Meet the Judges for Our New Awards Program

ThinkAdvisor has announced an esteemed judging panel for its new, groundbreaking recognition program, The ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES, debuting this year.

The LUMINARIES promises to shape industry conversations in 2021 and beyond by honoring top advisors, industry executives, teams, RIAs, broker-dealers, asset managers and other organizations for their achievements in four key areas: 

• Diversity & Inclusion 
• Thought Leadership 
• Executive Leadership  
• Dealmaking & Growth  

Advisors, broker-dealers, RIAs, asset managers and other industry players are invited to participate in the new recognition program by completing their online nominations by May 17.

Judges for The ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES

Winners will be selected by a distinguished and diverse panel of judges from across the advice industry.

A number of top industry executives and influencers are members of the panel:

• Renée Baker, Head of Advisor Inclusion Networks, Raymond James Private Client Group
• Joe Duran, Managing Director, Head of Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management
• Ric Edelman, Founder, RIA Digital Assets Council and Edelman Financial Services
• Gabe Garcia, Managing Director, Corporate Development, Cresset Capital Management
• Neesha Hathi, Executive Vice President and Digital Solutions Officer, Charles Schwab
• Aneri Jambusaria, Executive Vice President of Strategy and New Ventures, Data and Analytics, LPL Financial 
• Aaron Schaben, President, Carson Group
• Amy Webber, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cambridge Investment Management

The judging panel also includes individuals working to make the financial services industry

more inclusive and community focused, as well as financial planning VIPs and other important industry voices:

• Sonya Dreizler, national D&I/ESG/SRI expert, Head of Solutions With Sonya
• Kate Healy, Board Chair of the Foundation for Financial Planning; former executive at TD Ameritrade Institutional
• Jeffrey Levine, Chief Planning Officer at Buckingham Wealth Partners; Lead Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com; Tax Planning Strategist, Holistiplan
• Mark Tibergien, Principal, Mark Tibergien Insights LLC; former CEO of Advisor Solutions, BNY Mellon Pershing
• Dasarte Yarnway, Founder and Managing Director, Berknell Financial Group

Judging Criteria

These 13 judges, along with our editorial team, will evaluate the impact LUMINARIES nominees have made.

This impact should include both quantitative and qualitative results — such as the number of advisors affected by the nominee and a clear description of the innovative ways the nominee has contributed to a particular program, group of advisors and firm, as well as to the broader financial services industry and investor community if applicable, over the past 12 to 18 months. 

Nominees should demonstrate the ability to achieve goals and display ingenuity in terms of creative thinking and problem solving, particularly in furthering the development of advisors, investors and the industry, as well as a personal commitment to the highest ethical standards, service and excellence.

You may nominate individuals, teams or organizations, and there is no charge for completing the nomination form. 

What Makes the LUMINARIES Unique

This recognition program, which replaces Investment Advisor’s Broker-Dealers of the Year, will celebrate the bold steps being taken to drive the wealth, investment and retirement industry forward in more dynamic and inclusive ways.

The program and its related coverage will show the quantitative and qualitative impacts that the LUMINARIES are making on the industry — for both today’s and tomorrow’s advisors.

Unlike other programs, which tend to be based on rankings and give only nominal coverage to honorees, ThinkAdvisor’s LUMINARIES will immerse advisors in the accomplishments of industry leaders and tell their stories through year-round coverage.

Editorial content focused on award winners will begin in September, and then we’ll host the inaugural awards dinner in New York in November. Plus, we’ll build a supportive and instructive community of winners through social media posts, blogs and multimedia presentations like podcasts and videos. 

Which Firms Can Participate

In addition to financial advisors, the following industry organizations can submit nominations:

• Asset/portfolio management firms
• Broker-dealers
• Clearing/custodial firms
• Consulting firms
• Corporate RIAs
• Fintech firms
• Partnerships
• Retirement product companies
• Retirement planning firms
• RIA firms/IAR teams
• TAMP platforms & providers.

Please send any questions about the program to AwardsInfo@alm.com.