PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lincoln Financial Network (LFN), the retail wealth management affiliate of Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE:LNC), announced today that Angela Ribuffo, CFP^®, RICP^®, ChFC^®, CDFA^®, CLTC^® and Lawrence T. Smith, CFP^®, CRPC^®, CRPS^® have been recognized by InvestmentNews for their 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. This is the second year in a row that leaders associated with LFN have been recognized for their dedication to diversity and inclusion.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion have long been cornerstones of LFN’s culture and important components of our strategy to ensure that our network of financial professionals reflects the diversity of consumers in America,” said Sam Hunter, head of LFN Multicultural Markets. “We are thrilled that InvestmentNews has recognized both Angie and Lawrence and their commitment to promoting equity and inclusion and for developing the next generation of diverse leaders in our industry.”

Ribuffo is the president of Raion Financial Strategies LLC and is a registered representative with Lincoln Financial Securities. She currently serves as chairman of the Board of LFN’s WISE Group, where members are focused on supporting LFN female financial professionals in the growth and development of their practice through strategic partnerships and mentoring opportunities. The WISE Group also focuses on educating female clients on the importance of comprehensive financial planning, so they are better prepared to take charge of their financial lives. Additionally, Ribuffo served as the national president of the Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) from 2017 to 2018. She has been recognized as a WIFS Circle of Excellence recipient for nine consecutive years and in March of 2019, Ribuffo was recognized by InvestmentNews as one of the 2018 Women to Watch and inducted to the Anchorage Athena Society.

Smith is the president of ELS Vision Wealth Management and is a registered representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors. He currently serves as a board member of Lincoln’s African American Financial Professional Network (AAFPN), and was an integral part of the foundation of this 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. Smith’s work is highly regarded in the industry, earning him the Rookie of the Year, Advisor of Now, and the 2019 and 2020 Five Star Professional Wealth Manager awards. He is the namesake of a Life Happens Foundation scholarship and was recently named an honoree of the Association of African American Financial Advisors’ 50 Under 50.

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, 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 December 31, 2021. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen included on major sustainability indices including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and FTSE4Good and ranks among Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies. Dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion, we are included on transparency benchmarking tools such as the Corporate Equality Index, the Disability Equality Index and the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. Committed to providing our employees with flexible work arrangements, we were named to FlexJobs’ list of the Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2022. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. 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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