry. We will share our results with sponsor members in early 2021 to help lead to actionable workplace strategies to benefit all.
What can you do?
You’re an important piece of the WIPN network and its overall success.
- Submit your job postings here to be included in our monthly Connections Newsletter which goes out to all the WIPN members. We can share your posts on our Linkedin page also.
Sponsor News
A huge thank you to all of the sponsors who support us on both the regional and national levels. We want to recognize our recent roadshow sponsors – Paychex, Ameritas, and the Multnomah Group.WIPN Board members recently presented to a national sales call of 15 senior leaders at Paychex. When asked about the value of WIPN, Paychex leaders were impressed by the programming, engagement, and mentorship membership benefits to both internal and external career paths as well as the caliber and overarching network of WIPN women. The DE&I initiatives continue to be top of mind to drive the firm forward, and they will continue to promote the benefits of the WIPN membership within the organization.
In October, WIPN Board presented to the leadership of Ameritas. Joining the call was WIPN member and Ameritas VP of Sales Operations, Diane Watson who gave her perspective on WIPN. “I am moved to see the sheer growth of membership in WiPN since I first joined the organization almost ten years ago. I’d always worked hard to connect with, and later mentor other women in the retirement plan industry, and WiPN has made that so much easier. It’s really humbling for me to be a co-founder of a new local WIPN chapter in Nebraska, and bring my company on as a national sponsor. I’m so excited to have my young and seasoned colleagues join, and experience the collaboration, camaraderie and friendship that I have.”
Jim Kais, SVP and Head of Ameritas Retirement Plans said “Ameritas is proud to announce our national sponsorship of Women in Pensions Network. We hope this sponsorship helps to add diversity to retirement plans and empowers women at Ameritas.”
The Multnomah Group, Inc. is a new sponsor who discovered WIPN through their employees. “We have a few employees who are members of WIPN and speak highly of the connections and industry support network that they have built from being members. Driving change within this industry starts with the support of organizations like WIPN to demonstrate to businesses how actively seeking the perspectives and experiences that come from things like gender, race, religion, age, culture, socioeconomic background, and experience all contribute to adding unique perspectives to retirement plan needs. Moving our industry in this direction only further strengthens our ability to provide the best outcome for our clients’ retirement plan participants.”
Bravo, we couldn’t have said it better! We appreciate your partnership and are always ready to hear how we can help you and your diversity efforts.
What can you do? Did you know we have added a DE & I leader to our Board? Rosalyn Brown is eager to connect with you to better engage with women of color throughout your organization.
Sponsor Member Spotlight
“Joining industry groups like WIPN, as well as any in-house group within your organization, will help you grow personally and professionally by pushing you outside of your comfort zone and enabling you to reach for the best possible version of yourself.”
Michele Pullen, AIF®
National Account Manager at Capital GroupMeet Michele Pullen, WiPN’s featured sponsor member from the Capital Group. She has been with Capital Group for more than 7 years and has held several positions from Internal Wholesaler to Internal Retirement Plan Counselor and National Accounts Representative working with FC firms/Wirehouses. Her new role is an IO National Account Managers working with recordkeepers.
