Book Anne Lester through The Keynote Curators

Biography

Anne is on a mission to help rising leaders like you save smart and retire happy—on your time and target.

No one is more qualified. For 28 years, Anne has worked on all aspects of retirement. Most recently, she spent 20 years as Head of Retirement Solutions for JPMorgan Asset Management. She holds patents for her progressive design to simplify and automate the retirement planning process.

Anne is a regular commentator on an array of retirement issues for industry, for the rank-and-file, and with public policy. Media coverage includes CNBC, Bloomberg TV, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and countless industry publications. Barron’s featured Anne on their cover for her outstanding career.

Anne’s policy-related work includes testifying for the US DOL and the SEC. In partnership with AARP, she founded the Aspen Leadership Forum on Retirement Savings. Its goal is to find breakthrough solutions to Americans’ far-reaching problem of inadequate savings.

One way Anne helps rising leaders retire happy is through speaking. Anne regularly keynotes to a variety of organizations’ audiences, usually their Millennial and GenZ tribes.

Anne graduated from The Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, and Princeton University. She was awarded a Fulbright Graduate Research Fellowship, and she was based in Japan.

In 2020, Anne received the prestigious Ray Lillywhite Award for her extraordinary lifetime contributions to Americans’ economic security.

She is married to a Baby Boomer. Anne and her husband have two children—a Gen Z-er and a Millennial—who are both actively working to become more retirement-ready.

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Videos

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Quit to Finish: How to stop being a good pilgrim so you can do the right things, for the right reasons to get the best results 

High achievers don’t struggle because they lack discipline – they struggle because they’ve spent a lifetime learning how to follow the rules. The “shoulds.” The “musts.” The “have tos.” These forbidding words drive success… until they quietly start making our decisions for us leading to burnout, misalignment, and the unsettling feeling of being stuck even at the top.

In this powerful and deeply relatable keynote, Anne Lester shares the story of her 570-mile pilgrimage across Italy where she brings the audience inside a moment many high performers recognize but rarely name: When pushing harder stops working. Through her signature concept, Move the Door, Anne reveals how to recognize the invisible rules shaping our choices and rethink the constraints holding us back. Because sometimes the only way to finish… is to stop following the wrong rules. If you quit the should… what could you finish?

Testimonials

A pioneer and innovator.
– Morningstar
A trusted voice.
– Aspen Institute
Anne has set the standard for innovation in retirement.
– EBRI
Anne brings smarts, compassion, and humor to an intimidating topic.
– TEDx Council Member
Anne has the wonderful gift of being able to encapsulate big ideas into meaningful pieces of information that an audience easily grasps.
– Pensions & Investments
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