Barbara Turner
Barbara Turner is committed to the economic empowerment and education of women and individuals from underserved communities through advocacy, economic development and education. She has always believed that knowledge is power and that you must be the change you want to see in the world.
Barbara has 40 years of corporate leadership experience in financial services. Most recently, as CEO of Ohio National, a $1.5 billion financial services company with $42 billion in assets under management, she successfully led a bold initiative to redefine and reposition the century-old organization to grow during significant change in the industry. After leaving Ohio National a year ago, Barbara asked herself questions like "what did I enjoy most about my 40+ year career?", "what do I want my legacy to be?", "what brings me joy?", "what's next?". Helping others was the aspect of her career in financial services that she enjoyed the most. This help took on many forms, including mentoring, coaching and sponsoring countless individuals throughout her career. Barbara was a frequent presenter at industry and community events championing the benefits of philanthropy and investing ones' time, talent and treasures to help others. She has also served on numerous industry and community Boards whose focus was on helping families achieve financial security.
Barbara founded BT RISE to assist others, especially women and individuals from underserved communities, in accessing the resources needed for financial security and independence. BT RISE embodies resilience, integrity, strength and equity, and believes that they can empower individuals and families to achieve financial independence through collaboration.
As CEO of BT RISE, Barbara draws upon her corporate and community leadership experiences and deep expertise in the financial services industry to offer various forms of support, including advisory services, covering training and development expenses, financial coaching, reviewing business plans and providing financial grants. Their investments have totaled over $400,000 year-to-date through September 2023. The diverse group of organizations supported to date were selected because of their history of success and alignment with a goal to make a difference in the following areas: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Economic Growth, Education and Financial Independence.
Barbara believes empowering those in need, with a particular focus on women, offers significant benefits, including boosting economic growth through heightened workforce participation, poverty reduction and enhanced health outcomes. Barbara is an inspiring and accomplished business leader, a highly engaged and dedicated community leader and a tireless champion for financial education, security and independence.