At this year’s AGM, Claudia Stanghellini, Lena Ellertsson Freedman, and Eva Rosén left their seats. After careful consideration, the nomination committee proposed the election of Helene Idenstedt, who has been a deputy board member since 2022, as an ordinary board member. Additionally, Christina Berg, a member of KvinnoKapital since its inception, was elected as board member, along with two new deputy board members, Anahita Asadi and Huizi Zeng.
To get to know the new board- and deputy- board members, better we have asked these three ambitious and inspiring women to share their reasons for joining the board and a personal experience that could be beneficial for other women in the industry.
Christina Berg holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the School of Business, Economics, and Law in Gothenburg. With a career in the asset management industry since 1991, she currently serves as a senior manager research analyst at Länsförsäkringar Asset Management. Christina will bring valuable experience from the asset management industry as well as great board experience to the board of KvinnoKapital.
– I hope that my experience in the asset management industry will benefit Kvinnokapital’s board. Having been a ‘arbetstagarrepresentant’ on the board of Länsförsäkringar Fondförvaltning for 10 years, I bring valuable experience in board work to Kvinnokapital. I’ve been part of Kvinnokapital since the beginning and felt it was time to be more actively involved in running the network. Although much has changed since I started in the asset management industry in the ’90s, there is still room for improvement in encouraging women to choose the asset management industry for their careers.
Anahita Asadi joined KvinnoKapital in the summer of 2022 upon returning to Stockholm. Having previously focused on investing in private equity and private debt funds, she is now focusing on fundraising and client management in the Nordics for Ninety One (formerly Investec), a South African asset manager. Anahita has roughly eight years of experience in the asset management industry. She studied Economics and Social Studies with Finance at the University of Manchester and has worked abroad in both London and Edinburgh. Anahita emphasizes the importance of openness, stating:
– I believe that being open minded and not overthink is something that i have learnt to adapt overtime.
Drawing from her extensive experience, Anahita aims to contribute to KvinnoKapital by creating more opportunities for knowledge sharing and continue to support women in the industry.
– Looking to move back to Stockholm after having lived in the UK for 10 years, I was very glad to come across KvinnoKapital from my previous colleague. By joining the board I hope to increase the awareness across my wider international network as I would have loved to know about KvinnoKapital earlier in my career. This organisation run exceptional events and networking opportunities in Stockholm and hopefully in more locations going forward. My aim is to continue support fellow females in the industry to collectively keep growing in all aspects but also aspiring females that are curious about the industry.
Huizi Zeng, a Portfolio Manager at Espiria Asset Management specializing in global equities and sustainable investments, brings 15 years of experience in investment operations and a passion for impact investing. Holding degrees from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China and the Stockholm School of Economics, Huizi has worked with notable firms such as Willis Towers Watson, Beringer Finance, and East Capital across Asia and the Nordics. Reflecting on her journey, Huizi says:
– The power of the network isn’t just in the breadth of connections but in the depth of relationships formed. It’s this meaningful exchange and mutual support that I find most rewarding. My wish to foster this environment led me to join the board this year, where I hope to help extend this support network to empower more women in our industry.
Huizi’s experience, including a brief departure from the sector, underscores the significance of aligning personal values with professional endeavors.
– In late 2018, while expecting my child, I contemplated leaving the finance sector after a decade. The industry’s value system, focused heavily on financial metrics, seemed increasingly at odds with my personal view of a meaningful career, one that also makes tangible contributions to society. During the break, I sought intellectual engagement and explored a myriad of topics, from 3rd world country development to cancer research. It was during this explorative phase that I also discovered impact investing, which ultimately lured me back to asset management 2.5 years later. This experience reinforced my belief in the alignment of personal values with professional endeavors. I realized that stepping away from the industry didn’t signify a detour but rather a strategic pause for introspection. Such ‘detours’ can refine our career paths and personal values. I’d make an analogy of broad learning as a form of networking; it opens doors to unforeseen opportunities and connections. Allow yourself the liberty to explore – it can profoundly inform your career and personal growth.
