There is limited research on the weight and presence of women in senior leadership roles within the asset and wealth management industry. However, one of the few recent data points available, published by Heidrick & Struggles, estimates that among the world’s 50 largest asset managers, only 20% of leadership positions are held by women. Even more striking, only 3% of the CEOs at these firms are women.
To mark International Women’s Day, Funds Society turns the spotlight on that 3%, offering a brief guide to the firms where women are leading companies in the asset and wealth management industry, as well as an overview of their professional careers.
Abigail Johnson
President and CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014 (U.S.). She is responsible for the executive leadership of the firm’s corporate operations and administrative functions, as well as all of the company’s diversified business units, including asset management, retail and institutional brokerage, and workplace retirement and benefits services. She was named President in September 2013, assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer in October 2014, and became Chair of the Board in December 2016. Johnson earned a degree in Art History from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1984 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1988. She is also a member of the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School and of the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ariane de Rothschild
CEO of Edmond de Rothschild (Europe). Since 2023, Ariane de Rothschild, who was born in San Salvador, has spent much of her life between Latin America, Europe, and Africa. She began her career in New York on the trading desk of Société Générale. In 1997, Ariane de Rothschild took charge of the family’s non-banking activities and consolidated them under the Edmond de Rothschild Héritage brand. She significantly modernized and expanded the group’s wine and hospitality businesses, continuing a long-standing tradition. In 2006, Ariane de Rothschild joined the Board of Directors of Edmond de Rothschild Holding, and in 2013 she transformed the family’s banking activities by bringing them together under a single brand: Edmond de Rothschild. Under her leadership, the group has expanded its offering, strengthened its position as a 100% family-owned investment firm, and achieved both strong economic success and a deep cultural transformation.
Catherine D. Wood
CEO, Founder, and Chief Investment Officer of ARK Invest (U.S.). Cathie Wood registered ARK Investment Management LLC (“ARK”) as an investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2014. As Chief Investment Officer and portfolio manager, Cathie Wood led the development of ARK’s investment philosophy and approach and is ultimately responsible for the firm’s investment decisions. Before founding ARK, Cathie Wood spent twelve years at AllianceBernstein as Chief Investment Officer of Global Thematic Strategies, where she managed more than 5 billion dollars. She joined Alliance Capital from Tupelo Capital Management, a hedge fund she co-founded that managed approximately 800 million dollars in global thematic strategies in 2000. Prior to her time at Tupelo Capital, she spent 18 years at Jennison Associates LLC as Chief Economist, Equity Research Analyst, Portfolio Manager, and Director. She began her career in Los Angeles, California, at The Capital Group as an Assistant Economist. Cathie Wood graduated with honors in Finance and Economics from the University of Southern California in 1981.
Jasna Ofak
CEO and Chair of the Executive Committee of Swisscanto Asset Management International S.A. (Europe). In her role, she leads the firm’s strategy and international development, offering investment solutions to institutional clients and global distributors through its European hub in Luxembourg. As CEO, Ofak leads the executive team responsible for operations, risk management, compliance, and the development of the asset manager’s international business, supporting the expansion of its investment solutions across Europe and other markets.
Jean Hynes
CEO of Wellington Management (U.S.). She oversees nearly 3,000 employees across 16 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific (APAC). Her strategic priorities include the firm’s globalization, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, integrating technology across the business, and positioning the company for the future of active management. Over the course of nearly 30 years at Wellington, Jean Hynes has analyzed the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, and has also served as a health care sector portfolio manager and leader of the Health Care team. She is one of five female CEOs among the world’s 20 largest asset managers and has received multiple industry awards. Since 2014, Jean Hynes has been one of the firm’s three managing partners, jointly responsible for the governance of Wellington Management. She is based in the firm’s Boston office.
Jenny Johnson
CEO of Franklin Templeton (U.S.). Over a career spanning more than 35 years, Jenny Johnson has held leadership roles across all major divisions of the firm’s business, including investment management, distribution, technology, operations, and wealth management, before becoming Chief Executive Officer in February 2020. In recent years, she has led the evolution of the firm’s business, further diversifying its investment capabilities and client solutions through strategic acquisitions and key investments. She has also been included for four consecutive years in Forbes’ list of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” and has appeared every year since 2020 in Barron’s list of the “100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance.” In 2024, the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board, awarded her the Distinguished Leadership Award. Johnson holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Davis.
Karin van Baardwijk
CEO of Robeco (Europe). Karin van Baardwijk is Chief Executive Officer of Robeco and Chair of the Executive Committee. She previously served as Deputy CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Head of Global Information Services, and Head of Operational Risk Management at Robeco.
Karin van Baardwijk began her career in the financial sector in 2004 at Atos Consulting. She holds a master’s degree in Business Economics and a master’s degree in Corporate Law from Utrecht University.
Kate Burke
CEO of Allspring Global Investments (U.S.). In addition to serving as CEO, Kate Burke is a member of the Board of Directors of Allspring Global Investments. Prior to her current role, she served as President of Allspring after joining the firm in September 2023. She brings extensive industry experience spanning many aspects of the asset management business. Kate Burke joined Allspring from AllianceBernstein, where she most recently served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Before that, she was Head of Bernstein Private Wealth and Chief Administrative Officer. She has also served as the firm’s Chief Human Capital Officer and Chief Talent Officer. Kate Burke currently serves on the Board of Directors of the College of the Holy Cross and Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, where she is also a member of the executive committee. She holds a degree in Economics from the College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Mary Callahan Erdoes
CEO of the Asset & Wealth Management division at JPMorgan Chase (U.S.). Since joining the firm 30 years ago, Mary Callahan Erdoes has held several leadership roles within Asset & Wealth Management before becoming its CEO in 2009 and joining the JPMorgan Chase Operating Committee, the firm’s highest leadership body. Mary Callahan Erdoes holds a degree in Mathematics from Georgetown University. She is a member of the Global Advisory Council at Harvard University, where she earned her MBA, as well as a member of the Board of Harvard Management Company and the U.S.-China Business Council. Erdoes lives in New York City and has three daughters.
Mellody Hobson
Co-CEO and Chair of Ariel Investment Trust (U.S.). As Co-CEO, Mellody Hobson is responsible for the management, strategic planning, and growth of all areas of Ariel. She also chairs the Board of Directors of Ariel Investments’ publicly traded mutual funds. Before being named Co-CEO, Mellody Hobson served for nearly two decades as President of Ariel. In 2025, she founded Project Level® to help change the landscape of women’s sports. Mellody Hobson also co-founded Ariel Alternatives, LLC in 2021 and its first private equity fund, Project Black®. In addition to Ariel, she serves as a director of JPMorgan Chase and is former Chair of Starbucks Corporation. Mellody Hobson was also a long-time board member of Estée Lauder Companies and served as Chair of DreamWorks Animation until the company’s sale in 2016. She is a well-known advocate for financial literacy and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Executive Committee of the Investment Company Institute, and LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. In 2019, Mellody Hobson received the Woodrow Wilson Award, the highest honor annually granted by Princeton University to an alumnus whose career reflects a commitment to national service. She has also received honorary doctorates from Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College, and the University of Southern California.
Mirela Agache Durand
CEO of Groupama AM (Europe). Appointed to this role in 2020, Mirela Agache Durand is a CFA charterholder and holds a PhD in plasma physics. She began her career in 1998 at Oddo & Cie, where she successively held roles as financial engineer, portfolio manager of balanced funds, and later head of the multi-asset and multi-manager investment team. In 2014, Mirela Agache Durand joined La Banque Postale Asset Management as Deputy Chief Investment Officer. Since 2017, she has served as CEO of Tocqueville Finance, a role she held simultaneously with her responsibilities as Co-CEO of LBPAM.
Valérie Baudson
CEO of Amundi (Europe). In May 2021, Valérie Baudson was appointed CEO of Amundi. Previously, since 2016, she had served as CEO of CPR AM, an Amundi subsidiary recognized for its active management capabilities in thematic and ESG funds. At that time, she also became a member of Amundi’s General Management Committee and took on oversight of the firm’s subsidiaries in Germany and Switzerland. Valérie Baudson joined Amundi in 2007 to lead the development of its ETF business, which would later become the largest player in Europe in this segment. In 2013, she joined Amundi’s Executive Committee and, in 2020, assumed global responsibility for the firm’s wholesale and wealth management division. Before joining Amundi, Valérie Baudson served as Secretary General and later Head of Marketing for Europe at Cheuvreux, the European brokerage subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole Group. She began her career in 1995 at Banque Indosuez, in the General Audit department. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of CA Indosuez Wealth and a board observer at PREDICA. In addition, she serves on the Strategic Committee of the Association Française de la Gestion Financière (AFG) and is President of the Investors’ College of Paris Europlace. In 2022, she was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the French Legion of Honour). That same year, together with Yves Perrier, she received the Financier of the Year award granted by Andese (Association Nationale des Docteurs ès Sciences Économiques et en Sciences de Gestion). Valérie Baudson graduated from the business school HEC Paris.
Yie-Hsin Hung
President and CEO of State Street Investment Management (U.S.). In addition to her current roles, Yie-Hsin Hung is a member of the State Street Executive Committee, the company’s senior leadership team. She also co-leads the firm’s Corporate Strategy and Marketing functions and oversees the State Street Markets business. Before joining State Street, Yie-Hsin Hung served as CEO of New York Life Investment Management. In 2025, she was included in Barron’s list of the “100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance” and in American Banker’s list of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Finance.” In 2024, she was named to Forbes’ list of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.” In 2023, Pensions & Investments recognized her as one of the “Most Influential Women in Institutional Investing.” She is a former Chair of the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute and serves on the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University, as well as being a member of C200, The Women’s Forum of New York, and the National Association of Corporate Directors. Yie-Hsin Hung holds an MBA from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University. In 2019, she received the Distinguished Alumni Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Northwestern Alumni Association.
