Pinnacle Investment Management has launched a new scholarship and career development program to promote women entering the asset management industry.
The Pinnacle Women in Asset Management Scholarship Program targets women in their penultimate year of university studying both finance and non-finance undergraduate courses.
With applications open until 9 June 2025, the initiative is designed to promote and support careers for women in the asset management field.
In particular, Pinnacle’s scholarship offers:
- 12-week paid internship program with the Pinnacle institutional distribution team over the 2025-26 Australian summer period.
- Opportunity to gain experience in an overseas office environment within the internship period.
- A $5,000 bursary (once-off payment to support scholarship recipients in final year of study).
- Mentorship opportunities from experienced industry professionals.
The program sits alongside the firm’s existing women in finance scholarships, which operate in partnership with the University of Queensland, University of NSW, University of Sydney, Macquarie University, and University of Melbourne.
Amy Clampett, Pinnacle group director and head of people and culture, said the new opportunity will complement its existing women in finance scholarships, which have led recipients to take up permanent roles across the company.
“The Pinnacle Women in Asset Management Program will highlight the breadth of career pathways the industry provides beyond technical financial analyst positions, including fund distribution, strategic asset allocation, data analysis, legal and compliance, investor communications, and financial marketing,” Clampett explained.
“Scholarship programs like this not only help promote the industry to talented students, they also assist in developing professional networks, building technical and interpersonal skills, and provide invaluable real-world professional insight and experiences.”
Last October, Blackwattle Investment Partners announced its own mentorship program to empower more women into the funds management industry. The Australian investment manager recognised that the profession remains male-dominated, with women consistently underrepresented particularly in leadership roles.
According to Deloitte, women accounted for just 18 per cent of C-suite positions globally in financial services organisations in 2023. However, without a more concerted effort, global growth in the share of women financial leaders may not even reach 25 per cent by 2031, Deloitte projected.
Research from Future IM/Pact last year discovered a “disappointing” setback in the composition of women in portfolio management roles. The number of female portfolio managers has declined from 23 per cent in 2017 to 19 per cent in 2024.
Key barriers preventing women from progressing further in the profession include lengthy career progression clashing with family planning, lack of female role models, and insufficient endorsement and sponsorship, Future IM/Pact stated.
