Women of the Wealth Shortlist
We highlight the female fund managers to watch on the Wealth Shortlist.
Emma Wall,
Head of Investment
Analysis &
Research
Fund management is an industry that is sadly far from equal. Until recently, Morningstar’s annual gender split report revealed that there were more men called Dave running money in the UK than women. In 2022 female fund managers surpassed this number, totalling 184 to 59 Daves – but a paltry figure compared to the 1,512 male fund managers.
Why does it matter? Are women better investors than men? If you’re expecting an answer that includes the “fairer” sex’s assumed virtues – patience, serenity, and tentativeness then you’ll be disappointed (and we definitely haven’t met).
This isn’t about who is the better investor. Rather, that different types of investors – a mix of people making investment decisions, with different views, challenges and thought processes – are more likely to produce more resilient investment ideas. Much like a well-diversified portfolio requires investments in different geographies, asset classes (like shares and bonds) and types of company to give it the best chance to thrive.
Ethnicity, background, education, religion, and gender - diversity of thought can come from many different reasons. Which is where Financially Fearless comes in, we believe investing is for everyone. That’s why we want to shine the spotlight on some female investors we think are among the best in the business, to help inspire you to take the first step towards your financial freedom.
The Wealth Shortlist
Below you’ll find female fund managers that feature on the Wealth Shortlist – funds selected by our analysts that we think have the greatest performance potential.
The Wealth Shortlist is designed to help investors build well-balanced and diversified portfolios. If you're unsure investing is right for you, read more about whether you should save or invest.
On this page we explore female run funds, but it’s not personal advice. If you’re not sure what’s best for you, ask for financial advice. All investments can fall as well as rise in value, so you could get back less than you invest.
It’s also worth noting that investing in these funds isn’t right for everyone. You should only invest if the fund’s objectives are aligned with your own, and there’s a specific need for the type of investment being made.
You should understand the specific risks of a fund before you invest, and make sure any new investment forms part of a long-term (5+ years) diversified portfolio.
Female run fund case studies
Charlotte Yonge, Troy Trojan
Charlotte Younge and Sebastian Lyon run this fund, which takes a total return approach, meaning that rather than trying to keep up with every sharp move up in the market, it aims to grow investors' money steadily over time, while limiting losses when markets fall. The process looks to reduce volatility compared to the stock market – it is designed to smooth the bumps. It does this through investing in a mix of shares, bonds, gold and cash.
As a result, we think it could form the foundation of a broad investment portfolio, bring some stability to a more adventurous portfolio, or provide some long-term growth potential to a more conservative portfolio. While the fund contains a diverse range of investments, it is concentrated and includes smaller companies, which is a higher-risk approach.
While the fund contains a diverse range of investments, it is concentrated and includes smaller companies, which is a higher-risk approach.
More information on Troy Trojan, including charges
Olivia Micklem, Artemis US Smaller Companies
This fund has been managed by the experienced Cormac Weldon since its launch in 2014, and Olivia Micklem was appointed as co-manager in 2022. They seek smaller companies with good potential for their share price to grow relative to the risk of the business. We like the way the managers consider how the US economy is performing to identify sectors that are benefiting from trends, as well as the areas that are finding things tough.
The fund aims to deliver long-term growth by investing in smaller companies based in the US. Smaller businesses are often among the most innovative and offer lots of growth potential, but they're higher risk than their larger counterparts. The fund usually consists of 40-60 companies. Holding a smaller number of investments can increase risk, as each has a larger impact on performance.
More information on Artemis US Smaller Companies, including charges
Johanna Kyrklund and Remi Olu-Pitan, Schroder Managed Balanced
This is a ‘fund of funds’ run by Johanna Kyrklund and Remi Olu-Pitan, supported by a team of investors. Primarily invested in funds run by other talented Schroders fund managers, the investments collectively represent hundreds of different companies and bonds. This means the fund provides a high level of diversification in one convenient investment.
The managers tend to favour shares when the economic environment is positive. But in times of stress, they shift to more diversified assets, such as bonds and cash, aiming to minimise losses. The managers’ freedom to invest in emerging markets, high yield bonds and derivatives adds risk.
The fund also has a holding in Hargreaves Lansdown.
More information on Schroder Managed Balanced, including charges
More fearless female fund managers on the Wealth Shortlist
| Fund | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Kirsty Desson | Abrdn Global Smaller Companies | Manager |
| Grace Le | Artemis Corporate Bond | Co-manager |
| Audrey Ryan | Aegon Ethical Equity | Manager |
| Kirsty Gibson | Baillie Gifford American | Co-manager |
| Lesley Dunn & Nicoleta Dumitru | Baillie Gifford Sustainable Income | Co-managers |
| Rosie Simmonds | Barings Europe Select | Co-manager |
| Lauren Romeo | FTF Royce US Smaller Companies | Manager |
| Victoria Stevens | Liontrust UK Growth | Co-Manager |
| Emily Badger | Man Japan CoreAlpha | Deputy Manager |
Aegon Ethical Equity and Liontrust UK Growth both have a holding in Hargreaves Lansdown plc.
How to invest in these funds
If you want to invest in these funds, we offer a wide variety of investment accounts at HL. Find out what account could be right for you.