Key takeaways that stood out:

• Market realities – Identifying where the "cracks and cockroaches" are hiding in today's markets and what that means for risk management

• Legislative landscape – What's ahead for industry regulation, litigation reform, and inflation policy

• AI's influence – How artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the investment landscape

• Concentration risk – The importance of educating clients about their portfolio exposure in time of increasing (and sometimes hidden) concentration

• Active vs. passive – Where current trends are creating compelling opportunities for active management

We heard consensus that CLOs represent a compelling asset class and strong emphasis on the timeless fundamentals of balance and diversification.

Perhaps most interesting? Even without formal policy changes, major corporations are already adjusting their strategies in response to signals from the current administration—a reminder that other drivers may be even stronger than legislation.

Check out photos of the event. 

Five years after COVID shifted much of our engagement to a virtual environment, we are also thoughtfully evolving our programming to better reflect the current needs of our community. In the year ahead, we have plans to launch new event formats and topics, with the goal of enhancing value for both members and sponsors.

We will also continue to offer our popular signature events, including the Economic Outlook Luncheon on February 11, where a panel of experts will share their insights about what to expect in the year ahead. 

As we embark on this milestone year, I want to encourage you to consider taking a more active role in WIP. Whether you volunteer to help with one event, share a specific idea, provide feedback or join a committee, we are stronger when we all participate.

Best wishes for 2026!

Stacy Scapino
WIP President

If you have questions or would like more information about current opportunities, contact Paula Romanchuk. 

Check out all the event photos.

WIP board presidents serve two-year terms. Stacy will replace former board president Melissa Binder, who has served in the role since July of 2023.

Stacy has served on the WIP board for five years, most recently in the role of chair of the governance and nominating committee. She has been an active member of WIP since 2008.

Stacy brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in financial services, including as head of multiple global business units at Mercer and with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Benefits of hosting WIP a event include:

• A large poster board/sign highlighting your contribution during the event
• Event attendee list 1 day prior to the event
• Special thank you from WIP during closing remarks of the event

We can use spaces large and small for a variety of event types: 

• Educational events (30-75 people)
• Strategy meetings (10-30 people)
• Large networking events (100+ people)
  

If you have space available and would like to participate, please email Info@wipchicago.org and provide the following details about the room(s):

• Location and capacity
• Description (auditorium, theatre style, banquet, conference room, etc. 
• Technology availability and restrictions
• Catering and other rules
• Reservation requirements
• Host contact details

As always, thank you for your continued support of WIP.

Equities

• We saw early reactions to talk of deregulation by Trump's administration in equities, particularly in energy stocks, including natural gas. 
• DOGE similarly provoked immediate losses for stocks that get funding from USAID. 
• In the immediate post-election, consumers and businesses expressed positive sentiment.
• Longer-term impacts are not clear. That uncertainty is creating macro pressures and has led to fewer deals that would have been expected given the potential for deregulation. 
• If DOGE is going to have a significant impact on reducing government spending, they will need to hit Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. 

Fixed income

• The potential for higher inflation is priced into the Treasury curve. The specter of higher interest rates could push yields up. 
• Many of the current administration's proposals have the potential to slow growth. Credit spreads are currently tighter than they have been in years. 

During 2023, 12 student members joined the pilot program from the University of Wisconsin, Loyola University and University of Illinois. In the future, we plan to pursue additional partnerships with select universities in the Chicago area, where the need for targeted women’s investment programming is greater. If you’d like more information or would like to get involved, please contact us.