CFA Institute expands Young Women in Investment Program globally with sponsorship from AXA Investment Managers

CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, is expanding its Young Women in Investment Program around the globe thanks to sponsorship support from AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM). From 2022, the program will be offered in France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, building on the success of the initiative in India and Brazil.

The Young Women in Investment Program is an annual initiative where selected women from any educational discipline, and who are final-year students graduating or graduated, participate in a training program to gain exposure to the investment management industry through an immersive working experience. The program features a four-week intensive boot camp which includes online classroom sessions on core finance and business skills, followed by an internship for a period of three to six months at a reputed financial institution. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Young Women in Investment Program has been offered virtually since 2020.

As part of the sponsorship, AXA IM will welcome around 20 students in its offices in the three different countries for internships. In addition, AXA IM’s investment experts will feature as speakers during the boot camp held in the summer ahead of the internships.

"We know from the programs already running in India, Qatar and Brazil that this initiative is transformative for the young women who take part. Many participants graduate to permanent roles at their internship firms, and all gain a network, knowledge and skills that provide an enabling foundation as they begin their professional lives. As an industry, we need to find women who have not been attracted to our industry and welcome them to a career. Young Women in Investment is a critical piece of that strategy, and we’re excited to bring this highly successful program to the region”, said Sarah Maynard, ASIP, Global Head, External Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at CFA Institute.

“The expansion of the Young Women in Investment Program is being generously supported by AXA IM, which has served as a critical partner to enable the infrastructure and relationships necessary to help facilitate the global nature of this initiative.

“We are committed to acting with the industry to educate on the benefits of working in an investment role in asset management to showcase the opportunities for a purposeful and fulfilling career,” Maynard said.

“Attracting women into investment roles and retaining them in the asset management industry is key. We are proud to support CFA Institute in their critical efforts to bring greater diversity to the investment management industry,” said Frédéric Clément, Global Head of Human Resources at AXA Investment Managers. “As the program expands, we look forward to working together to encourage women to not only join the finance industry but support them as they start their professional journey.”

In addition to AXA IM, major investment management firms have opened their doors to facilitate internships including: BlackRock, BNY Mellon, Bradesco Asset Management, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, State Street, Itaú Investment Services,  and more.

Launched first in India in 2018, the Young Women in Investment program aims to raise awareness, instill interest in, and enable women to view the investment management industry as a viable long-term career option. It is also an attempt to help those young women gain a better understanding of the flexibility within the industry and address concerns that the financial sector disproportionately rewards those who work long and inflexible hours. In 2020, the program was launched in Brazil in a virtual capacity. The program is a part of a wider CFA Institute Women in Investment Management initiative that seeks to improve investor outcomes by encouraging gender diversity in the investment management industry.