Lindsey C. Lewis is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and CFP® Professional, assisting women in securing their finances. She has built her career around women and money and helps them take charge of their finances. She firmly believes that the purpose of meaningful and applied knowledge is ultimately to benefit society. She has been pioneering diversity within the financial services sector as Executive Director and Chair of the American College Center for Women in Financial Services.
Amidst the evolution of the finance industry, Lindsey is inspiring new talent by co-chairing The College’s Next Gen Advisory Taskforce. She has dual bachelor’s degrees in Personal Financial planning and an MBA from Utah Valley University. Lindsey exemplifies excellence in both academia and her professional endeavors. She has embodied an interest in sports and commenced her athleticism as a Pole Vaulter, earning the Silver Medal in the Great West Athletic Conference for the 2012 and 2013 Outdoor Track and Field. She also served as the Western Athletic Conference Student Academic Athletic Committee Vice President, hosting a successful talent show that raised over $3k for Toys for Tots and participating in a study abroad program in France.
During the beginning of her career, Lindsey landed her first job at a large wealth management firm like RIA and Vanguard after completing her undergraduate program and later returning to complete her MBA. Since her graduation, she has been actively connected with the Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Alumni Board, which she also serves as president of. Through her work, she has been inspiring and mentoring many women and young aspirants through her initiative, the ‘Polished: Women in Business Event.’ “I also orchestrated the PFP program’s first 4.01k race in 2023, promoting fundraising and awareness for the profession and financial literacy,” adds Lindsey. Moreover, her professional accomplishments entail that Lindsey volunteers with $AVVY Ladies, a pro-bono financial planning nonprofit. Her dedication and advocacy have earned her recognition, including spots on the 2023 Investment News Hot List and Aspioneer’s 20 Under 40 List, the 2022 Excell Represents Rising Star Woman in Wealth Management award, and the Investment News 40 Under 40 list in 2021.
The American College of Financial Services
The College is an accredited college that trains financial professionals through advanced degrees and designation programs. It claims to be unique in the market as it holds college accreditation while providing financial knowledge. Its mission to bring financial knowledge to society is disseminated by financial professionals to their clients. The organization is focused on three strategic pillars: retirement, specialized knowledge, and professional diversity. The college courses are at the pace of the learner, guided by an industry-leading expert through an accredited college. She believes that becoming educated and adding appropriate credentials is paramount to success. The College research shows that 60% of successful financial professionals get into this business to help and serve people, and that being educated has helped their businesses perform better. Additionally, finding a role that magnifies your talent allows you to flourish for their role and the bigger picture.
Before her current role, she used to practice financial planning for both a registered investment Advisor (RIA) Firm and a world-class broker-dealer. She says that migrating from an advisor to academia and advocacy was paramount to abreast her passions with what the industry needs. The Cerrulli data illustrates that 100,000 financial professionals plan to retire in the next 10 years, and last year the industry grew at -1.9%. “The talent gap is real,” says Lindsey. In order for the industry at large to attract the rising generation of women, underrepresented groups, minority communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and more, there is a need for firms to cultivate cultures of inclusivity. “This is my mission to influence financial services through innovation,” she adds. In her quest for the Certified Financial PlannerTM (CFP®) designation, she encountered a setback when she failed on her first attempt. “My decision to complete this designation is more than a million-dollar decision for my future earned income; I pivoted and completed it all while expecting my first child.” Moreover, while expecting a second child, Lindsey completed her ChFC®. She reckons that a great leader in financial services needs to have adaptability. She states that as the markets are continuously changing, so are the laws and the political environment; adaptability has become a growing concern. Also, the members of the workforce have changing needs and desires from employers and leaders. Leaders who lean into their empathy will have the skills necessary to listen and integrate feedback to ultimately produce a better workplace, which can lead to a thriving business. She asserts that though many monetary assets are going into the hands of women, there is still a significant investment wealth gap that can be derived from a variety of reasons. Though there is a hurdle to getting women paid equally to their counterparts, ensuring that women are building wealth through investment vehicles is vital to meeting their needs when it comes to longevity and future generations. Apart from that, she gives credit to her time management skills for her current success.
Lindsey is highly inspired by Dan Martel’s book titled ‘Buy Back Your Time’, which has opened her eyes. She claims, as the book implies, that treating your life like one giant project is okay and that it is okay to outsource. Due to this paradigm shift, she has delegated tasks that are vital but offer less satisfaction. “By doing so, it has freed up more time to spend on new initiatives and to spend more present and meaningful time with my family,” she adds.
"With no innovation, no organization can exist."
The Landscape of Financial Services
The McKinsey research illustrates that more diverse teams lead to increased profitability. However, many organizations in financial services talent searches do not extend beyond their natural network. While getting talent in place is essential, finding talent that is representative of the US population is vital. What she is working on this year is building a short course to educate curious career explorers about the landscape of financial services. This will help guide the conversation on the differences in roles and responsibilities for emerging talent.
The role of a leader in finance, Lindsey states, will experience many challenges in the next 3 to 5 years with the rise of AI, digital assets like Bitcoin, the democratization of financial knowledge, and the changing market environments that impact both legislation and regulation. The most challenging component of all for her was the simultaneous inclusion of all, with no way to avoid them. Hence, adaptability becomes essential; as she says, “With no innovation, no organization can exist.” She ensures that the industry is ready for the rising generation of new and emerging talent. With over 10,000 financial advisors retiring annually, over $30 trillion changing hands, and the US moving to a minority-majority by 2050, there is so much opportunity in the profession.
The 100-year plan
The long-term strategy for The College is to scale the core to ensure the institution can survive another 100 years. As for Lindsey, it is important to ensure that the rising young women in this nation have a better understanding of money and wealth so their confidence in math can start peaking beyond age 9. Furthermore, she has been working to empower women with her upcoming children’s book, which will teach young girls about the power of money. The book will be released in 2025.
