Launch Award

Up to 6 years of industry experience.
Recognizes women in the early stages of their financial services careers who show exceptional promise, technical curiosity, and growing subject matter fluency. Nominated by senior colleagues, they demonstrate the potential to become future leaders through their performance, engagement, and drive.

Rise Award

Approximately 6–15 years of industry experience.
Honors mid-career women who are building expertise and stepping into leadership. These individuals are known not only for their technical depth and business impact, but also for the way they inspire peers, lead with intention, and support the advancement of other women.

Ascent Award

15+ years of industry experience.
Celebrates seasoned women expanding their influence across teams, organizations, or the industry. Their subject matter expertise is matched by strategic leadership, mentorship, and a track record of shaping inclusive cultures.

Pinnacle Award

20+ years of industry experience.
Recognizes women at the height of their careers whose deep expertise, leadership, and legacy have reshaped financial services. These trailblazers are widely respected for elevating others, driving systemic change, and embodying WIFM’s mission at the highest level.

Game Changers Award

This category celebrates women who are innovative thinkers, with stretching vision and contribute to disrupt the way things have traditionally been done in the industry. These women have used not only their deep skill set and experience, but most of all, their tenacity, perseverance and attitude to change the narrative of traditional finance. The WIFM Game Changers are visionary thought-leaders and see markets as kaleidoscopes of infinite possibilities.

Ally Award

This category celebrates a seasoned male ally, who through his personal commitment, application and dedication, continuously promotes and inspires women in the workplace to reach their full potential. The WIFM Ally strongly supports and advances WIFM’s mission, including by going out of his way to create opportunities to get more female representation at senior levels and challenges stereotypes, confronts biases, and leverages his expertise to connect, elevate, and advance female leaders in the financial industry.

Luminary Lifetime Achievement Award

This category celebrates a woman who has achieved preeminent long-term success in the financial industry while devoting herself to furthering the interests of other women in the workplace. The WIFM Luminary embodies and advances WIFM’s mission to connect, elevate, and advance female leaders in the financial industry. This woman is a seasoned role model and is making a significant impact by driving change across the industry through her strategic vision and commitment to advancing women’s leadership, including through her strong support of WIFM and its mission.