Empowering Women Investors: Helping Them Grow, Steward and Preserve Their Wealth

April Ferrell, CIMA^®
Director of Business Development, Executive Director of the Investments & Wealth Foundation, Investments & Wealth Institute

April Ferrell serves as managing director of business development and executive director of the Investments & Wealth Foundation. Ferrell most recently was with Barron’s Group, where she was global managing director wealth & asset management, heading up partnerships and relationships with the asset manager community across the globe. She also managed content from the asset manager cohort for Barron’s Advisor Summits, which included all advisor channels and wealth management firms. Ferrell originally joined Barron’s in 2010 as the national sponsorship manager. Previously, she was senior vice president, national accounts manager with BNY Mellon/Dreyfus, and spent five years with J&W Seligman in national accounts. Ferrell earned a BA in economics from the University of Virginia. She is also a CIMA® certified member of the Institute and was the winner of the 2022 Morgan Stanley Association of Professional Investment Consultants Champion Award.

Maddi Dessner, CFA
Director of Asset Class Services, Capital Group

Maddi Dessner is director of asset class services at Capital Group. She has 28 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for three years. Before joining Capital, Dessner was head of investment specialists Americas within J.P. Morgan’s Multi Asset Solutions. Before that, she was chief operating officer of their emerging markets equity team. She earned an MBA and a bachelor's degree in economics, both from The State University of New York at Buffalo. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst^® designation.

Laura Gregg
Director of Practice Management and Advisor Research, Host of The Flexible Advisor podcast, FlexShares Exchange Traded Funds

Laura Gregg is director of practice management and advisor research at FlexShares Exchange Traded Funds, managed by Northern Trust. She is focused on leading the firm’s proprietary advisor and investor research and building programs to help advisors and asset managers strengthen their businesses. Gregg is a host of The Flexible Advisor podcast where she regularly speaks with industry experts, advisors of all types and experts on a wide range of advisory topics. She also speaks regularly at industry events on a range of business building strategies. Her insights have been published in Forbes, Barron’s, U.S. News & World Report, InvestmentNews, Financial Advisor Magazine, Wealth Management and CIO Magazine.

Gregg has more than 20 years of asset management experience in a variety of roles including conducting industry research, as a relationship manager, marketing and communications director, leader of a sales enablement team and as an investment product specialist. Gregg joined Northern Trust in 2008 and previously worked for Claymore Securities (now part of Invesco) and Deutsche Asset Management. She graduated from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN and holds FINRA 7 and 63 licenses. 

Amanda Jacobi
Vice President, Northeast Divisional Manager American Century Investments

Amanda Jacobi is vice president and divisional sales manager at American Century Investments. She leads the Northeast sales team committed to wealth management sales and is dedicated to enhancing financial advisor relationships. Jacobi joined American Century in 2021 and entered the financial services industry in 2003. Before joining American Century, she served as a client advisor within the Funds Management Group at JP Morgan Asset Management where she was responsible for all aspects of business development for Philadelphia, Delaware, and Maryland. She began her career at Fidelity Investments successfully partnering with financial advisors across all channels in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Jacobi is a founding member of the 100 Women in Finance Philadelphia Chapter, is actively involved with Women in ETFs, and is a certified Executive Leadership Coach through the ICF accredited program at Rutgers University with a focus on team and organizational performance. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western New England University and holds series 6, 7, 24, 63, and insurance licenses.

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