Q&A: WIPN’s 1st President Discusses Organization’s Origins

WIPN—We Inspire. Promote. Network.—is nearing the completion of its 15th year helping to connect, mentor and advance women in the retirement industry.

On October 17, WIPN will mark the moment at events hosted by its various chapters around the country. Now more than 15,00 members strong, the organization has come a long way since its early days, according to its first president, Ami Tully Lotka.

Tully Lotka—who served as the inaugural president in 2010—discusses those origins in the first of a series of PLANADVISER discussions with past WIPN presidents leading up to the October 17 celebration.

PLANADVISER: How did you come across the Women in Pensions Network and eventually became its president?

Ami Tully Lotka: The story is a great one! Those of us in the industry would often meet at conferences, and over time, a group of women who shared the same goals and interests began to connect. It all came together during a weekend getaway in Hilton Head, South Carolina. There were about seven of us, including, at the time, Ann Schleck [of Ann Schleck & Co.], Sue Kelley [from Principal], Donna Wong from John Hancock, Sheri Fitts from The Standard, Christina Stauffer from PIMCO and Laura Moskwa and Barbara Cantello from Transamerica.

Ann had this idea that we should formalize the power and knowledge in that room. We were all veterans of the industry and wanted to help other women, especially younger ones, succeed. That weekend was where we talked about values like networking, mentorship and knowledge sharing—ideas that remain central to WIPN today. It was very grassroots. Ann had the vision, and from there, the group quickly grew, because many women recognized the value of what we were trying to do.

PLANADVISER: What was your first official event as WIPN?

Tully Lotka: Our first official meeting was in collaboration with the Committee for the Fiduciary Standard. We started around 2007 or 2008, and the first gathering at Center for Due Diligence felt like a huge milestone. It was a small meeting, but it set the stage for WIPN to grow into something much larger. There was such a sense of generosity and support from industry leaders—like Jonathan Young from American Funds and Phil Chiricotti, the founder of CFDD who gave us space at his conference to host our own meeting. It was so encouraging to have men supporting our efforts from the beginning.

PLANADVISER: Why do you think Ann Schleck wanted you to step up as president?

Tully Lotka: Honestly, all the women involved in this effort were very busy professionally, but WIPN resonated with me. It felt like a natural fit. Ann didn’t want to be the president herself, and she saw something in me that led her to say, “Ami, I deem you president.” There was no election or formal process, just a hand-off. I was passionate about helping younger women and building a supportive network, so I was all-in from the start.

PLANADVISER: You’ve mentioned that everyone was incredibly busy. How did the organization function with all-volunteer leadership?

Tully Lotka: It’s amazing how WIPN has operated like a full-time organization despite being run entirely by volunteers. Everyone involved feels a sense of responsibility and passion for what we’re doing. It was never a burden. We set up WIPN in a way that volunteering was a positive experience, not something that would add stress to anyone’s life.

As the first president, I made it clear that while there was great value in WIPN, it couldn’t feel like an overwhelming responsibility. It was about creating a positive lift for all involved, a place where everyone could contribute without it being a drain on their time or energy. Today, the board has taken on much more, with a larger reach and more structure, but the core values remain.

PLANADVISER: What were the key issues that WIPN focused on in its early years?

Tully Lotka: In 2008 and 2009, we were in a tough market. Companies were downsizing, and many of our members were looking for new jobs. Networking became a lifeline for a lot of women during that time. We also surveyed our members to understand their biggest concerns. Fiduciary issues were top of mind, followed by things like fee disclosure and measuring plan effectiveness.

But beyond business issues, WIPN was about supporting women professionally. We wanted to help women advance, get new jobs and navigate the industry with confidence. At the time, social networking was also emerging as a tool, and we worked to help women utilize these new platforms to stay connected and build their careers.

PLANADVISER: How do you see the industry for women today compared with when you first started WIPN?

Tully Lotka: The industry has changed so much. Today, many women lead retirement organizations. You’ve got so many women in key positions across all these big recordkeepers, and many women are heading large TPAs [third-party administrators]. This shift has been transformative, but it’s about more than just women stepping into roles—they’ve seized opportunities when they’ve emerged. It’s no longer about waiting for permission. The opportunity is there for women to step up, and many have done just that.

However, I do think there’s still work to be done. One area that stands out to me is unconscious hiring bias—people tend to hire those who look like them. This is something that still needs to be addressed. But progress has been made, and there’s more opportunity now than ever before.

PLANADVISER: You mentioned hiring biases. What steps can be taken to address this?

Tully Lotka: Recognizing the unconscious tendency to hire people who resemble us is key. Men aren’t against hiring women; they just naturally gravitate toward those with whom they’re most comfortable. When I ran a sales team at Nuveen, half of my team was women, which was unheard of in an industry where only 5% to 10% of external salespeople were women. But I wasn’t focused on hiring women, specifically—I hired talent, and many of those talented individuals just happened to be women.

The retirement industry has grown, and today’s WIPN board is leading initiatives like Allies in Action, which advocates for women to be valued equally to men in the same roles. That’s an important step forward, and it’s something I’m excited to see.

PLANADVISER: Looking back, how do you feel about the progress WIPN has made?

Tully Lotka: I’m incredibly proud of what WIPN has become. I had no idea, back in the forming stages, that it would grow into such a powerful and supportive organization. The presidents who have followed me—and all the women who have contributed to WIPN—have done an amazing job. It’s a volunteer effort—there’s no compensation, just the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing the right thing.

WIPN continues to do good work, and with our upcoming 15-year anniversary, it’s exciting to reflect on how far we’ve come and how much further we can go.