Rising to the Top continued from page 22 at Celink in 2021. She had mentors encouraging her to accept those earlier offers. Nonetheless, she questioned her readiness. “I always just shied away from it,” she says. So, as a mentor to other up-and-coming female leaders, McDougall understands the reasons women may hesitate. “It’s really about the risk,” she says. “A lot of female executives support their families. They’re potentially the main breadwinner, so there’s caution.” She helps them work through the risks but also to appreciate the benefits. A new job may not always work out, McDougall acknowledges. “But even if it doesn’t, there are many other doors that will open for you. There really is no risk in you taking this leap of faith,” she adds. When women do take on leadership roles, it can serve as an inspiration for others, according to Macerato. “Seeing and working for women in leadership roles encourages other women to realize they, too, can achieve that level of success,” she says. Other ways can make female leaders more visible in an industry, notes McDougall. She suggests that trade groups should ensure women are on every panel at their conferences, and women are among those introducing conference speakers. “That should just be a mandate,” she says. The Next Generation While they are focused on diversity at the top echelons of the reverse mortgage business, executives also are focused on the entry level. “Diversity at all levels is critical for creating an innovative, growing industry that continues to evolve,” says Macerato. For its foundation-level roles, Longbridge works with colleges to bring graduates into positions, where they can learn the business, Macerato says. “We’ve built a robust training and development program that supports women and anyone interested in changing the course of their career,” she says. “The program provides a strong support system to help foster learning and growth on specific job functions.” One factor that could encourage more women in leadership is the growing emphasis on work-life balance among younger workers. Greater work-life balance is a top reason for many people to take new jobs. But nearly two-thirds, or 65 percent, of Millennials rated it as a very important reason, compared with 58 percent for older generations, according to a 2022 Gallup survey. The option to work from home or remotely was important to 34 percent of Millennials, compared with 27 percent for older generations. Reverse mortgage executives see their business as offering the kind of flexibility younger workers are seeking. “Even in the branch manager area, there is a fair amount of flexibility for most people,” says Patty Wills, CRMP, director of reverse sales for Open Mortgage. “And that can work for a lot of people with young families.” That flexibility may become more difficult to find as people move up the corporate ladder, Wills says. However, she says more women are at the top, which means more examples of people striking a better worklife balance. “That’s where it would be nice to see even more change,” she says. CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SUCCESS R M PRC (800) 542-4113 PRClosings.com hank Y for choosing ! WE H MB Y REM IN IN Y R ERVICE 24 REVERSE MORTGAGE / JULY–AUGUST 2023
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