Women in Investment Management

Collaborative WIM

A Global Alliance for the
Advancement and Development of Female Leaders

Get Involved! #CFAWomen

“Life is not fair, but the CFA program is.”

— Marg Franklin, CFA, CFA Institute

What finance leaders are saying:

"Meeting and collaborating with Sarah, Arielle and Regina at CWIM has been a personally and professionally fulfilling experience, and a stellar example of the science of connection (and its benefits for wellbeing) in practice. I've had the privilege of speaking at two of their events and in so doing, discovered a supportive community of some of the smartest, most dynamic and forward-thinking women in finance, who are changing the landscape of Inclusion and Diversity. What distinguishes this group is that they walk their talk and truly embody the principles of courage and compassion they stand for. Honored to be part of this incredible collective."

Parneet Pal, Physician-Educator and Founder, Systematically Well Advisory Inc.
"When I first joined a virtual Collaborative WIM “On the Same Page” session, I had no idea about Collaborative WIM or no expectation about the session itself. Well, hard to believe, that day, I found myself in a very candid and intimate conversation with four women, talking on how to step outside of our comfort zones, sharing very personal experiences! It felt so natural and so uplifting to be in that room; I felt heard and supported by some women whom I was seeing for the first time in my life. After that session, the more I got involved with Collaborative WIM, the closer it grew to my heart. Collaborative WIM is such a powerful community for women in finance. It created a whole new platform, a safe space like no other for people in investment management. I’m all about empowering other women and collaboration, so supporting CWIM and expanding its reach will be a priority for me going forward."

E. Ceylan Ozdemir, CFA, CFA Society Nevada
"CFA Society Seattle has benefited greatly from its participation in CWIM events over the last few years. Prior to CWIM, most of our local Women’s Network’s focus was on creating high quality gender diversity events for our local investment professionals. Our participation in the globally-oriented, virtual CWIM programming has increased the quantity of diversity-related events we can offer our members and expanded our networking opportunities well beyond Seattle. Furthermore, it has allowed us to shift our limited volunteer resources from hosting events to establishing local, on-the-ground programs that teach financial literacy to high school women, hopefully encouraging some of them to pursue a career in finance. "

Sherrie Trecker, CFA, CFA Society Seattle
"Myself and the team at Schroders were delighted to be an inaugural supporting partner at the inception of Collaborative WIM. The objective to develop and advance female leadership strongly aligns with our strategic focus at Schroders to strengthen diversity in our investment management community. The Collaborative WIM network provides members important connections, tools and inspiration; elevating role-models that have worked through adversity and spotlighting different careers and paths. We’re happy to collectively form part of the solution, promoting DEI through our recruitment and training and working with the network at Collaborative WIM to source and nurture female talent."

Anna Sayer, Schroders
"I am so grateful for the amazing global network of Collaborative WIM. It would have been easy to feel isolated leaving a job amidst a global pandemic but the thoughtful networking events put together by the team at CWIM made me feel more included and inspired than ever. After launching my own business earlier this year, I am even more grateful for the support and encouragement of new friends and connections made."

Kelly Palmer, CFA, CFA Society Chicago
"CWIM says it all . . . collaboration, support and diversity in a challenging field. One of the first lessons we learn in investment management is the importance of diversification, yet the industry seems to overlook that concept as it pertains to decision making teams. Creating that geographically-agnostic support network is an amazing feat."

Helena Ocampo, Goelzer Investment Management
"It’s no secret that achieving true DEIB in the world of FinTech is an ongoing and evolving challenge. Partnering with CWIM has helped our team create authentic relationships with women who share Yieldstreet's mission to expand opportunities for women across all industries. Having a growing, safe space within the CWIM network strengthens the universal awareness and need for diversity in the workplace and beyond. CWIM continues to do the extra work necessary to make a tangible difference, and we are honored to be a member and partner!"

Joel Greengrass, Yieldstreet
"You’ve initiated something very important, and I congratulate all of you with all my heart. This created a great opportunity to engage with our Society members who now live and work abroad (one joined from Dubai and the other from Las Vegas). We had local members who joined yesterday but don’t usually attend other events. I sincerely look forward to the next one."

İlke Takımoğlu Homriş, CFA, CFA Society Istanbul
"I admire those who take matters into their own hands to change “what is”. The women who started and participate in Collaborative WIM are change agents. . . Collaborative WIM has also taken the bull by the horns and now has a global network of women and allies who are fomenting change in their communities and in their workplaces. It’s a beautiful thing."

Maura Cunningham, Rock the Street, Wall Street
"I wanted to convey my sincerest gratitude for your wonderful introductions and eloquent wisdom today. It was truly inspiring - and I do believe our company needed that type of sentiment, especially this week. I am so excited for what's to come! Many of my colleagues came up to me after and said they hadn't known such a network existed. I think we all left feeling a bit more confident than before. Thank you again for your time and CARE today! Can't wait to see what we can do together next. . . Thank you again for a truly uplifting discussion with our Yieldstreet Women's ERG!"

Leah Gonzalez, Yieldstreet
"Grit, hustle, and confidence are still the best qualities for any woman approaching a finance career and true, it takes a village… Through Collaborative WIM and our local Women in Finance Initiative, we want to provide an inclusive space where representation and a support network are provided to our female members. I hope my testimony will inspire other societies to join CWIM, particularly in Europe where ESG investing values and practices are growing the fastest among the global investment community."

Laura Prina Cerai, CFA, CFA Society Switzerland
"There is a lot to do in terms of giving visibility to diverse talent, building a strong pipeline of candidates and investment professionals . . . [Through CWIM] the exchange of views and sense of camaraderie is both inspiring and promising."

Cristina Cárdenas Thorlund, CFA, CFA Society Mexico
"I currently hold two roles at CFA New York. First is my position as Co-Chair of our Young Leaders Group; in my second role, I serve as Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Forum at CFA New York . . . and that’s how I got connected to CWIM. It was a no-brainer to get involved myself and to have CFA New York linked up with you all. I’m so passionate about seeing women pursue careers in finance and become leaders in our industry, and to advocate for equality. So I hope that we can continue this great relationship and do more to reach women across the country and across the world, because I am amazed at how quickly you all are getting folks involved. It’s really exciting to be part of that momentum."

Caroline Busby, CFA, CFA Society New York
"Thank you all at Collaborative WIM for making us at CFA Society Italy part of this great initiative! It was engaging to moderate one of the breakout rooms and to hear opinions and experiences from people with different backgrounds. And then, it was so inspiring to hear directly from Ellen Carr and Katrina Dudley about their research and views. See you soon at next events!"

Michela Aimar, CFA, CFA Society Italy
"I just happened to be intending to write to CWIM recently. I wanted to thank you and CWIM for firstly just existing but mainly for actively doing so much to drive forth the progress of women in the industry. In the past few months alone since I started staying in touch, I have benefited personally . . . You and your team are always promptly responsive and genuinely helpful. You are role models."

Nazreen Nazeer, CFA Society Kuwait
"[I envisioned] a network of women in investment management that could help support, guide and inspire each other in business and life. I didn’t realize how quickly interest would spread internationally! I’m deeply impressed by the hard work of our dedicated steering committee, and excited as we look to the future!"

Vanessa Wieliczko, CFA, CFA Society San Diego
"I have found an exceptional opportunity with Collaborative WIM. There is no other group in financial services that brings together women from across the globe for the purpose of solving problems, learning, and promoting diversity. The positive resourcefulness of our members and the top-notch programming helps develop the continued confidence that we all need to pursue our dreams and goals in this ever-changing industry."

Cynthia McLaughlin, MBA, CFA Societies Chicago and Indianapolis
"What sets CWIM apart is the intentionality around building a truly global network. This community of collaboration and support can be a powerful change agent to both broaden the pipeline and to advance female leadership in the industry. I am impressed with what this group has already achieved and am excited for what is to come!"

Melissa McGrane, CFA Society San Diego
"A few years ago, I had the privilege of attending a CWIM event. The organization's purpose deeply resonated with me, and it didn't take long for me to realize that I wanted to be an integral part of it. Fast forward to today, and I'm delighted to not only consider many of these remarkable women as career mentors, but also as dear friends. I am profoundly thankful for the meaningful relationships I've cultivated through CWIM and am excited to see what the future has in store."

Grace Albers, CFA, Associate at VR Capital Group

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"CFA Society Istanbul has been organizing the Women in Investment Management Conference since 2015. I am and we are supporting Collaborative WIM because it’s a great platform for all of us to act together for inclusion and diversity. I feel very, very excited and motivated to be a part of this initiative— as a woman, as an Executive Director of a CFA Society, as a CFA charterholder, and as a member of the CFA Institute. I am grateful and thankful for all of you for providing this opportunity."

İlke Takımoğlu Homriş, CFA, CFA Society Istanbul
"One of CFA Society Pittsburgh’s strategic priorities is to expand the diversity of our membership. Collaborative WIM has been an exceptional partner to help us achieve this objective. Providing access to resources and speakers that would not typically be available to a Society our size."

Steven Miller, CFA, CIPM, CFA Society Pittsburgh
"Collaborative WIM is leading the charge in elevating women in financial services and we wanted to be a part of that. The age-old African proverb that says, “when you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” could not ring more true for this group of women. It’s not limited to one nation though; Collaborative WIM is connecting women from all over the world providing a platform to grow stronger and learn together."

Olivia Hails, APMA, Janus Henderson Investors
"We appreciate so much to be in contact with all the CWIM team. You are doing amazing things; we are very happy to be part of Collaborative WIM. . . I have enjoyed and learned a lot. Collaborative WIM events are an excellent opportunity of learning and networking. Congratulations for all your hard work and efforts!"

Guillermina Pagaza, CFA Society Mexico
"I’m so thrilled to have connected via CWIM . . . What a remarkable group of people – you have done an outstanding job."

Tracy Cavanaugh, FPA LA
"[CWIM provides] the opportunity to expand my network and meet more successful and driven women across the world, and to encourage more women to join the investment management and finance profession more broadly."

Olena Lifset, CFA, CFA Society Oklahoma
"The idea and concept of connecting women from CFA Societies all around the world is very appealing and rewarding. [Collaborative WIM] has enabled us to share, collaborate, support and build new friendships in a virtual world, which is amazing!"

Aradhana Kejriwal, CFA, CFA Society Atlanta
"I have always thought that there is something extremely powerful that can come from diversity of thought and learning from different perspectives. I was excited for the opportunity [through CWIM] to work with other amazing and talented individuals that share the same mindset."

Irene Tsai, CFA, CFP, FPA Southwestern Ohio
"Through my volunteer work, I was introduced to Collaborative WIM, and I have been very excited about being part of this supportive network. The focus on uplifting women professionals through organizing a variety of events, providing resources and networking opportunities has really resonated with me. So I’m really happy to be a part of this network."

Maggie Wong, CFA, POPM, CFA Society New York
"CFA Society Ukraine hosted the first Women in Finance Forum, so this topic is very important for us. CWIM allows us to introduced more role models to the region's financial network."

Oleksii Sobolev, CFA, CFA Society Ukraine
"Dear friends of CWIM, it was such a honor to moderate one of the breakout rooms as a member of CFA Society Italy and sharing ideas and experiences with amazing professionals from Europe and the US! An enormous thank you to Ellen Carr and Katrina Dudley, authors of Undiversified: The Big Gender Short in Investment Management, for their research work, their inspiring thoughts and valuable advices! Looking forward to the next book!"

Anna Paola Marchi, CFA, CFA Society Italy
"I love Collaborative WIM’s mission to elevate women in financial services and have really enjoyed participating in their sessions - both as a speaker and as a participant. If you haven’t connected with them - you should! It’s a wonderful initiative with a fantastic leadership team."

Andy Molinsky, Professor, Author, Thought Leader
"I feel so blessed to cross paths with Sarah and the Collaborative WIM mission to support women in financial services. Having been a part of so many DE&I initiatives over the past few years, I have no doubt that CWIM’s leadership team is already making a significant contribution to progress we can measure. You have my full commitment as an attendee, speaker, or moderator for future events."

Paul Olschwanger, CFA Society Dallas - Fort Worth; Performance Coach, Podcast Host, and proud Girl Dad
"CWIM is a powerful force that helps women develop their skills, grow their knowledge and relationships, and claim their rightful place as leaders. So honored to be a speaker!"

Dorie Clark, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game and executive education faculty, Duke University Fuqua School of Business
"I'm so grateful for my recent introduction to CWIM! Not only do I align with their mission of empowering female and diverse professionals across the finance industry, but I'm so impressed with their ability to organize globally and provide such thoughtful, high-caliber virtual sessions. I've been a part of a handful of other organizations geared toward supporting women who work in this industry, but none were able to organize in an authentic way across cities or regions. CWIM's ease and flexibility have allowed them to create a very organic, tight-knit community of people very quickly. I'm looking forward to getting more involved, learning from my peers, and seeing how I can support this group in more ways."

Kelly Klingaman, CFP, RLP
“America has forged this success while utilizing, in large part, only half of the country’s talent. For most of our history, women, whatever their abilities have been relegated to the sidelines.” – Warren Buffett . . . The fact that only 11% of US Fund Managers are women underscores how investment management is devoid of effective inclusion and diversity initiatives, likely to the detriment of industry wide performance. Collaborative WIM’s programming and global networking opportunities are a fantastic resource for the industry, heralding a seachange to close our gender gap from 11% to 50%. With an incredible network of brilliant thought leaders, Collaborative WIM is a great resource for Women Investors seeking support, guidance and opportunities in the industry. I am very optimistic for the end of glass ceilings in our lifetimes.

Roger Lee, CFA, CFA Society Indianapolis
"The timing of the commencement of the Collaborative WIM Initiative coincided perfectly with our society’s Women in Wealth initiative. I was trying to create programming to attract more women to our society, and I felt like I now had a support system that allowed me to not only share your amazing world-wide programming with the Alabama society but more importantly, further my initiative to offer more extensive content to target a female audience."

Adrian Hughes, CFA, CFA Society Alabama
"Today, we had a discussion with Alexi Pappas - author of "Bravey", Olympic athlete, filmmaker, actress - who shared her thinking on how all of us could become “Braveys”. Just one example of how Collaborative WIM facilitates women networking and supporting each other in their personal and professional lives. Thank you, Collaborative WIM, for leading this important work."

Donna Matheson, CFA, CPA, CFA Society Stamford
When I was invited to facilitate an afternoon session at the November, 2023 CWIM Virtual Global Summit, I thought I’d have the 4.5 hour event on “in the background” while I primarily continued with my work. Instead, I found I was taking notes at every session – I couldn’t tear myself away. I wrote up a few of the big messages that resonated with me and have it posted next to my computer: Sally Helgeson’s highlights from her book “How Women Rise” really spoke to me and I wish I’d had her coaching earlier in my career. I might have gotten out of my own way sooner. . . From other sessions: • “Diversify your identity” has been an important driver of decisions I’ve made over the last 90 days – I’m not just what I do. • “Be very conscious” about how I am spending each day has helped me to catch myself when I’m on autopilot. • “Get out of your own echo chamber” has helped me to consciously read and listen to a broader array of articles and opinions. . . Hosting a 4.5 hour event with presenters and participants from around the world was a huge undertaking by CWIM and I’m so grateful. My takeaways have helped me both personally and professionally and I’m looking forward to future thought-provoking events.

Fran Skinner, CFA, CPA, Partner, AUM Partners

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🌟 Join the Conversation: Daily Musings on WhatsApp 🌟

Get more connection, support, and inspiration in your day-to-day as a female investment professional.

Daily Musings is a new WhatsApp community created by CWIM members, for CWIM members — a casual, safe space to:

• share ideas
• ask questions
• exchange experiences
• stay inspired
• take a breath from the fast-paced activity swirling around you.

You will gain career insights, share market thoughts and celebrate uplifting wins.

Hear the real talk moments that don’t always make it into formal settings — Daily Musings is where we show up for each other.

👥 Why join?
• Daily sparks of insight from peers
• Thoughtful discussion on relevant trends
• Support through challenges and changes
• A growing sisterhood of like-minded professionals

Keep the momentum going — in your career and in the conversations that help shape your path.

Click here to join 👉 https://chat.whatsapp.com/IklmNdUASyb8dnPL0YkU6

Add your voice to the mix.

Don’t forget to Follow Collaborative WIM on LinkedIn!

“Happy International Women’s Day from all of us at CWIM! 💐 Fresh off the inaugural CFA Institute Thrive conference, we’re feeling invigorated by the remarkable efforts unfolding worldwide. Two dynamic days of storytelling and collaborative knowledge exchange have left us inspired and motivated. Every aspect, from the presentations to the mealtime discussions, brimmed with freshness, openness, honesty, and hope. ✨

We extend our gratitude to Sarah Maynard and Marlene Timberlake D’Adamo for hosting a splendid pre-conference dinner, and commend the entire CFA Institute team, particularly Gary Rhoda, Gavin Anthony, Darryl Jackson and Carly (Hall) Knoblauch, for their efforts in making it an unforgettable experience.

❤️ Thank you to the incredible leaders of the #CWIM community for their tireless efforts and beautiful hearts. We are so proud to be on this journey alongside you! 🙌🌍

Stay tuned for updates on the CFA Institute DEI Gender Diversity Sub-Committee, including a special message from Margaret Franklin, CFA!”

— LinkedIn: Collaborative WIM

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a signed copy of James Rhee’s global bestseller,
red helicopter
— a parable for our times: lead change with kindness (plus a little math)!

Overview

Collaborative WIM’s final event of the year will take place on Thursday, November 7th between 12:00PM - 4:30PM EST, co-hosted by CFA Societies spanning 3 continents!

Key takeaways:

Gain actionable insights to guide your career journey and personal development as you gather for an inspiring virtual half-day event: the third annual Collaborative WIM Global Summit!

Interact with change makers who are delivering results for individuals and organizations on a global level.
Engage in live discussions with your peers from your region and around the world.

Collaborative WIM is honored to highlight an incredible lineup of truly outstanding industry leaders and diverse experts for your professional and personal advancement. You are encouraged to invite your colleagues for this complimentary interactive event.

Thank you to the many sponsors, friends, and allies around the world, whose vision, leadership and heart have transformed our conversations and collaborations into the CWIM global community. We extend special gratitude to our co-hosts, CFA Societies Nashville, Serbia, and Uruguay.

Together, let us Connect, Collaborate, Celebrate!

View The Agenda Here

View Speaker Bios

Watch last year’s Summit replay: “Connect, Collaborate, Celebrate” 2023

CFA Institute Qualified Activity: Eligible for 4.5 PL credit hours

For more information email: team@collaborativewim.org.

Watch the Replay

Have you ever considered pursuing a CFA charter?

Explore our global partnership with Fitch Learning to provide you with a 20% DISCOUNT on online training for the: