A new style of Alternative Investment Conference (AICON) is to be held on 23rd February 2023 at RIBA in London. The event from a leading UK Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) charity, SEO London, is designed to increase access and career development for professionals from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the alternative investment space.
Discussing the need to raise the profile of underrepresented groups in the investment careers arena, Nathalie Richards, CEO of SEO London, and host of AICON said: “To improve diversity in the finance sector, we need to showcase our brightest and best voices from underrepresented groups within the industry. At AICON, they will take centre stage, highlighting the amazing diverse talent within the industry and providing them with the expert insights and networks to further accelerate their careers.”
The conference lineup will include keynote speaker Nic Humphries, executive chairman of Hg Capital, in conversation with Lynn Akashi, founding partner and chief strategy officer of Zetland Capital, in a keynote fireside chat.
SEO London alumni, Nishi Somaiya, who is now a partner and global co-head of growth equity at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, will help to inspire the next generation through her participation in an expert panel on growth equity and navigating the tech landscape. Dana Haimoff, Managing Director at JP Morgan Asset Management, will help moderate a panel on opportunities and challenges within Private Equity.
The inaugural half-day event will include expert insights from industry leaders across private equity, growth equity, credit, real estate, impact investing, and emerging markets and will also provide networking opportunities within the alternative investments industry.
Nathalie continues: “It’s encouraging to have so many people signed up to attend our first AICON and I think it shows how far the industry has come in taking the diversity and inclusion agenda seriously. There is still a long way to go to make the finance sector representative of the UK population, however, we hope the conference and the talented speakers on the day will help inspire more positive changes.”
SEO London (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Ltd) is a UK-registered charity delivering superior educational, training and mentoring support to young people from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds.
Why AICON?
Gain insight from industry leaders including private equity, growth equity, credit, real estate, emerging markets, sustainable investing
Engage with Limited and General Partners
Network with leaders and peers in the alternative Investments Industry
Who should attend?
Working professionals within the alternative investments industry
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, Ltd. (SEO London) is a UK-registered charity delivering superior educational, training, and mentoring support to young people from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds. SEO London programmes focus on pre-professional development (Schools programmes), career access (Careers programmes), access to meaningful employment (Beyond Barriers programme), and long-term success within elite global industries (Alumni programmes). Founded in 2000, SEO London has subsequently delivered two decades of transformative leadership in the UK workplace diversity and inclusion segment. Thousands of SEO London alumni now work in the UK and global corporates and firms, many holding senior leadership positions.
SEO London goes far beyond recruitment operations to create a lasting and powerful community of diverse talent with over 25,000 registered candidates from more than 120 UK universities. Our holistic training helps candidates to succeed deep into their careers. Our charitable mission and structure magnify our impact by permitting us to engage with more than 8,000 alumni in our training and mentorship programmes. SEO London engages with a gender-balanced mix of ethnically diverse candidates with strong academic performance, social-mobility-qualifying characteristics and demonstrated interest in the industries we work with.
OUR VISION: A society where everyone, regardless of background, has an equal opportunity to achieve long-term professional and personal success.
OUR MISSION: To prepare talented students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds for career success.
About the speakers
Nathalie Richards Chief Executive Officer, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO London) – A registered charity
Nathalie is passionate about creating career opportunities for young people from underserved groups. She joined SEO London after a two-decade-long career in the charity, education and consulting sectors and is dedicated to transforming the lives of talented, underrepresented young people whilst simultaneously addressing the lack of diversity in certain career paths.
Nishi Somaiya, Global Co-Head Goldman Sachs Growth Equity
Nishi is global co-head of Growth Equity in the Asset Management Division. She is a member of the Partnership Committee, Global Diversity Committee, EMEA Inclusion and Diversity Committee, Merchant Banking Division Growth Investment Committee, Specialty Lending Group Investment Committee and Sustainable Investing Group Investment Committee. Nishi also serves on the Board of Advisors for Launch With GS, Goldman Sachs’ $500 million commitment to invest in companies and investment managers with diverse leadership.
Lynn Akashi, Founding Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, Zetland Capital
Lynn is a Founding Partner of Zetland Capital, leading the firm’s growth and change initiatives to bring about our long-term goals and vision. She believes we must all live our values, with a leadership style that is grounded in inclusion, transparency and clarity of purpose.
To find out more about the conference please visit here.
Featured Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
