8 March, 2021
On International Women’s Day, three of our female colleagues share their perspectives on working in the investment sector and offer advice to young women contemplating a career in this field.
Meret Gaugler, Head of Investment Strategy
What attracted you to a career in private equity and investment?
Returns should speak for themselves, irrespective of gender – which makes investing a good place to start evening the playing field.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
To be honest, perks and downsides in investment lie close together. It can be both taxing and greatly exciting that the day ahead is essentially never really mapped out, with the unforeseen a big component of the job. Investing is also a good, if sometimes painful, exercise in being wrong – which will keep you on your toes and force you to keep learning.
What would say to a young woman thinking of a career in investment?
Saying that women’s and men’s brains work differently is very simplistic, but diversification is a powerful means to ensure you cover a question from different angles and perspectives. In a good team, this is exactly what makes this line of work fun day-to-day.
Victoire Consten, Investment Manager
What attracted you to a career in private equity and investment?
The entrepreneurial aspect of VC is what attracted me to this career path. The majority of new technologies and innovative business models come from the start-up world. While I had experience in my prior roles in deal making, investing offers me the chance to combine my skills with my interest in innovation.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
It is researching new technologies every day and constantly learning from entrepreneurs. Supporting founders and management teams on their journey to bring disruptive solutions that will help healthcare providers and improve patients’ lives is what motivates me.
What would say to a young woman thinking of career in investment?
While investment is still a widely male dominated industry, investors are increasingly looking for a diversity in profiles and skillset. Young women should feel confident that they can bring a valuable and different perspective to the table.
Silke Woods, Investor Relations Director
What attracted you to a career in private equity and investment?
I always liked the idea of building and the appeal of private equity was just that, the opportunity to invest and create value in a business, growing it from the foundations to one day realising this achievement, usually in the form of a purchaser that can take on the mantle and drive the growth of the business to the next level.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The diversity, not just in the people you meet but in the exposure you have to different types of businesses across many sectors. This coupled with the fact that no two days are the same means that you remain constantly engaged and challenged.
What would say to a young woman thinking of a career in investment?
It will not be a decision that you regret. Investment is a great basis to build from in the private equity industry and offers you diverse exposure that you can apply across the whole asset management industry. Now is a great time for young women to join the industry as their value is increasingly recognised, offering valuable insights that for too long have been missing.
