Key Takeaways
- • Private Equity International's Women of Influence in Private Markets list recognizes 42 women leaders driving innovation and strategy across the alternative assets industry, now in its fifth year of publication.
- • The annual program spotlights female professionals working across fund management, alternative asset classes, and private markets who are advancing deal structures, ESG initiatives, and diversity and inclusion efforts.
- • Women highlighted on the list are shaping the industry across multiple verticals including secondaries, with recognition extending to leaders developing new strategies and pushing institutional progress on environmental, social, and governance standards.
- • PEI Group's initiative includes an annual summit dedicated to networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among women in private markets, with 2026 nominations now open to the broader industry.
Summary
Private Equity International's Women of Influence in Private Markets program has established itself as a cornerstone recognition initiative for female leadership in the alternative assets industry. Now in its fifth year, the editorial teams at PEI Group and PERE have curated a list of 42 women making measurable impact across private equity, private credit, real estate, secondaries, and related asset classes.
The program extends beyond simple recognition, serving as a platform to showcase women driving substantive change in traditionally male-dominated markets. Honorees are selected based on their contributions to developing innovative deal structures, establishing new investment strategies, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion alongside ESG integration across their organizations. The list reflects professionals at various career stages within fund management and institutional alternatives, ensuring representation across the sector.
The Women of Influence initiative includes an associated annual summit designed to foster networking and knowledge transfer among participants. This convening brings together industry leaders for two days of collaboration focused on shared challenges and emerging opportunities in private markets. The program's anniversary retrospectives have highlighted how women on previous lists have shaped industry evolution over the past decade, from strategy development to institutional governance.
For 2026, PEI Group has opened nominations to the broader investment community, with a deadline set for end of day Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The nomination process invites funds, platforms, and industry participants to identify women advancing the sector. This annual cycle underscores the program's commitment to ongoing recognition of emerging and established female leaders reshaping private markets across all major asset classes.
The program extends beyond simple recognition, serving as a platform to showcase women driving substantive change in traditionally male-dominated markets. Honorees are selected based on their contributions to developing innovative deal structures, establishing new investment strategies, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion alongside ESG integration across their organizations. The list reflects professionals at various career stages within fund management and institutional alternatives, ensuring representation across the sector.
The Women of Influence initiative includes an associated annual summit designed to foster networking and knowledge transfer among participants. This convening brings together industry leaders for two days of collaboration focused on shared challenges and emerging opportunities in private markets. The program's anniversary retrospectives have highlighted how women on previous lists have shaped industry evolution over the past decade, from strategy development to institutional governance.
For 2026, PEI Group has opened nominations to the broader investment community, with a deadline set for end of day Tuesday, May 20, 2025. The nomination process invites funds, platforms, and industry participants to identify women advancing the sector. This annual cycle underscores the program's commitment to ongoing recognition of emerging and established female leaders reshaping private markets across all major asset classes.
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