Private equity and venture capital remain among the least gender-diverse sectors in finance. Women often find their paths blocked not just by a lack of opportunity but by systemic challenges around sponsorship, deal exposure, and visibility. Recognising this, WinPE (Women in Private Equity) has entered a strategic partnership with Sheffield Haworth to elevate women working in PE, VC, and portfolio firms through a dedicated, high-impact mentorship program.
What’s the Partnership and Program About?
Sheffield Haworth will act as the Knowledge Partner for WinPE’s flagship ProClub Mentorship Program, co-designing the curriculum, facilitating mentor-mentee matching, and supporting career development across the ecosystem.
ProClub is a year-long, one-to-one mentorship initiative aimed at women professionals at middle and senior levels. It pairs them with established PE/VC leaders who can help navigate strategic growth, leadership challenges, and network expansion.
Since its launch, ProClub has run five cohorts, mentoring 59 women across 46 firms, supported by 29 senior leaders. Roughly three-quarters of participants have reported measurable career advancement as a result — a strong indicator of the program’s impact.
Why This Matters
- Bridging the mid-career gap: It’s precisely in the mid-career phase that many women in finance leave or stall. ProClub’s structured support is designed to reverse that trend.
- Sponsorship, not just mentorship: The program expects mentors to actively promote and advocate for mentees, not just offer advice.
- Accountability through measurement: WinPE tracks outcomes — promotions, deal leadership, role expansions — to ensure impact.
- Ecosystem-building: By involving PE firms, search networks, and portfolio companies, the initiative is shaping industry culture, not just individuals.
Voices Behind the Initiative
Nupur Garg, Founder of WinPE, emphasises that mentorship is about systemic change, not isolated interventions. She argues that building confidence, networks, and opportunities at scale is key to improving gender diversity in investment leadership.
Avaneesh Raghuvanshi, Head of Financial Services & PE Practice at Sheffield Haworth, notes that combining executive search expertise with mentorship creates a multiplier effect — helping firms find and retain the women who will lead tomorrow’s deals.
Challenges Ahead & Considerations
- Maintaining mentor quality at scale: As cohorts expand, ensuring meaningful engagement from senior leaders is critical.
- Preventing sponsorship fatigue: Mentors must see this as core to their role, not a side task.
- Sustaining momentum post-mentorship: Graduates need continued access to networks and opportunities beyond the program.
- Securing organisational buy-in: Culture change must happen within firms to fully unlock women’s leadership potential.
What This Means for Investors & Supporters of Women in Finance
This initiative shows that closing the gender gap in private equity is possible with the right levers: scalable mentorship, data-driven results, and committed sponsorship. Investors and LPs can accelerate change by supporting similar programs, holding firms accountable for diversity, and encouraging leaders to act as sponsors, not just mentors.
Source: Based on Economic Times reporting – “WinPE teams up with Sheffield Haworth to propel women in private equity through mentorship program.”