Women make great financial advisors. Lindsay Hans is working to make sure there are more of them.
According to research by Deloitte, the number of women who reach the highest level of leadership in financial services is on the rise, with women now holding 18% of financial C-suite positions globally. But the research also says that number is climbing slowly — without a more concerted effort, women financial leaders may not even reach 25% by 2031.
SUBSCRIBE: New episode drops every Monday! Subscribe to How She Does It on Apple Podcasts so you never miss the latest!
Lindsay Hans, President and Co-head of Merrill Wealth Management, is working to change that. In her role, she’s committed to lowering the barrier to entry for women financial advisors — including being a strong advocate for their new training program which is more attractive to female advisors who may not have a pre-existing network or wealthy personal connections.
She says that because women, in general, value predictability over risk in everything from our jobs to our investments, she wants the female financial advisors who work for Merrill Wealth Management to never have to worry about how they’re going to find a client. “This job is all about how do I help someone solve their needs and their goals, and how I help them plan,” Hans says. “That is often something that very much attracts women to this business. It’s the business development piece that sometimes becomes a stop.”
Looking back on her own career in the financial industry, Hans says that while she knows she probably had some bosses who were not supportive of women, she tried to stay focused on being really good at her job. “In this career path, we all have to think about being excellent,” Hans says. “It is a quantifiable, measurable, competitive, and goal-oriented industry. And being excellent does not mean being perfect, but we want to be known as being excellent as individuals and as a company.”
Listen to the How She Does It podcast to hear more about how Lindsay Hans manages having a stressful career and being a mom of two young kids, and why she believes a job as a financial advisor “is the best career nobody knows about.”
MORE ON HERMONEY:
- Do I Need A Financial Advisor? How To Know What You Need Now
- How Business Owners Can Help Gain More Financial Confidence — And Help Employees Find Theirs Along The Way
- How Not To Take Things Personally, And Other Lessons I’m Teaching My Daughters
More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting, and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe!
This podcast is proudly supported by iShares. BLACKROCK and iSHARES are trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its affiliates (together “BlackRock”). The information provided in this communication is solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as advice or an investment recommendation. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of BlackRock. BlackRock is not affiliated with HerMoney
Editor’s note: We maintain a strict editorial policy and a judgment-free zone for our community, and we also strive to remain transparent in everything we do. Posts may contain references and links to products from our partners. Learn more about how we make money.
