Women account for just 11% of senior staff at alternative assets firms

According to data provider Preqin, women make up only 11% of senior staff at alternative asset firms, and 19% of employees overall.

The research by Preqin found that the proportion of women employees declines with seniority, with women accounting for 29% of junior employees. Women take as many as 53% of investor relations or marketing roles at venture capital firms, but far fewer roles in investment teams at hedge funds, as low as 10%. Only 5% of board level director at alternative assets funds are female.

Amy Bensted, head of hedge fund products at Preqin, commented: “The low representation of women at alternative assets firms is an issue that has seen increasing attention over recent years. Traditionally a male-dominated industry, the proportion of female employees across the industry is significantly less than 50%, with only investor relations teams in some asset classes approaching or surpassing a rate of equal representation. It is notable that women are best represented in client-facing or finance roles, while the deal making and operations teams are the most male-dominated. Beyond this, what is most striking is that even where women are well-represented among junior staff, this is not translating to more women in senior roles. The disparity in the rates of junior and senior female staff shows that progression through the industry remains rarer for women than for men. This contrasts sharply with institutional investors; women constitute one in five senior staff at public pensions, and more than one in three at foundations. The industry has some way to go before achieving true parity between genders, and this issue will continue to be closely monitored by commentators and industry bodies over the coming years.”