Women in Fund Finance

We are pleased to share exciting updates from Women in Fund Finance (WFF). After receiving significant interest and considering many exceptional candidates for the WFF Americas Co-Head leadership role, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Michele Simons as our newest Co-Head of Women in Fund Finance Americas, joining Fazillah Durante, CFA and Holly Morgan Loftis. Michele will fill the vacancy caused by Ann Knox’s transition to join Dee Dee Sklar as Global Co-Chair of WFF. Michele's extensive expertise, longstanding commitment to WFF and the Fund Finance Association (FFA), along with her proven leadership within the financial services industry, make her an outstanding choice to advance WFF's mission. Michele has been an integral part of WFF, serving as a founding member of the WFF U.S. Committee since inception in 2017. Michele is a universally respected industry veteran and is currently serving as Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets at 5C Investment Partners, where she oversees capital markets and co-investment opportunities. Prior to her current role, she spent 11 years at Wells Fargo, where she held several senior leadership positions within their Subscription Finance and Asset Backed Finance Platforms, serving as Co-Head of Origination, managing lending facilities for private equity-style funds and leading origination, structuring and execution efforts. In addition, Michele had previously served as Head of Subscription Finance and ABF Loan Syndications, offering distribution capabilities, and supporting origination efforts across the Subscription Finance and Asset-Backed Finance platforms. Prior to her time at Wells Fargo, Michele was an Executive Director at WestLB where she was instrumental in building the firm's Fund Finance platform which was acquired by Wells Fargo. Michele holds a B.S. in Accounting from Syracuse University. She is a C.P.A. and is SIE, Series 79 & 63 Registered. We are excited to have Michele onboard as she brings her expertise and vision to expand WFF's initiatives and impact across the Americas. Please join us in warmly welcoming Michele Simons to the WFF Americas leadership team. 

Warmest wishes for a safe and joyful holiday season from Women in Fund Finance. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our members, sponsors, and community friends for your continued support.

WFF Miami 2025: Sips & Sunshine - an Afternoon Rosé Tasting (Invitation-Only) Registration is live! Women in Fund Finance Sips & Sunshine (Invitation-Only) co-sponsored by Assured Guaranty, Elvinger Hoss Prussen, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, U.S. Bank, Churchill Asset Management, Mayer Brown and Moody's is an exclusive gathering for WFF sponsors and attending conference GPs and Investors. The annual event provides an opportunity to celebrate the WFF network and connect with industry professionals in a relaxed outdoor setting. Enjoy a networking activity and a delightful selection of rosé wines accompanied by light bites as we foster connections within our community. This event is open to both women and men. Event Details 🗓Date: Sunday, February 23rd, 2025 🕕Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM 📍Location: Eden Roc Erc Garden 2025 WFF sponsors will be contacted separately regarding their ticket allocation. If you are a FFA Symposium attending GP or investors interested in attending, please submit your full name, job title and contact information to info@womeninfundfinance.com to be considered for attendance.   Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to starting the year with this exciting global reception! #WFF

Women in Fund Finance (“WFF”) is pleased to announce that WFF APAC is recruiting a new Regional Coordinator. The Regional Coordinator of Women in Fund Finance (WFF) APAC will be responsible for supporting the Co-Heads with the administrative function of running the committee and supporting efficient and effective communication between WFF APAC and WFF staff. In addition to the usual responsibilities as committee member the Regional Coordinator responsibilities include, but are not limited to: ·       Prepare agendas and meeting minutes with action point tracking for all WFF APAC meetings ·       Manage and maintain event registrations, event sponsorship, topic and speaker details, final attendance number and other relevant data ·       Provide an open communication link between the WFF APAC Co-heads/Committees and WFF staffs ·       Attend monthly Global Women in Fund Finance Co-Chairs meetings when Co-chairs cannot and provide updates as needed ·       Share regular updates with key stakeholders, including WFF Co-Global Chairs, WFF APAC Co-heads, relevant WFF APAC Planning Committees and WFF Staff WFF Committee Members are collectively responsible for: ·       Supporting the APAC Co Heads in setting directions and strategy for achieving WFF's mission in APAC, ·       Supporting the WFF APAC team in achieving our goal to develop and support professionals in the Asia Fund Finance industry, ·       Provide ideas and content for regional WFF events, ·       Have a good understanding of the WFF constitution, WFF rules and regulations ·       Provide recommendations on process improvements and potential opportunities for WFF APAC to explore and expand ·       Represent the WFF group and acting as an advocate for WFF and the FFA If you are interested in being considered for the role, please submit an application on or before January 17, 2025. Apply Here: https://lnkd.in/dzkHdB6P If you have any questions, please reach out to info@womeninfundfinance.com

Women in Fund Finance extends our heartfelt thanks to our incredible sponsors and supporters. Your generosity and partnership make all our initiatives and events possible, creating opportunities for connection and collaboration across the industry. We’re also immensely grateful to everyone who attends our events and shares WFF’s mission with colleagues and clients—your enthusiasm helps us grow and thrive. Wishing you all a safe and joyful Thanksgiving holiday! 🦃🍂 #Grateful #WFF

Last month, WFF EMEA held its annual networking drinks, and had the opportunity to welcome their guests and sponsors at the wonderful Frameless! Exhibition. We had such a great time that we did not get a chance to take many pictures! Thanks to our special event sponsors Goldman Sachs Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP and Simmons & Simmons and to our organising committee Sara Panzeri, Zoë Hallam, Rugile Bianchi, CFA and Fantine Jeannon, and most importantly to all our guests for making this event so remarkable and a new benchmark for next year's annual networking! #WFF #FundFinance #FFA

Thank you everyone who attended the WFF APAC: Women in Fund Finance APAC Symposium Luncheon, proudly sponsored by Linklaters. A big, special thank you to all our moderator, Fiona Gray (Partner at Linklaters) and panelist Maria Witchell (Head of Strategic Equity, Asia Pacific, Legal at BNP Paribas) for an insightful session. #WFF

Thank you everyone who attended the WFF Americas: WFF Learning and Career Forum, proudly co-sponsored by AB Private Credit Investors, BMO, Mayer Brown, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, NAB, Paul Hastings, Sidley Austin LLP and TriState Capital Bank. A big, special thank you to all our keynote speaker, moderators and panelists for an insightful and inspiring sessions. If you have attended the forum, we’d love your feedback! Please take a moment to complete our survey and help us make the next event even better: https://lnkd.in/dqN2v3k3 #WFF

📢 WFF Learning and Career Forum is only 1 week away!   Our inaugural WFF Learning and Career Forum is an invitation-only event designed to offer rich content on various topics in the fund and subscription finance space, career advancement insights and panels for both junior and senior women, and exceptional networking opportunities. The event will take place at Mayer Brown’s New York office. Event Details 🗓Date: Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 🕕Time: 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Door opens at 1:30) 📍Location: Mayer Brown NYC (1221 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY 10020) Agenda and speaker information available here: https://lnkd.in/d7V5FStU   If you are GP and institutional investors interested in attending, contact us at info@womeninfundfinance.com.    Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to wrapping up the year with this new exciting flagship event!

Women in Fund Finance is excited to introduce our last panel for the upcoming WFF Learning and Career Forum next week. Career Advancement/Pivot (for junior women & rising stars): Moderated by Michael Orphanides (Managing Director at BMO Capital Markets); Bryony Widdup (Partner – Corporate & Finance at Hogan Lovells); Caitlin (Sheppard) Schwietering (Vice President- Subscription Finance at Bank of America); Priyanka Chandran, CFA (Director at BMO Capital Markets); Renee Fischer (Attorney - Fund Finance Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP); rima Terradista (Chief Credit Risk Officer at Raymond James Financial)