Women in Finance network: a strategic asset during uncertain times

As we enter 2026, the world is faced with uncertainty in geopolitics, economic volatility as well as unprecedented speeds of development of artificial intelligence and technologies that evolve and touch every aspect of our everyday lives.

During times of turmoil, resilient leadership is not just nice to have, it is a strategic necessity. Corporate leaders today are faced with a variety of dilemmas, from short-term questions around market volatility to longer-term quandaries of the impact of digital disruption on human capital.

While technology can be harnessed to improve analytics and efficiency in business, it cannot generate the trust and resilience that a peer network can.

Communities that foster dialogue, create opportunities for collaboration, and lead to strategic insights are a unique asset that can equip and enable leaders to navigate the turbulence of the global economy.

A community that is centered around a core topic can be even more influential, as has been shown by a unique group at the World Economic Forum called Women in Finance.

This group of financial service executives from around the world, represent industries from private equity, banking and asset management, hedge funds, pension funds, venture capital, and real estate. Originally led by Tzu-Mi Liew, Chief Investment Officer for Fixed Income at GIC; Christiana Riley, President and CEO of Santander US; Karen Karniol-Tambour, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Bridgewater Associates; and Lisha Patel, Managing Partner & Co-Chief Investment Officer at Wellcome Trust, the community came together after the disruptions of the COVID pandemic to coalesce not around gender identity, but a shared sense of responsibility and insight exchange in a rapidly-changing world.

Bringing the community together acts as a multiplier – of networks, of foresight, problem solving and mentorship. It creates a new and different space for shared intelligence, insight and clarity to focus on the key issues of the day.

The focus of convenings and conversations is not about being a female executive, but rather on the macroeconomic issue of the day and provides a unique cross-industry venue to exchange ideas and solve problems.

What makes this community strategic and innovative is the combined expertise of global leaders from the Middle East to Latin America, and sourced from the entire financial services ecosystem, from alternative asset managers to real estate.

At a recent meeting, the group discussed and debated two key market developments: the implications of the rise of non-bank lending as well as the evolution of stablecoins on market infrastructure and the future of fiat currency.

In a virtual room that was designed for candid conversation, the discussion did not aim to reach a categorical consensus and instead focused on the nuance of the topics. The meeting was technical, future-looking, and covered a wide array of issues in the financial services ecosystem. This diversity of thought, expertise and geographic range makes this community a unique and powerful tool for business leaders to stay ahead of insights and maintain resilience amidst continuing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

Despite the advances women have made in reaching the highest echelons of power in boardrooms and politics, recent research shows that trust in female leaders is falling and that some of the progress made to date in increasing female participation in corporate jobs may be stalling. Studies show that market outperformance in gender diverse teams is highly dependent on the context and that the more gender diversity is accepted in a country, the more observed are the valuation and revenue numbers. This makes networks like Women in Finance even more vital to normalize female leadership and dialogue on business, not on gender.

The goal is not exclusion, nor a diversity initiative. The ambition is rewiring network nodes to create new ones. Network science expert Rob Burt has demonstrated that external brokered networks lead to more innovative ideas, greater access to differentiated information and other benefits. Research across the board shows that leaders who maintain rich external networks see better firm performance and strategic decision-making.

This is exactly the goal of our community: creating strong links is in service of organizational resilience, growth and innovation, and we hope to see it grow here and serve as a model for other networks that will enable leaders to adapt and navigate today’s complex landscape.

The Forum’s strength is in creating trusted spaces, connecting diverse voices to share perspectives, and focusing on global challenges. The Women in Finance community is an example of the power of convening, communicating and collaborating.