As founder, CEO & President, Sharon Emek leads Work At Home Vintage Experts LLC (WAHVE), an innovative talent solution that engages vintage professionals “phasing” into retirement who work remotely from home on a contract basis. WAHVE, founded in 2010, has grown to over 500 people working from home for companies across the country. WAHVE’s vision is to transform how businesses, workers and society view retirement so that people, businesses and society benefit from longer productivity.
With decades of business experience, Sharon understands first-hand the challenges that employers and “vintage” professionals are facing today. Prior to founding WAHVE, Sharon was a partner at CBS Coverage Group, Inc., where she managed the New York City office and provided business insurance and risk management for a large client base. Prior to joining CBS, Sharon was president, founder and CEO of The Emek Group, an insurance brokerage she formed in 1988. Sharon began her career as a professor at Rutgers University and as a management consultant to businesses.
Sharon is a dynamic leader, a prolific speaker, and a progressive thinker. Sharon has earned numerous awards for her thought leadership, including the Next Avenue 2019 Influencers in Aging; 2019 AARP Innovation Award Finalist; 2018 Leadership Longevity Award: Women in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the 15th annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit, which showcases the nation’s outstanding individual and group achievements in serving the powerful longevity economy; the 2016 SmartCEO Brava Award honoring top female CEOs and the Vistage Leadership Legacy Award; Insurance Business America’s “Elite Women in Insurance” 2014, 2015 and 2016 and the 2015 “Hot 100” list; the first woman to receive the 1882 Fellow Award, the highest honor presented by IIABNY (2014); Outstanding Committee Chairperson Award from IIABNY (2008); the first woman to receive the Sidney O. Smith Government Affairs Award from the IIABA (2007); the Distinguished Service Award from IIABNY (2006); the Helen Garvin Outstanding Achiever Award from the NAIW (1999); and the National Promising Research Award for her doctoral research (1978).
Sharon is frequently sought out by the media as an expert on the workforce and aging, management, business and insurance issues. She has appeared on CNN, CNBC, CBS, Fox and Lifetime; has authored numerous articles; and is often quoted in national news periodicals including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, National Underwriter and Business Insurance. Sharon has testified before the New York State Assembly Insurance Committee, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Subcommittee and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Sharon served on the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York Board for ten years and is a past chair. She served as a board member of ACT (Agents Council for Technology) for four years and Chaired the Mid-Commercial Working Group. She has served on numerous other boards including the Institute for Student Achievement, Women Builders Council, Center for Women’s Business Research, NYC Mayor’s Small Business Advisory Board, and the IBM Small Business Research and Technology Advisory Council.
Sharon received her doctoral degree from Rutgers University (1977). She is the author of Answers for Managers and numerous articles on the workforce and aging and the future of work.