Stifel Financial Corp. announced the launch of the Women Owners’ Network (WON), an initiative designed to empower female advisors and executives. This first-time event, organized by Stifel Independent Advisors (SIA), the firm’s independent channel, brought together women leaders from across the firm for a busy day of education and networking.
The event drew an accomplished cohort of women advisors and executives, including key figures from the recently onboarded Stofan Agazzi Investments and Columbia Crest Financial Advisors. Together, these firms manage nearly $1 billion in client assets, marking a significant milestone in Stifel’s commitment to female leadership in finance.
Creating Opportunities
WON is the latest evolution of Stifel Financial’s Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), tailored specifically to meet the unique challenges faced by female independent owners. Both WIN and WON are crafted to help women recognize their value and achieve their full potential through robust networking, mentorship, and educational opportunities.
The genesis of WON can be traced back to an organic collaboration among top women advisors at SIA, led by Cindy Boyle, President of Freehold Wealth Management. Their collective drive to share best practices and foster mutual success evolved into this initiative, according to Stifel.
A New Approach
“We are dedicated to promoting the professional growth of women in wealth management, not only because it supports our mission as a company, but more importantly because it is the right thing to do,” said Tim Boostrom, Chief Operating Officer of Stifel Independent Advisors. “The WON event was terrific, and I’d like to thank Cindy and her peers, who took time out of their practices to help us with the planning, promotion, and execution of the event. We look forward to getting together every year.”
The event featured a mix of education, idea-sharing, and relationship-building. Notable speakers included celebrity chef Vivian Howard, known for her PBS show “A Chef’s Life,” and Mary Alice Monroe, The New York Times bestselling author of 27 novels. Their insights provided attendees with a blend of inspiration and practical advice.
Cindy Boyle said new ideas for the network were generated at the event. “It was exciting to be part of Stifel Independent Advisors’ inaugural WON event, which brought a wonderful group of inspiring women together for a great day of learning, community building, and idea sharing. This event was fully embraced by Tim and the leadership at Stifel Independent Advisors, who gave us everything we needed to make it successful and enjoyable. Several actionable ideas came out of our time together that we will pursue with management, including creating a women’s succession, acquisition, and business continuity program to match women looking to exit the business with those in growth mode.”
