The Case for Gender-Diverse Investment Committees: Better Decisions, Better Returns
The composition of an Investment Committee (IC) can significantly influence a fund’s performance. Research indicates that gender-diverse ICs deliver stronger governance and more robust investment decisions. Despite these benefits, women remain underrepresented in ICs across Southeast Asia, a gap that presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the industry.
In private equity and venture capital, the IC is the ultimate gatekeeper. It’s where ideas become investments, and where a single decision can shape the trajectory of an entire fund. But there’s a problem: across Southeast Asia, ICs remain overwhelmingly homogeneous, and it’s costing funds real opportunities.
Working with our technical assistance partner, Sagana, we have created a guide on Gender Unlocking Value with Gender-Diverse Investment Committees, for use by fund managers, limited partners and general partners.
Why Gender Diversity Matters for ICs
When ICs are made up of similar backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints, they’re more likely to fall into groupthink, missing out on promising deals that don’t fit the traditional mold. Gender-diverse committees, on the other hand, bring different lenses to the table, spotting overlooked opportunities and mitigating blind spots in risk assessment.
Our new thought piece, Unlocking Value with Gender-Diverse Investment Committees, dives deep into this issue. The findings are clear: gender-diverse ICs deliver stronger, smarter decisions.
So, what’s holding us back?
- Recruitment practices often depend on established networks and narrowly defined notions of “merit,” typically focused on decades of PE/VC experience.
- Career progression barriers mean fewer women make it to the senior leadership roles that lead to IC seats.
- Investor expectations can unintentionally reinforce these barriers by requiring experience thresholds that many talented women simply haven’t had the industry tenure to meet.
This isn’t just a diversity problem, it’s a missed business opportunity. Funds that fail to diversify their ICs are leaving value on the table.
What’s Inside the Guide
We created this guide to help fund managers and investors turn intent into action:
- Building Inclusive ICs: Practical solutions for creating gender-balanced decision-making structures.
- Peer Insights: Real case studies from funds that have already made the shift.
- Resources to Get Started: Tools and frameworks you can apply today.
- The Business Case: Hard evidence showing why gender diversity equals better outcomes.
Set the Standard for Inclusive Investing
If you’re a GP, LP, or anyone shaping the future of private capital in Southeast Asia, this guide is for you. Inclusive ICs aren’t a nice-to-have, they’re a competitive advantage. Stronger returns, smarter investments, fairer systems—it all starts with who’s in the room.