Schwartz honored for executive leadership  

FAIRFIELD, IA – August 27, 2021 – Cambridge Founder and Executive Chairman Eric Schwartz was recognized in the inaugural ThinkAdvisor LUMINARIES Class of 2021, in the category of Executive Leadership. The LUMINARIES Awards recognize individuals and firms that are pioneering positive change in the advice industry. The LUMINARIES celebrate top advisors, industry executives, teams, RIAs, broker-dealers, asset/investment/portfolio managers and other firms by recognizing achievements in the areas of diversity and inclusion, thought leadership, executive leadership, and dealmaking/growth.

Schwartz said, “It is an honor to be part of this new, pioneering program. I think it’s important how the program focuses on meaningful results in areas that matter to financial professionals.” Known for his visionary leadership, Schwartz reflects back to the beginning as the firm celebrates its 40-year anniversary this year. “I always thought of a bigger purpose for what my life could be and what the company would be. And that was, to some degree or another, to make a difference in people's lives. Today, 40 years later, I couldn’t be prouder of what we have been able to build together.”

Cambridge was also recognized as a firm in the categories of Thought Leadership and Education, and Executive Leadership. Schwartz’s successor, President and CEO Amy Webber, was also recognized in the categories of Diversity and Inclusion, Thought Leadership and Education, and Executive Leadership. Nominations for the LUMINARIES opened in March, and all winners were selected by a judging panel consisting of the ThinkAdvisor editorial team and 13 distinguished individuals from various firms across the advice industry. Among many criteria, winners were selected based on their overall impact on their firm, its financial professionals, and the broader professional community and industry. Quantitative and qualitative results were considered. Webber is a member of the judging panel at ThinkAdvisor but did not vote for any category in which Cambridge was nominated.

The LUMINARIES awards highlight how top-performing industry participants are producing meaningful results in the areas that matter most to financial advisors and financial professionals. ThinkAdvisor’s coverage of the LUMINARIES’ winners will begin in September, and the inaugural awards dinner will be hosted in New York in November.

The LUMINARIES program is an evolution of the ThinkAdvisor Broker-Dealers of the Year awards program, which was retired after 2020. Cambridge received the Broker-Dealer of Year Award in its respective size category an unprecedented 13 times, making it the most honored firm in the history of this award¹. In addition, Cambridge received the 2021 Top Workplace USA award in the financial services industry category, for culture excellence in communication and innovation, and has been recognized by associates as a ‘Top Workplace in Iowa’ by the Des Moines Register for the past ten consecutive years, 2011 – 2020².

Schwartz is the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors and serves on the Executive Council for Cambridge. He has spent several decades leading the establishment of a flexible business model, a committed senior leadership team, a legal structure, and a formal succession plan. His dedication is clear in his focus on serving the needs of the independent financial professional while remaining true to Cambridge’s core values of integrity, commitment, flexibility, and kindness.

About Cambridge

Cambridge Investment Group, Inc. is a financial solutions firm focused on serving independent financial professionals and their investing clients. Cambridge offers a broad range of choices for independent financial professionals regarding solutions for advice, growth, technology, and independence. Cambridge’s national reach includes: Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. – a large corporate RIA; and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. – an independent broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, that is among the largest internally controlled independent broker-dealers in the country. Cambridge continues to be a multi-year honoree as a top workplace and broker-dealer of the year.

Contact: Jeff Wulf, Senior Vice President, Cambridge: jeff.wulf@cir2.com or 800-777-6080

¹Investment Advisor magazine, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2007, Division IV; 2003, Division III.

²The Top Workplace in Iowa, 2020 – 2011, recognition is determined by associate feedback through an anonymous survey conducted by Energage, an independent research company.

Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, and investment advisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Both are wholly owned subsidiaries of Cambridge Investment Group, Inc.