
MassMutual Great Lakes, a Southfield-based mutual life insurance company, has launched the Collective Financial Group, an all-female financial services firm dedicated to serving the financial needs of women and championing career opportunities for women in finance.
Gina Coleman, chief sales officer for MassMutual Great Lakes, has been named a strategic partner of the group. Marti McLeish has been named managing director of the group.
“As a firm, it’s our responsibility to provide financial professionals who are reflective of the communities we serve,” says Manuel Amezcua, president and CEO of MassMutual Great Lakes and co-founder of the Collective Financial Group.
“We also recognize that the workplace and workforce are evolving, and we are in a unique position to offer a career that reflects the vision women have for their lives. Under the leadership of Marti McLeish and with the expertise of strategic partner Gina Coleman, the CFG is poised to transform the financial services industry for women from clients to advisers.”
About 15 percent of financial advisers are women, and 70 percent of women seeking financial advisers say they would prefer female advisers.
Coleman is former vice president, client and community relations director with PNC Financial Services. She joined MassMutual Great Lakes in January, becoming the company’s highest-ranking female executive. She has more than 25 years of experience in financial services, business, business to business and business to consumer sales, and management roles. She will be in charge of the department’s brand strategy and development initiatives to drive recruiting, sales training, adviser recognition, and retention.
“We want to ensure this is a welcoming industry for women – one that empowers them to live their best lives and take control of their futures,” Coleman says. “We need more women in this industry. My new role at MassMutual Great Lakes allows me to do what I do best, which is building relationships. I’m inspired by the vision set forth by Manny and Samantha Amezcua and excited to grow the MMGL brand under his leadership.”
McLeish joined the company in September and helped launch the group on Jan. 30. She has worked in the financial services industry for more than 17 years and has experience in program development and management, most recently serving as vice president of operations for the Foguth Group in Brighton.
“For most of my career, I was the only woman in the room,” says McLeish. “As managing director of the Collective Financial Group, I am eager to grow the group, give women a greater voice, and bring gender balance to our industry.”
To view pictures from the Collective Financial Group launch event on Jan. 30 at the Southfield Town Center, click here.