Private Equity Women Investor Network expands to Nigeria

The Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN), a global networking organization for senior women in private equity, has now expanded to Nigeria, following the formal launch of PEWIN Africa earlier in the year, in South Africa.

The invitation-only members organization, with chapters in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia, has been expanding internationally, opening London and Hong Kong chapters in 2015 in its first international expansion move.

Future expansion on the continent will include Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya, its representatives say.

PEWIN hosted an Africa Institutional Investor Roundtable in Lagos, Nigeria on November 10 2016. This event was attended by nearly 30 senior women investors representing pension fund administrators, fund managers, development finance institutions, insurance companies and other stakeholders focused on private equity.

The purpose of the event was to bring into focus the role of private equity, not only as a developmental tool for the country at large, but also for women in Nigeria.

The theme of the roundtable discussion was, “Will Private Equity Save Nigeria?” and speakers included Titi Lawani, CEO of Progress Trust CPFA, Eme Essien, Country Head IFC, Abimbola Sulaiman, Head of Investments, PAL Pensions PFA and Ijeoma Agboti-Obatoyinbo, a senior private equity advisor.

PEWIN’s expansion in Africa comes as the investment management and private equity industries are increasing their focus on how to boost the number of women working in the industry, which is one of the most male-dominated areas of financial services.

The recently published McKinsey Women Matter Report also underscores this point on gender diversity in the workplace in Africa. According to the report, women are under-represented at every level of the corporate ladder, and fall in number the higher they climb as only 5% of women make it to the top.

Kelly Williams, Chair of PEWIN states, “It’s so rare that you interact or see a woman across the table from you on a daily basis. So we have to create these events. There is a real pent-up demand for women to have other women to talk to, to share their experience with, to do business with. We have seen a great response wherever we go.”

Joanne Yoo, Co-Chair of PEWIN Africa and MD of CBO Investment Management states, “This event has taken place at a critical inflection in Nigeria where PE can truly play an important role in mobilizing long term capital into local businesses. We have observed that there are many women in senior decision making roles who have the ability to make significant impact on the Nigerian economy.” This theme is also reflected in a recent piece published by the Financial Times and co- authored by PEWIN members, Aubrey Hruby and Joanne Yoo, titled “The Missing Middle in African Private Equity”.

The Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN) provides an intimate forum for senior women general partners, limited partners and private equity professionals to network, share investment ideas, explore potential opportunities to work together and generally increase the profile of female leaders in our industry.

Founded in 2008, this invitation-only group currently has approximately 400 members globally at the most senior levels of their respective firms. PEWIN has also become a natural network for its many women CIOs and hosts several high profile CIO Roundtable events throughout the year in various locations where our members gain unprecedented access to this elite group of women leaders in the industry.

LOLADE AKINMURELE