Ann M. Hughes captivates audiences nationwide speaking and consulting on a range of business building and developmental topics to advance your career, business or practice through females and financial services. Ann is a leading authority in this area, working with individuals and companies teaching them how to better serve their female client base to increase visibility and sales. Ann also helps female professionals leverage their strengths and develop their confidence and skill set to excel in their careers.

Women are an economic powerhouse, and now is the time for women to own their careers and for companies to leverage the financial impact women have on our economy. As founder and president of The Female Affect, Ann uses her years of experience as an executive in a male dominated industry coupled with her education in the area of human resource development to combine real world experience with proven best practices.

Ann is proud to be the national spokesperson for the WomensJobList, the premier job board for women. This partnership is aligned with Ann’s commitment to helping women advance in their careers and underscores the importance of helping corporations create an environment where women feel welcome both as customers and employees.

Before founding The Female Affect, Ann spent ten years at ING, one of the world’s largest financial services firms, holding several senior leadership positions. From 2007-2009 Ann was the National Sales Manager where she led a 65 person sales team to achieve record results for ING Annuities. Under Ann’s leadership, sales increased 66% to their highest levels in company history.

From June of 2011 to April of 2014, Ann held an executive leadership position at Sammons Retirement Solutions, a member of the Sammons Financial Group. Ann’s responsibilities included the acquisition of distribution relationships, selection and oversight of investment options, management of internal sales efforts as well as the marketing functions for Sammons Retirement Solutions. Ann’s vast understanding of women’s issues and the financial services industry has made her a sought after source in the media. She has been interviewed and frequently quoted in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, InvestmentNews, ThinkAdvisor, Financial Advisor, Financial Planning and LifeHealthPro.

In 2014, Ann wrote a children’s book “Long Distance Goodnight Kisses” which shares the story of a working mom traveling across the country for a job she loves, but struggling to let her young daughter know her first choice was being at home with her. This is a story of how long distance goodnight kisses helped bridge the gap that distance created. Ann’s hope is that other traveling parents can read this book to their children to let them know that no matter how far away they are, love is always present. By parents sharing their careers with their children, they are setting an example that their children are loved dearly and can be anything they want to be when they grow up.

Ann is actively involved in charities supporting women and children in the United States and around the globe. Ten percent of all profits earned at The Female Affect are donated to charities helping women and children live better lives. Ann earned her Master’s degree from Iowa State University in Organizational Learning and Human Resource Development. She lives with her husband, Randy and daughter, Katie in Dallas, TX.