Dorsainvil will be featured at the Third Annual Invest in Women conference May 9-10 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. On May 9, the conference features “Attracting Women to the Advisory Business,” a panel discussion addressing ways to close the gender gap in financial planning. The conference will also include “How Hiring Millennials Can Boost Your Business,” which will discuss adding younger advisors to enhance a firm’s growth and sustainability.
Each of the CFP representatives is featured in two-minute, one-minute and 20-second commercials.
“The campaign is multifaceted,” said Marilyn Mohrmann-Gillis, executive director for the CFP Board’s Center for Financial Planning. “It seeks to tell the stories of CFP professionals through a series of videos and through a robust and interactive website.”
Via the website, young and/or diverse financial planners can share their stories with visitors. The CFP Board also launched a social media campaign via Instagram using the hashtag #CFPPro, and offers tool kits to those within the industry who want to become involved in the diversity effort.
The board launched the Center for Financial Planning in 2015, with part of its mission oriented towards diversity efforts. The Women’s Initiative, sometimes abbreviated WIN, pre-dates the center, but now falls under its umbrella, as does the CFP Board Diversity Advisory Group. Last month, the CFP Board appointed Blayney as its special advisor on gender diversity.
The "I Am a CFP Pro" campaign launches amid a push to add more youth and diversity to the financial services industry. In recent months, the CFP Board has registered a new financial planning program at Delaware State University, a historically black university. Other historically black colleges and universities with financial planning programs include Clark Atlanta University and Winston-Salem State University.
Last year, the College for Financial Planning and the Association for African American Advisors (AAAA) launched a scholarship for AAAA members seeking a CFP designation. Not to be outdone, earlier this year, the American College of Financial Services announced a $200,000 scholarship program for African American students interested in the financial services industry.
The FPA has offered diversity scholarships for several years, and the CFA Institute has also taken up the cause via its Women in Investment Management Initiative, which aims to increase the number of women who hold the CFA certification.
Raymond James has elevated its dialogue on diversity with its Black Financial Advisors Network, creating a platform for dialogue and support among its African American registered representatives. Charles Schwab launched a similar effort in 2014 with its RIA Talent Advantage program, which focuses on generational, gender and ethnic diversity.
Morgan Stanley has brought the diversity dialogue to the forefront with its Forum for Women, Multicultural and LGBT Financial Advisors. As part of its efforts, the company recognized 17 accomplished women in financial planning in affiliation with the PBS and AOL MAKERS initiative, which aims to tell women’s stories.