ABGSC Women in Finance Foundation sponsors GAIN (Girls Are Investors) in Sweden, a newly launched charity and first international venture of GAIN UK

On 27 May, GAIN (Girls Are Investors) Sweden officially launched at an event which took place at DLA Piper’s offices in Stockholm. The Swedish non-profit organization, which will mirror the UK version of the concept, aims to increase female representation in the investment management industry by empowering and educating the next generation of investment professionals. By providing educational programs, mentorships and opportunities for networking, the GAIN Sweden team will strive to equip young women and non-binary students with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to succeed in the world of investment management.

Above: Participants listening to a panel debate at the launch event.
At the launch event last week, over 60 people from across the finance industry gathered for an evening of networking, speeches and a panel debate, the Foundation was represented by ABGSC Partner Anna Tropp and Felicia Rittemar from ABGSC’s Equity Sales & Trading team. ​To start with, the participants could listen to Tanya Tracey, CEO of GAIN UK, and Caroline Hultman, Co-founder & Trustee of GAIN, presenting GAIN UK’s journey. ​Then followed a speech by Sophia Nabil Gustafsson, SSE alumna and GAIN volunteer, in which she highlighted the power of representation, and how visible role models can shape the ambitions of the next generation of investors. “Rethinking Diversity in Investment Management” was the topic of the panel debate, in which leaders from across the industry participated, including ​ Charlotte Banning, CMO at Monterro, Clara Zverina, Principal at Altor Equity Partners, and Mathias Berggren, Partner at DLA Piper Sweden. Emmy Sendow, Managing Director of GAIN Sweden, wrapped up the evening’s program with a presentation of the vision, strategy, and first steps to building a more inclusive investment ecosystem in Sweden.

Above: Emmy Sendow, Managing Director of GAIN Sweden, presenting to the participants.
Emmy Sendow commented that “The background for the initiative that was first established in the UK in 2019, is the fact that women represent around 8 per cent of decision makers in investment management in the UK, while normally only 20 per cent of applicants to the industry at entry level are women. With the ambition to change this situation, the GAIN UK organization has been hugely impactful during its six years in operation, reaching more than 50 000 students from upper secondary school to university level. Following the success in the UK, we recently took the GAIN concept to Sweden, as diversity among Swedish investment funds is poor with only a 3 per cent female representation among partners of investment firms. GAIN Sweden is still in its early phase, but our ambition goal is to reach 10 000 students per year by 2030 and contribute to changing the perception of the industry, leading to more women and non-binary students entering, and remaining, in the industry.”

Above: Mingling at the launch event.
ABGSC Partner Anna Tropp was pleased to attend the launch event, and said that: “It was very interesting to learn more about the background of the GAIN initiative and how it has contributed to change in the UK investment scene. It will be very exciting to follow the expansion of this great concept in Sweden, and we hope the organization’s efforts will create substantial impact when it comes to gender balance in the world of finance.”
About GAIN
GAIN (Girls Are Investors) Sweden is a charity that aims to increase the entry-level gender diversity in investment management. Through a wide range of resources, programmes and hands-on work opportunities, the organization aims to encourage more young women and non-binary individuals to enter the finance industry in Sweden.
GAIN Sweden is the first international venture of GAIN UK, which has been operating across England and Wales since 2019. In the last 5 years GAIN UK has reached over 50,000 students and works directly with 250+ investment firms.
Read more about the non-profit organization here.