Investor services group IQ-EQ’s second sustainability report has highlighted the need for accrued efforts to achieve greater gender balance in asset management. The report showed that just 23% of all investing roles at private equity (PE) firms globally are held by women, and called on the sector to commit to greater gender inclusion and equity. The report also flagged initiatives spearheaded by IQ-EQ to close the diversity, equity and inclusion gap (DE&I) in the industry. This included supporting female fund managers with the IQ-EQ Launchpad – an initiative designed to help first-time female managers launch and build their funds, as well as the ‘Elevate’ programme, which backs female employees through workshops, guest speakers, and groups to further develop their skills. “Fuelling female success in this sector starts with breaking down barriers, working towards achieving pay parity across genders [and] improving the ratio of women in senior-level management positions,” said Caroline Bagshaw, Group Chief People Officer at IQ-EQ. “We are proud of the strong progress we’ve made in addressing gender equality. However, our sustainability journey is far from over [and] we remain dedicated to advancing our DE&I initiatives and moving the needle in this sector.”
