The Power of Peer Networks

May 9, 2022

Life is returning to a more normal pre-COVID-19 existence, and office environments are transitioning back from remote to face-to-face communication. This is the perfect opportunity for 100WF members to grow and expand their peer-to-peer involvement and take those networking, and community engagements live again. This new time is a chance to expand 100WF’s ability to communicate in person and take advantage of the peer-to-peer opportunities to reconnect and build valuable professional and personal relationships.

We all recognize how positive role models can influence an individual’s ambition and motivation. When a woman sees success reflected in “someone who looks like me,” it can inspire desire and drive that, “if she could do it, I can too” mentality. For many women, however, the challenges can be, “Where do I start? Who can I talk to? How do I learn? How do I evolve? What are my first, second, and next steps?” These are exactly the questions experienced individuals and financial organizations within the 100WF community can answer in peer-to-peer settings.

Although knowing who to contact or where to start can seem overwhelming, 100WF has created peer engagement initiatives designed to connect like-minded members. The idea is to encourage women to build peer networks to share experiences and conversations, forming allies outside of their immediate workplace.

In addition to peer-to-peer connections, 100WF allows its members and supporters to post and view job openings and recruit candidates on the Career Center platform. Networking via the Career Center platform opens potential job positions worldwide, ranging from entry-level to senior-leadership ranks.

This peer-to-peer interaction can also serve to accelerate the process of 100WF’s mission to strengthen the global finance industry by empowering women to achieve their potential at each career stage. The organization has brought on some of the best leaders in the financial industry to share their knowledge and experience in the form of educational workshops and events. Visit the 100WF events page to see what’s coming up! Even if you can’t be there in person, you can still be part of the educational experience with virtual options.

No matter where you are in your career, the peer meetings address member-identified topics and provide a wide variety of insights from industry experts and influencers. These efforts help women take opportunities to connect and build communities to recruit, retain, and continue to advance women toward success within the finance industry.

Women who take advantage of the Peer Engagement opportunities are given a chance to become visible. Seeking out peers and taking new risks to stand out while building relationships provide the foundation of networking that can open new doors of possibilities. 100WF has three categories of Peer Engagement paths to explore, depending on your experience in the financial industry:

 

Senior Practitioners

For members with 20+ years of industry experience, this resource provides the following information and opportunities:

  • FundWomen hopes to increase the visibility of today’s investment managers, and in doing so, motivate the next generation of female investment talent to aspire to these roles.
  • 100WFinTech are responsible for the organization’s campaign to elevate the public profile of female fintech leaders and enable stronger interconnectivity to the fintech ecosystem.
  • Corporate and Private Boards Initiative seeks to connect qualified candidates from within our membership ranks with director opportunities.
  • Peer Advisory Groups include senior practitioners working in the same specialized areas and provide an effective infrastructure for more tenured members to engage with one another and leverage collective wisdom, skills, and experience.

 

MidCareer

This is a resource for members with 10–20 years of industry experience, including those on a career break. The aim is to help women enhance and elevate their career progression and perspectives. MidCareer provides and has accomplished the following:

  • Hosts professional development, leadership coaching, and networking events to develop a strong community of women who will, together, explore the opportunities and challenges of the mid-segment of their careers
  • Launched role-based intimate circles, PeerConnect
  • Established in London, has now grown to include Germany, Cayman, Hong Kong, and New York

 

Early Career

Members are part of a global peer network in the first decade of their finance careers:

  • Led by Early Career committee members, the groups host industry education, professional development, and networking events to develop a strong community of early career women and a talent pipeline for the finance industry
  • Located across many locations in the Americas, Dublin, Germany, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore

Review and update your Member Profile years of experience to receive invite-only meeting invitations.

Become involved in the 100WF Global Network and reach your potential! Expand your connections and grow with the 100WF mission! Connect with us as we move toward the 30/40 goal for women to occupy 30% of senior investment roles and executive committee positions by 2040. Take advantage of all that 100WF has to offer its members: educational events, resources, finance industry networking, and so many additional opportunities to advance your career in the financial marketplace. Join 100WF! Be involved, take control, and advance your career in the financial world. With all that we have to offer—educational events, resources to help you advance in your financial career, mentorship, support, finance industry networking, peer-to-peer communication, and the opportunity to be part of 100WF’s mission—you will discover lifelong connections at each career stage. We are open to all genders. Whether you’re a graduate student, just starting your career, navigating the opportunities and challenges in midcareer, in transition or on a career break, or at the senior level of management in executive leadership, you can be an invaluable member of the 100WF community.