We are proud to announce that Mission Wealth’s Chief Marketing Officer and Partner, Michelle Winkles, was named the RIA CMO of the Year at the 2025 WealthManagement.com Industry Awards (“The Wealthies”) on September 4, 2025, in New York City.
The 11th annual Wealthies are among the most prestigious awards in the financial services industry, recognizing individuals and firms who are transforming wealth management through innovation, leadership, and impact. Michelle’s honor highlights her remarkable leadership and the role she has played in shaping Mission Wealth’s brand and national growth.
Review all the Wealthies’ winners of 2025 here.
Driving Growth and Innovation
With more than 20 years of experience in business strategy, digital marketing, and brand development, Michelle has been a driving force behind Mission Wealth’s expansion and client engagement. She has led the development of a sophisticated marketing technology stack, strengthened the firm’s national presence, and built strategies that convert prospects into lifelong clients.
Michelle is also recognized as a thought leader in the industry. She has shared her expertise on stages at the Future Proof Citywide Conference, the Financial Advisor Invest in Women Conference, and Wealth Management EDGE, and has been featured on numerous podcasts and interviews. She also founded the CMO Collective, the first share group dedicated to bringing together RIA marketing leaders for advanced discussion and collaboration.
Her work in digital marketing—including organic SEO, content strategy, and social media—has set new standards for how RIAs can leverage technology and storytelling to deepen client trust and expand their impact.
Recognized Leadership
Michelle’s contributions extend beyond Mission Wealth. She has been recognized by the Pacific Coast Business Times as one of the Top Women in Business and was previously listed in their Top 40 Under 40. She also holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, and Nonprofit Social Business from Antioch University, Santa Barbara, and a BA in Communications from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Reflecting on Michelle’s recognition, Matthew Adams, CEO of Mission Wealth, shared:
Michelle is an extraordinary leader whose vision and expertise have transformed not only our firm but the broader wealth management industry. Her innovative approach to digital marketing, her ability to build meaningful connections, and her dedication to advancing the firm’s mission have elevated our impact nationally. We are incredibly proud of her and grateful for the passion she brings to our leadership team.”
Celebrating a Well-Deserved Honor
About the Wealth Management Industry Awards
The Wealthmanagement.com Industry Awards are independently granted in recognition of business initiatives that enhance financial advisor success and help advisors create better outcomes for their clients.
The program begins with an open nomination process for all categories, which extends from February to May. Firms submit business initiatives either introduced or enhanced during the previous 18 months. Submissions are reviewed in June by a panel of independent judges with required industry expertise, looking at the submission’s innovation, scope, and impact. From the pool of submissions, judges select finalists for each category. Each judge on the committee then ranks those finalists, with the weighted aggregate ranking determining the winner. Winners are announced in September.
No financial compensation is paid for consideration in the award process. Judges’ decisions are made independent of any firm’s business relationships with Informa Plc.
Mission Wealth is a Registered Investment Adviser. This commentary reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints, and analyses of the Mission Wealth employees providing such comments. It should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by Mission Wealth or performance returns of any Mission Wealth client. The views reflected in the commentary are subject to change at any time without notice. Nothing in this commentary constitutes investment advice, performance data, or any recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. Mission Wealth manages its clients’ accounts using a variety of investment techniques and strategies, which are not necessarily discussed in the commentary. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
MISSION WEALTH IS A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL INFORMATION HEREIN HAS BEEN PREPARED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES. 00790478 09/25
