Authored by Laura Merlini, CAIA, CIFD, Managing Director, EMEA and Eva Katsoulakis, UniFi by CAIA™
Sometimes, we need force majeure events to trigger deeper transformations, and such a “perfect storm” is occurring in the financial landscape. Women now control 32% of global wealth, a figure that continues to grow as we move through 2025, according to UBS research. This transcends mere demographic evolution; it fundamentally reimagines how wealth is advised and invested.
I found myself contemplating some parallels between this transformation and women’s experiences in our not-so-distant past. While visiting the “Rosie the Riveter: Womanpower in Wartime” exhibition at the SFO Museum, I reflected on the fact that profound societal shifts can emerge from challenging circumstances and ultimately lead to parity. But must we always wait for cascade-effect events (positive or negative) to advance? This question initiated a thoughtful dialogue with my insightful colleague, Eva Katsoulakis from UniFi by CAIA™, a specialized learning platform designed to provide alts education for professionals across the private wealth management industry.
The Rise of the SHEconomy
We concluded that women’s increasing economic influence, combined with the rise of alternative investments, represents one of the most significant opportunities in finance today. Five years from now, women are expected to control 38% of investable assets— that’s $30 trillion in financial power. Women are becoming the primary beneficiaries through inheritance, increasing earning power, and growing control over household finances. UBS research demonstrates that women are managing this wealth differently, prioritizing resilience, purpose, and long-term thinking—partly due to their longer life expectancy.
Despite this growth, significant barriers remain. Women face funding disparities, limited access to deal flow, and outdated perceptions about risk and leadership, especially in the male-dominated alternative investment industry. These challenges are even more pronounced for women of color and those outside traditional financial networks. If the industry is to fully seize this opportunity, it must eliminate these barriers and adopt more inclusive practices.
Signs of Progress—and Power
Fortunately, change is already underway. Despite these obstacles, promising trends are emerging. Women’s long-term, values-driven approach to investing focusing on sustainability, quality of governance, and life-stage planning aligns well with many alternative investment strategies. Gender-lens investing is definitely gaining traction. UBS research identifies three complementary approaches: investments FOR women through products and services meeting their needs, investments IN women by supporting companies with female leadership, and investments BY women by encouraging female-led portfolios and ventures.
As a matter of fact, women are increasingly leading the charge in creating private equity firms, venture funds, and alternative lending platforms that are focused on closing gender gaps. Research confirms that investment teams with significant female leadership demonstrate more thoughtful risk assessment, reduced portfolio volatility, and equal or superior returns. Women are also driving ESG integration, with 64% always considering environmental, social, and governance factors in their investment decisions, according to UBS. This directs capital toward impact investing, sustainable private equity, and green infrastructure. GIIN research reveals that 84% of gender-lens investors also target climate solutions, recognizing the interconnectedness of these challenges.
The Advisor Gap
But a critical gap remains in how women investors are served. Despite women controlling nearly a third of global wealth, only 15-20% of financial advisors are women, and even fewer specialize in alternative investments. Women investors often prefer different communication styles than those offered by male advisors; they typically focus on life goals and security rather than benchmark performance, and they are more likely to consider alternatives when introduced by advisors who understand their experiences. The complexity of these investments requires advisors who can translate sophisticated strategies into relatable concepts, a skill at which women frequently excel due to their often more empathetic communication style and holistic approach to financial planning. Female advisors also bring invaluable perspective to intergenerational wealth planning, particularly as the great wealth transfer accelerates, creating opportunities for deeper client relationships that extend beyond traditional investment management.
Practical Steps
To that point, if you are interested in entering or advancing in alternative investments in your wealth management practice, several strategies prove effective: developing knowledge in investment strategies and valuation skills (and the CAIA Association is your best ally!), seeking sponsors (not just mentors), joining women-focused investment networks, and creating investment clubs to facilitate knowledge sharing. Developing investment theses that combine financial and impact goals while focusing on sectors matching personal expertise aligns investments with values.
The Rosie Blueprint
As Rosie the Riveter knew how to do bold and manual work, the industry desperately needs competent and confident female advisors who can leverage the idiosyncrasies of the great wealth transfer and advise along the spectrum of risk premia.
As we approach 2030, financial institutions that successfully engage women as investors, leaders, and innovators will pioneer a transformed wealth management landscape utilizing diverse perspectives to address complex global challenges. The “great wealth transfer” has been defined as the “perfect storm,” as it is not merely changing who controls capital; it is changing how that capital will shape our collective future.
Resources:
GIIN: In Focus: Gender and Impact Investing in 2024
UBS: Gender-lens investment: The state of women in 2025
UBS Trending: Women’s wealth transfer could be the “perfect storm”
