OUR FOUNDER.
YOUR ADVOCATE.
LISA CREGAN
LISA'S STORY
The formation of The CLIMB-PAUSE-LIFT Foundation
What is CPL?
Why am I Passionate about CPL?
How Does CPL Work?
LISA CREGAN
FOUNDER, CLIMB-PAUSE-LIFT FOUNDATION
A WOMAN OF FIRSTS
Over the breadth of her 40-year career, Lisa has persistently led by doing, guided by her vision to make the Financial Services industry more inclusive and successful by welcoming and embracing talent from across the spectrum. As she has progressed in her career in the field – from Financial Advisor to Branch Manager, Complex Manager, and most recently Head of Field Leadership Readiness and Acquisition, she has consistently been skillful at identifying, attracting, retaining, and developing talent.
Widely known as a “talent developer, change agent, straight-shooter, and a woman of firsts,” Lisa has been a driving force in opening the wealth management industry to women. Lisa’s success and efforts to demonstrate that women can and do thrive in a traditionally male-oriented industry have been praised, recognized, awarded, and well-documented in professional and public venues.
SHAPING THE FUTURE AT MORGAN STANLEY
In her current role as Head of Field Leadership Readiness and Acquisition, Lisa applies her deep knowledge and cachet to attract the industry’s finest management talent to support Morgan Stanley’s immediate strategic needs. More importantly, she influences managers and shapes best practices which ensure bench strength that is deep and diverse, positioning the firm for ongoing growth and long-term success as the make-up of wealth demographics shifts rapidly.
Lisa's charge is to shape and further transform the face of Morgan Stanley by sharing and transferring her expertise and proven talent-development methods into the DNA of field leadership readiness, acquisition and development practices.
Lisa competed at the highest levels as an equestrian and credits much of her success in the wealth management industry to her involvement in sports. Because of her experience, she has continually kept an eye out for female athletes to recruit and develop and they prove to be among her best candidates.
THE CLIMB-PAUSE-LIFT FOUNDATION
In 2022, Lisa founded the Climb-Pause-Lift (CPL) Foundation. The CPL Foundation supports women athletes through scholarships, grants, and avenues to internships and full-time positions, facilitating their transitions from college, university, and sports into professional careers in Wealth Management. CPL’s North Star is to promote and institutionalize Lisa’s guiding mantra: Climb-Pause-Lift: Climb the ladder of success; Pause and look outward in recognition of those who have given you support; and, in turn, Lift someone coming behind you.
Lisa is also a Trustee Emerita for the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded in 1974 by Billie Jean King, and is a Contributor to the Georgetown University Women’s Leadership Institute.
Lisa holds a B.A. in Government and French and a M.B.A. from Georgetown University.
"Lisa has taught me many invaluable lessons I will carry and apply throughout my life and career. Perhaps the lesson that has been most eye-opening to me is the impact that I can have on someone. She urged me to Climb and succeed. But as I climb, PAUSE and LIFT someone else. I embrace her mantra of Climb-Pause-Lift. Lisa has Lifted me. I feel empowered, and as I CLIMB, I commit to LIFTing others. It is a wonderful feeling to know that I am helping others and continuing the legacy that she has created. I am a proud Climb-Pause-Lifter! "