Lincoln Financial Network’s Ed Walters Recognized as Leader in Diversity and Inclusion

Walters Awarded ‘See It, Be It’ Role Model by InvestmentNews and is a Philadelphia Business Journal 2021 Diversity Business Leader Honoree

Lincoln Financial Network (LFN), the retail wealth management affiliate of Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE:LNC), announced today that Ed Walters, senior vice president, investment products, platforms and practice management, has been recognized by InvestmentNews and the Philadelphia Business Journal for his tireless efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the finance industry.

The InvestmentNews ‘See It, Be It’ role model award recognizes individuals who have made an impact on the industry through their success, leadership, willingness to share their experiences and contributions to the community. Honorees were also evaluated on their commitment to inspiring others from diverse backgrounds to succeed in the financial services profession. The Philadelphia Business Journal awarded its 2021 Diversity Leaders in Business honors to individuals who have demonstrated success in their respective fields and made significant contributions through philanthropic endeavors.

“Ed’s passion and commitment for developing the next generation of diverse leaders in our industry is unmatched,” said David Berkowitz, president of LFN. “Lincoln has instituted a plan to amplify our support of racial justice and equity — taking action around our talent practices, our business, how we’ll track our progress in Diversity and Inclusion, and how we’ll help our communities. Ed plays an integral role in helping us develop and execute on this plan.”

Walters was recognized for his leading role in developing and launching a joint internship program between LFN and the Urban League of Philadelphia. The inaugural Lincoln Accelerating Business Leadership Experiences (LincABLE) is a paid internship program focused on mentorship opportunities and career development for minority high school students in the Philadelphia area. Walters was also at the forefront of the formation of Lincoln’s African American Financial Professional Network (AAFPN), an enterprise-wide initiative designed to better support the unique needs of African American financial professionals and clients. The AAFPN is designed to support advisor development efforts, attract more Black financial professionals to the finance industry, and to help define new strategies for supporting multicultural clients.

In January of 2021, Ed joined the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Financial Planning, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning to at-risk populations, including low-income individuals and their families, domestic violence survivors and many more. Additionally, Ed serves as an executive co-sponsor of the LIM which is a six-month development program for diverse Officer-level employees. LIM focuses on expanding officers’ leadership skill sets, providing opportunities to leverage those skill sets and realize greater job and career satisfaction; it uses a cohort-based development approach to provide opportunities for participants to develop strong relationships and strengthen their networks, build competencies critical to solving business issues, and support their success in their current positions and strengthen Lincoln’s executive pipeline.

About Lincoln Financial Network

Lincoln Financial Network is the marketing name for the retail sales and financial planning affiliates of Lincoln Financial Group and includes Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. and Lincoln Financial Securities Corp., both members of FINRA and SIPC. Consisting of approximately 14,000 representatives, agents, and full-service financial planners throughout the United States, Lincoln Financial Network professionals can offer financial planning and advisory services, retirement services, life products, annuities, investments, and trust services to affluent individuals, business owners, and families. Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) and its affiliates. Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help people take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, and guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $324 billion in end-of-period account values as of June 30, 2021. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen included on major sustainability indices including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and FTSE4Good. Dedicated to diversity and inclusion, we earned perfect 100 percent scores on the Corporate Equality Index and the Disability Equality Index, and rank among Forbes’ Best Large Employers and Best Employers for Women, and Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sign up for email alerts at http://newsroom.lfg.com.

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