Sharon Bloodworth

Sharon is the owner and CEO of White Oaks and has been with the company since February 2001. In 2017, she purchased the firm, making it one of the largest independent investment advisory firms owned wholly by a woman in Minnesota and Florida. In 2023, Sharon was included on the Notable Women in Wealth Management* list by the Twin Cities Business Magazine.

Her experience in the financial services industry dates back to 1993 and includes positions at American Express Financial Advisors as a Financial Advisor and Lord, Abbett & Co as a Client Liaison in New York. In 2019, Sharon received the Marty Baskerville Philanthropy Award* to recognize her Rotary lifetime achievements and the Vistage Lifetime Achievement Award* for leadership in her CEO peer to peer organization. She was honored as a 2013 “Top Women in Business”* and a 2010 “40 under 40”* recipient by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Sharon has been quoted in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, CBS Money Watch, USA Weekend, MSN Money, The Financial Times Advisor IQ, Forbes.com, Glamour and CNN Money. She frequently speaks on market and economic issues, wealth planning and how to better prepare the next generation for wealth. 

Sharon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in European Community Studies from the University of Wales, College of Cardiff. In continuing education, she received a certificate in International Business Practice from the Mountbatten Program and Oxford University, and in 2019, she completed the Vistage Executive Leadership Program in collaboration with the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation and is a member of NAPFA, a fee-only fiduciary professional association with the most rigorous continuing education requirements in the industry.

Sharon is a past Vice-Chair for the Minnesota Opera board. She has a deep passion for Rotary having been a member of Rotary Club #9 for 20 years and serving as its President in 2012. Starting in July 2024, she will be a Rotary District Governor. She completed the largest ever fundraiser for her Rotary District, raising $3 million on top of the usual annual $1 million as District Foundation Chair in 2023. She is also a member of the CEOs Against Cancer – Minnesota chapter of the American Cancer Society.

Born in the UK, Sharon has lived and studied in Africa, Asia and Europe and speaks multiple languages. In 2007, she funded the rebuilding of a kindergarten in Indonesia that she named after her daughter – Sophia’s Sunshine School. In 2021, she added a library to the school. Sharon has a strong interest in the financial success of athletes. On a pro bono basis with the Women’s Tennis Benefit Association, she coaches the top current and former women in tennis on financial behaviors. She is a five-time Minnesota State Fair blue-ribbon winner for flower arranging, and she collects shoes of very famous women, including Margaret Thatcher and Audrey Hepburn. 

*Top Women in Business – Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

Women in Business awards honor industry-leading executives, entrepreneurs and business owners for their professional accomplishments and community involvement. These awards honor women in various business categories who have proven to be dynamic and outstanding leaders with established track records of significant accomplishments in business and/or community service. To be eligible, nominees must work in the 24-county Twin Cities metro area, including Anoka, Benton, Blue Earth, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Le Sueur, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Steele, Washington, Wright, Pierce and St. Croix counties.

*40 under 40 – Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

Judges will select 40 honorees based on their professional accomplishments, demonstrated leadership and community contributions. To be eligible, nominees must work in the 24-county Twin Cities metro area, including Anoka, Benton, Blue Earth, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Le Sueur, Mower, Nicollet, Olmsted, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Steele, Washington, Wright, Pierce and St. Croix counties. Nominees must be 39 or younger in March of the year of award. Self-nominations are accepted.

*Marty Baskerville Philanthropy Award

The Marty Baskerville Philanthropy Award is presented annually to a Minneapolis Rotarian who has made a significant difference in furthering the objectives of the Minneapolis Rotary Community Service Foundation or the Rotary International Foundation. The award is presented to a member who has demonstrated over time a strong commitment to the service mission of Rotary.

*Vistage Lifetime Achievement Award

Founded in 1957, Vistage Worldwide is designed exclusively for high-integrity CEOs and executive leaders who are looking to drive better decisions and better results for their companies, families and communities. Members gather in confidential peer groups, led by an accomplished business leader, to gather fresh perspectives and objective advice on their toughest challenges. Today, more than 22,000 executives across 20 countries rely on Vistage. In Minnesota, Vistage member companies generate $9.3 billion in annual revenues and employ more than 33,000 people. There are over 400 CEOs and key executive members.

Lifetime Achievement Award achievers are those members who have a track record of decisions whose benefits permeate company, community and beyond. They have been with Vistage for years and exemplify a spirit of continued growth and learning. They share their wisdom — drawn from a deep well of experience — to support their fellow members. They inspire. A nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award honors this commitment to learning and development, and a commitment to fellow Vistage members, every step of the way.

*Notable Women in Wealth Management Award

The individuals featured did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list is not comprehensive; it includes only people who were nominated and accepted after editorial review. To qualify for this list, individuals must have at least five years of experience in their field and have shown the ability to effect change in their roles or areas of practice.