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About
Who we are
We support women in the institutional investment community with networking, professional and personal development opportunities, and education programs.
Women Investment Professionals is a Chicago, Illinois-based, non-profit organization that provides a forum for networking and professional development for women involved in institutional investing, including plan sponsors, investment managers, consultants, accountants and attorneys. Women Investment Professionals achieves this objective through a variety of activities, including quarterly events, committee involvement, philanthropic initiatives, its website and newsletter. WIP provides members access to information on job opportunities within the industry by posting positions on its website.
Core Purpose
WIP’s Core Purpose: To foster a professional community that actively inspires, empowers, and advocates for the advancement of women in the investment industry.
Vision
Women investing in women; a community of women inspiring in each other the confidence to achieve their full potential.
Mission
Women Investment Professionals (WIP) is a professional community that enhances women’s opportunities and growth in the investment industry. We accomplish this mission by providing professional and personal development opportunities, educational programs and networking across diverse disciplines, functions, and occupations.
Values
We live in…
INTEGRITY – We strive to be impeccable in all we do and serve as a role model for the investment industry
COLLABORATION – We are committed and purposeful as we invest in and advocate for each other’s success
INCLUSIVITY – We foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community working together toward shared goals
History: How We Came to Be
Women Investment Professionals (WIP) began as a small, loosely knit group of about 15 women who were investment professionals on the institutional side of the business. Current Women Investment Professionals members, Joanne Hickman and Carla Straeten, were the co-founders of the organization established in 1996. Early members found that creating networking opportunities for themselves helped them in exchanging ideas and creating more personal connections within the industry. Where appropriate, they shared business ideas and opportunities as they arose. As word spread and events began to attract more participants, the group decided to become incorporated as Women Investment Professionals in 2000.
Today, WIP Chicago is a non-profit organization that provides a forum for networking and professional development for women involved in institutional investing, including plan sponsors, investment managers, consultants, accountants and attorneys. WIP achieves this objective through a variety of activities, including quarterly events, committee involvement, philanthropic initiatives, its website and newsletter. WIP provides members access to information on job opportunities within the industry by posting positions on its website.