Members of 100 Women in Finance marked their histories and planned their futures as they celebrated anniversaries in three locations: Minneapolis, Nigeria and Zurich.
To add perspective, the organization was founded as 100 Women in Hedge Funds in 2001 and quickly created its first location in New York City. Within 10 years, it numbered 11 locations. Acknowledging its diverse membership across all areas of finance and alternative investments, it renamed to 100 Women in Finance in 2016. Today, it counts 32 locations, while maintaining its focus on three pillars: Education and Professional Programming; Peer Engagement; and Impact.
In a review of the three locations celebrating milestones, it’s valuable to note they represent different stages of maturity: Nigeria was recently established, while Minneapolis and Zurich have considerable history in their programs and leadership.
Equally important, these locations represent different aspects of the global and national capital markets. Zurich, of course, is a large international financial center. Minneapolis represents a secondary or regional market, relative to other cities in the United States. Nigeria, on the other hand, is a force among emerging markets.
Taken together, these differences are balanced by the on-the-ground activities in each place. All three locations rely on a core circle of volunteers who bring their own diverse backgrounds and resources to the fore in supporting local activities. Moreover, their individual and corporate relationships with regional and national industry leaders, as well as government and regulatory officials, open doors to speakers and venues for programs.
Accordingly, it’s not surprising that members in each location attest to the power and impact of 100WF in their industry and their community.
Following are highlights of activities in each location, with insights from local volunteers.
Zurich, by Sona Blessing
On June 15, 2009, we celebrated our inaugural Zurich event for what was then known as 100 Women in Hedge Funds (100WHF). The iconic venue, the Beyer Clock and Watch Museum, off Bahnhofstrasse, set the pace for our journey and laid the foundation for our future in this location.
Since its inception, the Education Committee members in Zurich have embraced diversity with their multi-national backgrounds. While German and Swiss German are commonly spoken, English has been our business language, which helped focus and differentiate our reach. Our unwavering belief, passion for networking, and promoting at least one of the organization’s (then) three pillars: Education, Peer Engagement, and Philanthropy; drove our initiatives.
100WF Zurich programming has always aimed to make a meaningful impact, featuring top-notch women speakers, industry experts, and practitioners. None of which would have been possible without the generosity and ongoing support of our sponsors, hosts, and membership base!
Some memorable 100WF Zurich milestone events include:
- Swiss cowbell ringing at the Swiss Stock Exchange to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of 100WHF, which incidentally, coincided with their first official cowbell ringing at the exchange!
- On her way to Davos, a session featuring Laura A. Liswood, Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders and former Managing Director and Senior Advisor at Goldman Sachs.
- A keynote address at Finanz, an annual, leading Swisswide finance conference, by Dame Amelia Fawcett, then Chair of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI).
- A talk by Leena Nair, now CEO of Chanel, during her tenure as VP, Global HR at Unilever.
- Petra Tschudin, keynote speaker at 100WF Zurich’s 10th-anniversary event. At that time, she was an Alternate Member of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank and joined the Governing Board in Zurich on October 1, 2024.
- The Ment-Ex program, a pan-Swiss pilot mentor-mentee exchange initiative.
- One of the first Crypto-themed events by 100WF, hosted by Zug based SEBA Bank.
- Fireside chat with Monika Ribar, Chairperson, Board of Directors, SBB.
- The screening of the film Dragon Women at UBS, Zurich.
- A quarterly lunch gathering at a local restaurant is also a cherished program that strengthens ties and promotes camaraderie within the community.
Thanks to the tireless voluntary efforts and engagement of each and every serving committee member since 2009; our Zurich member enrichment stories echo the benefits of: professional career co-counseling, personal development, inspiration from role models, learning to lead, teamwork, event organization, finding one’s voice, and having fun! As a closely knit-in community, we’ve grown to share and care, and have even forged a few lifelong friendships!
When we started in Zurich, we were among the first women-for-women, not-for-profit organizations in the hedge fund industry. It’s wonderful to see the next generation learning the ropes and transitioning from university to careers in finance, bringing our journey full circle – a testament to our enduring impact and commitment!
Minneapolis, by Christine Winters
The Twin Cities location of 100 Women in Finance is a tale of two groups. The location was revived in 2014, after having been dormant for a few years, through the efforts of Christine Winters, Client Relationship Executive, PwC, and Christine Ritchie, then-Director, Global Head of Operations, Pine River Capital Management, and several other committee members. Members celebrated the 10th anniversary of the relaunch with remarks by industry leaders Jody Gunderson, Managing Principal, AB CarVal and Marcia Page, Founder & CEO, MPowered Capital.
As professionals in a smaller market, we have created a closely knit community. Most members focus on alternative investments, such as hedge funds, private equity and private credit; recently, the group has been expanded beyond the alts space.
Education events are held three times a year, with a focus on quality over quantity. They feature a mix of local speakers and, occasionally, executives and professionals from larger financial services firms who are visiting the area. Notably, there are few competing organizations for professional women in finance, which makes the presence of 100WF all the more elevated as an opportunity to connect with senior women through networking activity. Indeed, members in the early stages of their careers have found the connections made through 100WF are extremely valuable in terms of building their knowledge, skills and contacts.
Some memorable 100WF Minneapolis events and speakers include:
- Christine Gaffney, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
- Elizabeth Lilly, CIO, The Pohlad Companies
- Arezu Moghadam, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, JP Morgan Asset Management
The Minneapolis location continues to thrive and grow, based on a strong sense of community, which is essential in a smaller financial market.
Nigeria, by Saratu Kitchener, Abimbola Meshinoye and Taiwo Okwor
The 100 Women in Finance (100WF) Nigeria location marked its one-year anniversary this year. By connecting its membership base to a global network of experts and substantive programming, 100WF Nigeria is filling a gap among local professional women’s organizations.
Formally launched in March 2023 after a series of soft launch events in 2022, the group has covered a lot of ground in short order, onboarding around 300 members and hosting twelve events to date.
Highlights include an annual Nigeria credit outlook event, delivered in partnership with Moody’s Ratings, and hosted by the U.S. Consul General to Nigeria. Additionally, an event explored the role of carbon trading in Africa’s sustainable future, held in partnership with the UAE office of global law firm, Morgan Lewis.
The 100WF Nigeria anniversary was celebrated with a dinner event and keynote address from Nimi Akinkugbe, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Greece, exploring personal finance, entrepreneurship, and tips for success in a career in finance.
The platform is attracting a significant and growing number of young professionals with an interest in career development and mentorship. Future programs will, therefore, focus on equipping the next generation of female leaders in Nigeria’s finance industry.
Future topics of interest include infrastructure and energy investing, sustainable and ESG investing, fundraising, with a spotlight on private equity and venture capital, entrepreneurship and the expansion of access to capital for female-led SMEs.
Given its ability to cater substantively to the broad range of sectors that make up Nigeria’s finance industry, the 100WF Nigeria is clearly poised for growth.
Summary
With these milestone anniversaries commemorated, it’s not too soon to look ahead to 2026, when 100 Women in Finance will mark its 25th anniversary. Consider how your colleagues locally will mark your anniversaries and the organization’s achievements.
About the Authors
Sona Blessing, Author of Alternative Alternatives, Researcher, and Communications, has been an active member of 100 Women in Finance (100WF). Since June 2009, she has served on the Zurich Education committee, becoming one of its founding members. Over time, she advanced to chair the committee Her commitment to 100WF continued as she joined the London Board and later contributed as a member of the Global Advisory Council. Currently, she serves on the organization’s Global. Notably, Sona’s involvement with 100WF began even before her official membership. Her first event for the London Education committee was organized in March 2009.
Alysa Kodisch, Independent Venture Consultant and Chair, Zurich Committee
Saratu Kitchener, Senior Associate, Africa Finance Corporation, Vice Chair, Nigeria Committee
Abimbola Meshinoye, Head of Sponsorships, Partnerships, Events and Collaborations, First Bank of Nigeria, and Co-Chair, Nigeria Committee
Taiwo Okwor, Vice President – Investment Division, Africa Finance Corporation, and Co-Chair, Nigeria Committee
Christine Winters, Client Relationship Executive, PwC and Chair, Minneapolis Committee