The 1992 book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus asserted fundamental psychological differences between the sexes. These differences are also reflected in the approach to finance, business and succession.
Women talk and think about money very different to men. They tend to be more focused on the impact of money, and how wealth can help bring the family together. They find it easier than men to talk about money with their families. They think longer term – across generations, seek to invest wealth in a manner aligned with their personal values, and skew conservative in investing when the market sentiment is bad. Legacy often means more than passing wealth down to the next generation; it also means being capable of positively impacting the lives of others.
It is therefore no surprise that while nearly 90% of the world’s billionaires might be men, many turn to females in investment banks, investment firms, and hedge funds when it comes to managing their money.
Women are under-represented in finance and family enterprise leadership, yet we’d all likely be better off if more women took on these roles.
Three key factors strongly influenced women’s paths to leadership: early exposure to the business, communication of inclusion as a family value and strong female role models in the family. How we tell our family’s origin story is important. While Grandpa may have been brilliant entrepreneur, how did Grandma’s support contribute to his success at work?
The original article was published in Family Governance: Financial Mars & Venus - David Werdiger
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A successful family advisor, business strategist, entrepreneur, and thought leader with a proven track record of achievement in driving innovation and growth for entrepreneurial endeavours and not-for-profit organisations.
David's experience includes founding and building multiple businesses from the ground up, and expanding and leading operations into new markets. He is recognised by colleagues as a creative problem-solver and strategist with expertise in coming up with ideas and creating new ways of improving business, strategy, operations, and results.
As a business and family advisor, he provides clients with expert business advice on intergenerational business and wealth transition, advancing entrepreneurial efforts, setting up good governance, improving financial and operational results, and strategic direction. He is also a seasoned program leader with an aptitude for providing governance in corporate and philanthropic pursuits with a strong focus on culturally focused non-profits.