A strategic business issue

Gender diversity is a hot topic across the business world, especially in the traditionally male-dominated alternative investments industry. And, the discussion is not about being fair or nice. It’s about ROI.

Numerous research studies have shown that gender equity in the workplace, particularly at the top levels, improves productivity, innovation, decision-making, and employee satisfaction, among other benefits. And most importantly to stakeholders, it pays off in dollars and cents. One study found that companies with greater gender balance delivered better returns with lower volatility compared to peers.

While there’s an increasingly compelling case for balancing the numbers of men and women in alternative investments, achieving it isn’t easy. Certainly, great strides have been made. But despite the progress, women still hold just a small portion of leadership positions in the industry.

So if increasing women’s representation yields such positive results, what are alternative investments firms doing about it today? As it turns out, quite a bit.

• Driving change - how alternative investments organisations help women rise and ROI soar (PDF, 1.2MB)
• Take 14 actions to help women investors rise and ROI soar (PDF, 103KB)