According to data from Prequin, less than a fifth of roles in the private equity industry are held by women – the lowest proportion of any alternative asset class.

The representation of female employees differs across industry roles and career levels: 53 per cent of women are in investor relations whereas 13 per cent hold roles in investment teams. Furthermore, while women hold a greater proportion of junior roles (31 per cent), they account for just 10 per cent of senior employees globally. Among senior employees, women hold a quarter of CFO roles but are least likely to be managing partners, accounting for just five per cent of employees with that job title.

Michelle Stern from Prequin said that the research is “particularly striking” given that there is a “growing body of evidence showing that firms which employ more women in key decision-making roles have higher returns and lower risk”. She also said that “This alone suggests that greater female representation should be a priority for the industry.”