The Diversity Project, chaired by investing veteran Helena Morrissey, is launching an effort to help women pursue a career in portfolio management.
(Bloomberg) — The Diversity Project, chaired by investing veteran Helena Morrissey, is launching an effort to help women pursue a career in portfolio management.
The Pathway Programme is kicking off with a class of 60 women selected by 33 firms, most of whom already work in investment-related roles.
They will attend sessions meant to develop both technical and soft skills, as well as networking with senior female fund managers.
Despite various attempts to broaden access to careers in finance, men still occupy almost 90% of money-managing roles in the UK.
The number of female money managers has stalled in the past few years and the gender pay gap isn’t expected to close for another three decades.
Read More: Asset Managers Make ‘Appallingly Slow’ Progress on Gender Parity
Pathway will “create a cohort of female portfolio managers who will navigate their careers together and provide an example for generations to follow,” said Morrissey, a member of the UK House of Lords and the former chief executive officer of Newton Investment Management.
She also founded the 30% Club more than a decade ago to push for more women on London-listed company boards.
The participants may be “a fund manager assistant who couldn’t see how to navigate to a portfolio management role or a great talent who missed out on university because of family circumstances,” Joanna Munro, chief executive officer of HSBC Alternatives, said.
“Pathway is creating opportunities that simply haven’t existed for these women before.”
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