The Future of Wealth is Female - Meet the Key Capital Team

More women than ever are investing their long-term savings and taking an active role in future-proofing family finances. The team at Key Capital Private Wealth Management in Ireland is with them every step of the way, with a series of compelling initiatives that empower their investment journeys.

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One of the biggest financial shifts in recent decades has been the surge of economic power and influence wielded by women. The 2020s are set to be a transformational decade with more women in leadership positions than ever before; increasing numbers of female-led businesses and female entrepreneurs; unprecedented wealth transfer between generations of women; and higher levels of wealth being generated by women than ever before.

After decades of wealth management being a male- dominated endeavour, wealth management companies globally are reporting higher levels of engagement by women, who are taking a more active role in investing for their futures and that of their families than in previous decades. Marina Giblin, Director, Wealth Management at Key Capital Private, attests to witnessing such a shift in their client base. “We have definitely seen a shift to more female clients taking a proactive role in the management of their portfolios and we are working more with female advisors in the legal and taxation world who are advising their clients,” she says. “There is also a noticeable demographic shift in female clients under 40 who are leading accounts to a more 50/50 split.”

As a company, Key Capital, which is Irish-owned and headquartered in Dublin, has taken proactive steps to encourage this shift. “Ten years ago, primarily only men would be at the investment meetings, but we made a conscious effort at Key Capital to support and prompt the inviting of partners, families and all the trusted advisors around the table. We have also changed the way we do things to make investment events more educational and interesting for women,” explains Marina.

Marina marks 30 years in the industry this year, after starting in the 1990s in San Francisco as an assistant to one of the only female brokers at Smith Barney before moving to Charles Schwab. She returned to Ireland in 2000, working with BOI Private Banking, before joining Key Capital ten years ago.

“We have been working quietly over the past decade to empower women on their finance and investing journeys,” she says. “We have run many events focused on this aim, including our Key Capital ‘Women in Investing’ series; as well as sponsoring ‘Going for Growth’, an initiative that champions leading female entrepreneurs in Ireland; and supporting various charities with a female focus.”

Seonadh Johnson also spent time in the financial industry abroad before returning to Dublin to take up a position
as Director, Wealth Management. “I’ve spent two decades working abroad since graduating, 16 years of which was with JP Morgan gaining experience with international clients and multi-jurisdictional families,” she says. Seonadh also spent time on the trading floor before moving to private banking. “I decided to relocate home after Brexit and I chose to join Key Capital because it’s well-positioned to serve Ireland’s successful entrepreneurs and the Rising Generations.”

“We have built a great network of advisors from large multinational organisations and local boutique firms. Our relationships with these advisors help us make, and receive, meaningful referrals. They also help us ensure that each of our clients has a strong team of advisors around the table.”

Research by McKinsey has found that women place a high value on finding a strong team of advisors, as well as establishing a personal connection with them. They are also more likely than men to seek professional advice and less likely to feel confident about their own skill at financial decision making.

Relationship Manager Leanne Malone, who has been part of the Key Capital team for almost a decade, highlights the importance of this personal connection given the level of vulnerability clients often feel around their wealth. It was a desire to build these strong relationships with clients and to help families with their wealth that led Leanne’s career from banking to Key Capital.

“There are four broad categories of how people come into money: inheritance, selling a business, winning money and high income earners. We have vast experience dealing with each of these groups and pride ourselves on offering a bespoke service to each client. We work closely with them to assess their risk appetite and any concerns or issues. When it comes to wealth management, one size does not fit all.”

Read more about the career journeys of Marina Giblin, Seonadh Johnson and Leanne Malone in the pdf link below.