The Mentorship Program is offered to WIFS national members only.
If you are not a member and are interested in becoming one, join now. There are two sessions offered annually, Power Start (January - May, applications accepted October 15 - November 15) and Finish Strong (June - November).
Click here to read our Program Guidelines and Expectations. Please review these guidelines in it's entirety before applying for the program. If you have any additional questions, please contact WIFS National.
Applications will be open soon!
Encourage your female producers & agents to apply for the next Mentorship session. As mentees, members learn from someone who has been in their shoes and has a proven track record.
According to a McKinsey & Company survey, less than half of financial services companies have sponsorship development programs, and only 58% have formal mentorship programs, whereas 14% of women say their biggest obstacle is a lack of mentorship or sponsorship.
With more than 10 years of success, the Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) Mentorship Program has been designed to foster growth, development, and empowerment among women in the industry. It was born from the belief in the power of mentoring and in community as an influential force for change. This program provides a unique opportunity for professionals at various stages in their careers to connect, learn, and grow through meaningful mentor-mentee relationships. By pairing experienced leaders with emerging talent, we aim to nurture the next generation of women leaders while also catering to experienced leaders seeking further growth and development.
- 95% of WIFS mentees in a formal study reported acquiring new knowledge from their mentors.
- 91% reported being better prepared for a promotion.
- 75% documented increased productivity.
Benefits of Mentorship for Both Mentor and Mentee
Mentorship is a powerful tool for both personal and professional development. For the mentee, it provides guidance, support, and an opportunity to learn from the experiences of someone who has already navigated complexities of the industry. Mentees gain valuable insights, advice on career progression, and often, a broader network of contacts within the industry.
For the mentor, the program offers an opportunity to give back, share knowledge, and play a role in shaping the future of the industry. Mentors often experience growth in their own leadership and communication skills as they reflect on their experiences while providing guidance to their mentees. The relationship is a mutually beneficial one, with both mentors and mentees developing professionally and personally.
Join a community of leaders who are making an impact, and discover how rewarding it can be to lift women up while gaining new perspectives and skills along the way.
Meet our Mentorship Program Director, Angie Ribuffo!
Angie Ribuffo, RICP®, CFP®, ChFC®, CDFA®, CLTC®, WMCP®
President & Financial Advisor
“My passion for the mentorship program stems from my personal experience with the mentors in my chapter. It is because of them that I stayed in the industry at a time that was very difficult professionally. Mentoring fills my cup. If we can help one woman feel seen, heard and supported I consider that a win and a great day”.
Angie Ribuffo was born in Augusta Georgia, the child of a military family. She traveled a lot while growing up and lived in Germany and Thailand. She graduated from high school at 16 and went on to graduate from San Francisco State University, SFSU, with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a minor in theater arts and was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program where she was the first female distinguished graduate at SFSU. While in the Air Force she obtained the rank of captain and was an Air Force flight nurse.
After her time in the Air Force, she went on to teach at Antelope Valley College and City Colleges of Chicago until the Air Force moved them to Germany. While stationed there, during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, she was the point person for all family assistance for the hundreds of military families at Spangdahlem, Germany.
In 1993 she started a consulting business with the Department of Defense and spent time on Capitol Hill working on quality of life issues for the Department of Defense civilians and military with her focus on finances.
In 2007, after 30 years in the Air Force her husband, Steve, retired and they moved back to Anchorage where they had been stationed years before.
In 2008 she decided to move into the world of financial planning and advising by becoming an independent financial advisor. Since that time, Angie has started her own financial services firm, Raion Financial Strategies LLC, and become a registered representative with Cambridge Investment Research. Angie has her licenses in life & health and securities licenses in series 6, 63, and 65. She holds the following designations CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional; Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®); Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®); Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®), Certified Long Term Care Professional (CLTC); Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®).
From 2017-2018 she was the national president of WIFS and was the 2019 immediate past president. She also was the 2012 WIFS ANGEL award recipient for leadership and mentoring. From 2012-2022, she has been recognized as a WIFS Circle of Excellence recipient. In March of 2019 Angie was recognized by InvestmentNews as one of the 2018 Women to Watch and was also inducted into the Anchorage Athena Society. Angie is a member of the CFP Women’s Initiative Council, and active in The Financial Planning Association and the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Military Advisory Committee.
She has written for USA Today, Women in Finance, and the Certified Long Term Care Digest. She is a recognized speaker and in October 2022, was selected as the Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) Woman of the Year. Additionally, she was recognized in May 2022 by InvestmentNews’ Diversity, Equality and Inclusion award as a See It, Be It Role model for her work with women and African American financial professionals.
Angie is married to her husband of 44 years, Steve, and has two adult sons, Stephen and Daniel, a granddaughter, Tahli, and a grandson, Malcolm, and her golden retriever, Abby.
Her key to success: be honest, be fair, and be authentic.
Testimonials
Gail Linn shares her mentor program experience:
"After years of mentoring others in this business, I made a comment last fall at the WIFS Conference that I wish I could have a mentor as I never had one. And magically…through WIFS, I got one…Jill Pietrusinski! During our first call, Jill told me she had googled me to find out what information is online about me and my practice. And of course, she asked me about my area of expertise and what market I focus on, which is retirement planning. So the first very thing Jill got me to give attention to was the fact that my website did not tell anyone that retirement planning is my focus. It was an “ah-hah moment” and of course, has been corrected. My point here is that even though I may have a successful practice, there are things that can always be improved. Sometimes it takes someone from the outside looking in to point out what appears to be obvious but when you are so busy, you don’t have time to pay attention to. Jill is helping me focus on working on my business and not always in my business. Having a mentor helps me stay on track… it is someone that I hold myself accountable to and I look forward to speaking with monthly."
Karen Roberts shares her mentor program experience:
"My mentoring experience has gone above and beyond what I could have expected. My mentee has been so appreciative of the work we've done together.In the end she has helped me as much as I have helped her. What an amazing woman I was partnered with! A huge thank you to WIFS for bringing the mentoring program to light. This has been and will continue to be a great relationship on both sides. Mentoring Rocks!"
Blanca Rodriguez had this to say about her mentee experience:
"After almost quitting this career because people would cancel on me, not pick up their phone and almost getting kicked out of someone's home, I started opening policies. My commission has been raised from 30-45%! My next goal is a commission from 45% to 62% while studying for the series exams. I can't thank my mentor, Karen, enough for the encouragement of not quitting and for maintaining the high energy to keep me going."
Pam Battle shares her experience with the WIFS Mentoring Program
"When I attended the Guardian Women's Summit in the summer of 2014, I was really in a place of needing something outside of my local agency, and I wanted the counsel of other women in this career. I was struggling with balance, with where to put my energy, and wanted fresh views and perspectives. Being the only female producer in my local agency, I was hoping that other women in this career could inspire me. I left the Guardian Women's Summit with knowledge and inspiration, and the opportunity to join WIFS and participate in the mentorship program thereafter. Tara Vanderperren Showalter was my mentor through WIFS. Tara was an amazing coach and sounding board. She listened and gave me the gift of sharing her experiences, trials, errors and successes. She gave me practical advice that ranged from time management to business strategy ideas. I was new to a Sales Manager role at the time and was paired with Tara specifically because she is also in a management role with another company and understood my challenges. I felt I could also share my fears and ask her for an unbiased opinion on some things I was attempting to do for my business. So much of financial services relies on our being confident coaches to others... we all need to be coached as well. It was a wonderful experience. I truly value what Tara did for me at the time. It is more than she probably realizes."
*A Formal Mentorship Program by American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2014.
