MIAMI, Oct. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE MKT: LTS, LTS PrA) ("Ladenburg"), a publicly-traded diversified financial services company, together with its independent broker-dealer subsidiaries Securities America, Inc., Triad Advisors, Inc., Investacorp, Inc., KMS Financial Services, Inc., and Securities Service Network, Inc., gathered together at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on October 20^th and 21^st to host its fifth annual Ladenburg Institute of Women & Finance Symposium.

The two-day, invitation-only event united top women advisors from Ladenburg's independent brokerage and advisory firms with one goal in mind: to develop and accelerate the success of female financial advisors. The symposium, designed for women at all career stages, covered everything from practice-building strategies to emerging issues within the financial advice industry.

"Our annual event provides a supportive and collaborative forum for women to learn, connect and grow with one another," said Jaime Desmond, COO of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management. "Thanks to the commitment of our event sponsors, speakers and network of advisors, the Ladenburg Institute of Women & Finance Symposium is truly making it easier for female advisors to excel and grow their businesses."

This year's Symposium commenced with a high-energy keynote address from Colonel Jill Morgenthaler, a trailblazing Army veteran and author of "The Courage to Take Command," who provided invaluable leadership lessons drawn from her three decades of military service. During her military career, Colonel Morgenthaler led hundreds of men and women around the world in war and peace, and was the recipient of the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit for her lifelong leadership. She was also the first woman to run homeland security for the state of Illinois.

In addition to Colonel Morgenthaler, guest speakers included:

• Ryan Bertrand, Director, Advanced Markets, Transamerica
• Philip Blancato, President and CEO of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management
• Sheri Fitts, President of ShoeFitts Marketing and financial industry influencer
• Megan Gavin, Vice President, National Accounts Manager, W.P. Carey
• Cindi Hill, Retirement Solutions Consultant, CUNA Mutual Group
• Kristina Hooper, Managing Director, US Investment Strategist and Head of US Capital Markets Research & Strategy, Allianz Global Investors
• Jeff Lanza, retired FBI special agent and expert on identity theft, cybercrime and fraud
• Karen Leparulo, President of Leparulo Consulting and behavioral finance specialist
• Stephanie Markiewicz, Senior Vice President of Federal Government Relations, Fidelity Investments
• Gloria Nelund, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, TriLinc Global
• Kristina Page, Regional Vice President, American Funds
• Emily R. Roland, Head of Investment Research, John Hancock Investments
• Amanda Johns Vaden, founding partner of Southwestern Consulting and the world's leading expert on reducing client turnover

During the Symposium, the Ladenburg Institute for Women & Finance also introduced new mentors and mentees through the LIFT Mentoring Program, now in its fourth year. This innovative program pairs seasoned advisors from Ladenburg's network with rising advisors and career changers to offer them guidance and direction throughout the year.

Richard Lampen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ladenburg, added: "The Institute and the Symposium grew out of our commitment to support and invest in the future of female advisors. Our commitment to this mission has resulted in increased recruiting and retention of female advisors across the Ladenburg organization." According to Financial Planning Magazine, three of Ladenburg's broker-dealer affiliates are amongst the industry leaders in percentage of female advisors: Triad Advisors with 30.5% female advisors, Securities America with 29.4% and KMS Financial Services with 27.7%.

For further information, visit the Ladenburg Institute of Women & Finance website.  

About Ladenburg Thalmann:
Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE MKT: LTS, LTS PrA) is a publicly-traded diversified financial services company based in Miami, Florida. Ladenburg's subsidiaries include industry-leading independent broker-dealer firms Securities America, Inc., Triad Advisors, Inc., Securities Service Network, Inc., Investacorp, Inc. and KMS Financial Services, Inc., as well as Premier Trust, Inc., Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management Inc., Highland Capital Brokerage, Inc., a leading independent life insurance brokerage company, and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co., Inc., an investment bank which has been a member of the New York Stock Exchange for over 135 years. The company is committed to investing in the growth of its subsidiaries while respecting and maintaining their individual business identities, cultures and leadership. For more information, please visit www.ladenburg.com.

CONTACT:
Michael Chiong
JConnelly
(646) 922-7764
mchiong@jconnelly.com

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SOURCE Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc.