The staff members of Money Management Executive have put our heads together to discuss changes to our content for the remaining of 2013 through 2014. One consensus: We want more voices from women.
Check out the crowd at industry conferences. Look at the front page of MME (besides this issue). Speak with mutual fund directors around the country. The reality is that women appear to be relatively few and far between.
At the same time, women are 39% of MME's print and online readers, according to data compiled by Lodestar Research.
What does that reflect?
It shows opportunity and a need for stronger female representation within our issues, which we plan to do by profiling a larger number of leaders who are women in the mutual fund/ETF space.
We'll build on insights and lessons learned from our sister publications' Women Advisors Forum - events tailored to address the professional needs and interests of women in the financial advisory industry.
Among the many other initiatives for the rest of 2013 and beyond: a stronger focus on opportunities and challenges associated with technology for mutual fund/ETF managers. In a world with growing challenges in client reporting and risk management, the need for technological efficiency is key, fund managers say. Automation, for example, to reduce the likelihood of human error is essential, Nancy Wiser, chief operating officer of Wells Fargo Funds Management, told me following this year's Money Management Executive Operations Survey.
"Managing current risks and identifying emerging risks will be more and more important for fund managers," she said. "The world is moving at a faster pace and changes are happening more quickly, which will introduce new risks." According to Wiser, it is imperative for mutual fund companies, asset management companies and service providers to know where risks exist - whether they're technical or operational - which can be achieved through improvements in technology.
Look out for these initiatives and more in our upcoming issues.
—Paula Vasan, Managing Editor
