2021 Shortlist      

A woman who is either a portfolio manager or plays an active role through research/analysis in US Listed Equities. This individual can either be involved in a publicly available fund such as a mutual fund, or an institutional portfolio. Portfolio performance statistics can be included but judges will also be looking for evidence of challenges faced and overcome by the nominees.

Amy Y. Zhang, CFA, Alger

Ankur Crawford, Alger

Becky Baker, Fidelity Investments

Betsy Moszeter, Green Alpha Advisors, LLC

Clare Hart, JP Morgan

Kari Montanus, Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Kathryn Koch, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Margaret Reid, The Private Bank at Union Bank.

Melissa Reilly, Fidelity Investments

Samantha Shevins, Lord Abbett & Co LLC

A woman working in asset/wealth management who is a role model and has gone out of her way to support the cause of getting more women into the industry in the last 18 months. As well as examining the initiatives the candidates has pioneered to inspire women to succeed in asset/wealth management, judges will also assess their leadership and the initiative’s impact on, and integration with, the business.

Elizabeth Koehler, BlackRock

Janessa Cox-Irvin, AllianceBernstein

Julie L. Genjac, Hartford Funds

Maria Ma, Lincoln Financial Group

Morgan Peck, Fidelity Investments

Pam Holding, Fidelity Investments

Paulita Pike, Ropes & Gray LLP

Robin Foley, Fidelity Investments

Shana Sissel, Spotlight Asset Group

Shannon Spotswood, RFG Advisory

This category is open to a woman who is either a portfolio manager or plays an active role through research/analysis in US domestic bond markets; global and sovereign bond; or specialist fixed income (eg. credit US mortgage-backed securities) This individual can either be involved in a publicly available fund such as a mutual fund, or an institutional portfolio. Portfolio performance statistics can be included but judges will also be looking for evidence of challenges faced and overcome by the nominees.

Catherine Stienstra, Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Elaine Zaharis-Nikas, Cohen & Steers

Ellen Safir, New Century Advisors

Janet Rilling, Wells Fargo Asset Management

Kearney Posner, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

Leah Traub, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

Lisa Coleman, J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Maria Ma, Lincoln Financial Group

Nimisha Srivastava, Willis Towers Watson

Yoana Koleva, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

This award category is open to organisations that have undertaken a specific initiative that has been established to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within their organisation or the wider community. These could involve gender pay gap, paternal leave, greater support for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and LGBT+ professionals, greater opportunities for people with disabilities, etc. Judges will assess commitment to the cause, awareness raised, impact on the organisation and/or industry, and ultimate results of the initiative. 

Gender Equality Action Plan, CNote

Boundless Program, Fidelity Investments

Speakers Alliance Program, PGIM

The Diversity Project North America, Nicsa

Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

Leap, Mercer

DISE Program, Fidelity Investments

A woman who is either a portfolio manager or plays an active role through research/analysis in Emerging Market Equities. This individual can either be involved in a publicly available fund such as a mutual fund, or an institutional portfolio. Portfolio performance statistics can be included but judges will also be looking for evidence of challenges faced and overcome by the nominees.

Allison Fisch, Pzena Investment Management

Denise Valentine, J.P. Morgan

Di Chen, Fidelity Investments

Patricia Ribeiro, American Century Investments

Sara Moreno, Jennison Associates

This award category is open to asset management & wealth management companies which have demonstrated a great effort to recruit and retain more women. Judges will look at efforts the employer has made to create a more diverse and inclusive working environment. Submissions should include examples of professional training and advancement, ways to boost morale and implemented programmes to increase the well-being of employees.

AlphaSimplex Group LLC

Pzena Investment Management

Kate Burke, AllianceBernstein

Fidelity Investments

Fisher Investments

Invesco

J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

PGIM

Schroders

This category has recently been consolidated into one from Financial Inclusion Leader of the Year and Engagement Project of the Year. Judges will be presented with submissions of active engagement projects or initiatives led by a woman, or prominently featuring a woman, which achieved real change at an investee company. It is also open to women who have produced or helped in an outreach programme/campaign that encouraged and helped women and girls to improve their financial skills and/or consider a career in the asset or wealth manager industry. Judges should be looking for evidence of quantifiable success as one way of the key factors to effectively select our 2021 winner.

Camille Carlstrom, Fidelity Investments

Janessa Cox-Irvin, AllianceBernstein

Kelly Lannan, Fidelity Investments

Kelly Sherrard, Nicsa

Michelle Dunstan, AllianceBernstein

This award is open to those women who can demonstrate that their investment decisions have been consistently made in an ethical and responsible way, while achieving healthy returns for their clients. Things to include in the submission are their definition of ESG and how that impacts their fund selection. As ESG is an evolving process, submissions relating to the growing role of ESG within an organisation are also welcomed.

Anne Sapp, Perigon Wealth Management

Alyssa Greenspan, Community Capital Management

Amy O’Brien, Nuveen

Annika Lombardi, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

Ashley Knight, Mercer

Cheryl Smith, Trillium Asset Management

Michelle Dunstan, AllianceBerstein

Monali Vora, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Rekha Unnithan, Nuveen

Yuliya Tarasava, CNote

A woman who is either a portfolio manager or plays an active role through research/analysis in Global Equities. This individual can either be involved in a publicly available fund such as a mutual fund, or an institutional portfolio. Portfolio performance statistics can be included but judges will also be looking for evidence of challenges faced and overcome by the nominees.  

Ingrid Yin, MayTech Global Investments, LLC

Linda Lasater, Wasatch Global Investors

Niamh Brodie-Machura, Fidelity Investments

Saira Malik, Nuveen

Sue Kim, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

A woman who has played a role within the sphere of index investing either at an index provider, an exchange or within a passive manager. This individual can either be involved in a publicly available fund such as a mutual fund, or an institutional portfolio. Portfolio performance statistics can be included but judges will also be looking for evidence of challenges faced and overcome by the nominees. 

Finola McGuire Foley, Fidelity Investments

Mona Naqvi, S&P Dow Jones Indices

Stephanie Pierce, BNY Mellon Investment Management

A female independent or in-house institutional investment consultant that has broken down barriers to advancement in the company and/or wider financial sector, has delivered for their clients, and that has paved the way for diversity in leadership. The award is based on achievements made in the past 24 months. 

Allison Fumai, Dechert LLP

Kathryn Mawer, FEG Investment Advisors

Twink Field, White Marble Marketing

Rupal Bhansali, Ariel Investments

Stacie Mastin, Tompkins Financial Advisors

Yasmin Landy, Fidelity Investments

Zahara Kassam, FTI Consulting

A senior male figure who has gone out of his way to improve the diversity levels of women in asset management, within the organisation and/or in the wider community. Successful nominations must provide case studies or examples of how the candidate has gone out of his way, or strategically prioritised, getting more women into finance and/or supporting them in their careers.

Anton Pil, J.P. Morgan

Doug Sieg, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

Jim Fitzpatrick, Nisca

Sponsored by

A woman under the age of 35, or who turns 35 in 2021, who has progressed rapidly through their career within the asset/wealth management and demonstrated value creation and innovation throughout, as well as being a demonstrable supporter of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. This could include demonstrations of successful challenges faced in their career to date, and objectives for the longer term. 

Becky Baker, Fidelity Investments

Danielle Hines, J.P. Morgan

Lee Stapleton, EMQQ

Lillian Qian Lin, PIMCO

Lisa VanArsdale, Lakeview Wealth Management

Margaret Farquharson, Nationwide

Megan Miller, Wells Fargo Asset Management

Mona Naqvi, S&P Dow Jones Indices

Nidhi Chadda, Enzo Advisors

Unoma Okolo, Fidelity Investments

Sponsored by

Nominations can be submitted for this category and candidates will be selected from across the current nominees as well as the judging panel’s knowledge of key industry individuals. It is to recognise the achievements over a long period of time which has made an important contribution to the general standing of the asset management industry.

Cindy Couyoumjian, Cinergy Financial

Erica Kay, Macquarie Asset Management

Judy VanArsdale, Lake view Wealth Management

Julie Hill, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

Lisa Jones, Amundi Asset Management US

Pamela Brylski, BlackRock

A woman who has played a role within the sphere of systematic investing either at an asset management or a rating agency/fund research company. This individual can either be involved in a publicly available fund such as a mutual fund, or an institutional portfolio. Portfolio performance statistics can be included but judges will also be looking for evidence of challenges faced and overcome by the nominees. 

Anastasia Zabolotnikova, Fidelity Investments

Dr. Jingjing Chai, Allianz Global Investors

Kathryn Kaminski, AlphaSimplex Group, LLC

Nisa Amoils, A100x

Riti Samanta, Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC (GMO)

Savina Rizova, Dimensional Fund Advisors

Tess Shih, Capital Fund Management

Zhitong Zhang, Fidelity Investments

A woman who has demonstrated a high degree of excellence, innovation and leadership in the last year, and shone a light on the great things women in asset management can achieve. In their submission, nominees should not only demonstrate outstanding business- and asset management focussed achievements, but also give examples on how they have actively sought to bring more diversity to the asset management industry.  

Allison Nolan, Athena International Management

Brooke Fapohunda, Lord Abbett & Co. LLC

Cindy Couyoumjian, Cinergy Financial

Elizabeth Koehler, BlackRock

Judy VanArsdale, Lakeview Wealth Management

Loraine McEvoy, Jennison Associates

Lule Demmissie, Ally Invest

Pam Holding, Fidelity Investments

Savina Rizova, Dimensional Fund Advisors

Shana Sissel, Spotlight Asset Group