International Women’s Day: Thriving in a male-dominated industry

To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, senior members of the Inflexion team reflect on their own career journeys in a traditionally gender imbalanced industry. They share with us lessons they have learnt along the way, the importance of setting boundaries and building positive habits, and how we can all help women in the industry to thrive.

What can women do to help them stand out and succeed in the male-dominated world of finance?

Isabelle Pagnotta, Partner and Head of Business Services: Imposter syndrome can lead some women to feel they don’t belong, causing them to try to blend in. But embracing our differences can be an advantage, making us more memorable. Early in my career, I wore black suits thinking it would help me fit in. But true confidence comes from owning your identity and focusing on your abilities.

I gained real confidence in my mid-30s when I recognised myself as a subject matter expert. I could see when CEOs were trying to challenge me on numbers, and that was the moment I truly backed myself. Being promoted reinforced this – once others took me more seriously, I became even more secure in my own abilities.

Flor Kassai, Managing Partner and Head of Buyout Fund: Authenticity is powerful. When I started in private equity, I tried to blend in – dressing and acting like the men around me because there were no female role models. But true confidence came when I embraced who I really am. Whether it’s your voice or presence, being yourself gives you more energy, deeper impact, and an opportunity to stand out in a male-dominated space. Authenticity creates coherence between your actions and identity, allowing you to build meaningful connections – essential in private equity, where trust is everything. Standing out is inevitable as you’ll often be the only woman in the room, so use it to your advantage to differentiate yourself.

What initiatives or policies could help retain and promote more women in private equity?

Freddy West, Talent Director: While policies matter, companies ultimately follow their leaders' example. For example, parenthood remains the critical juncture where many talented women leave PE. So when senior investment partners - male and female - visibly prioritise family responsibilities, they create permission for others to do the same, while staying in the industry.

Likewise, when leaders actively sponsor junior women, they provide crucial access to mentoring, advocacy during promotion discussions, and guidance on navigating investment committees. These intangible resources often determine career progression but remain less accessible to women in male-dominated environments, unless leadership consciously prioritises them.

All of which means the PE firms most successfully retaining and promoting women are focusing less on formal policies and more on developing leadership behaviours that show a genuine commitment to women's advancement, at all levels.

Flor: Women often leave finance because balancing a demanding career with personal life is difficult, especially with limited boundaries on time. Supporting women when they start families is key to retaining talent – but true flexibility must extend to men as well. Creating a culture where both men and women feel empowered to prioritise family, like leaving early for bath time and logging in later, helps normalise shared responsibilities. Change won’t happen overnight, but as more senior men embrace flexibility, it will happen.

Beyond policy, internal support is crucial. Mentorship programmes and strong female networks provide a safe space for guidance on career challenges. Informal conversations over coffee or lunch help foster a culture where women feel comfortable seeking advice, sharing experiences, and building confidence in their careers.

How do you balance the high-pressure demands of finance with personal life and well-being?

Freddy: If I’m honest, with a busy job and a young family, it’s a bit less about perfect balance and a bit more about intentional imbalance.   In my career, I've missed birthdays for deal closings and stepped away from critical meetings for family emergencies.  You can’t have it all, all of the time, but you can choose what to prioritise in any given moment.   

So, this week, I'm on the road, with early breakfast meetings and late-night dinners.  Next week, my partner will be travelling and I’ll be the primary caregiver, fitting in Friday’s plans around our son’s epic turn as Mouse Number 3 in his school play. 

I’ve learned over time to distinguish between the glass balls that can’t drop (critical deal moments, family crises) and the rubber ones that’ll bounce back (routine meetings, the perfect slide).  And helping sustain it all are the essentials – exercise, Sunday lunches with friends, hugs with my family. 

Flor: It comes down to setting boundaries and building habits that prioritise well-being. For me, running is essential for both physical and mental health – it’s my time to think, away from work and family. I also schedule weight training with a PT three times a week at 7am, a time when I’m least likely to be interrupted. Making these commitments sacrosanct is key to me.

With family, I ensure I never miss my kids’ school performances, or things that are important to them, such as pick up from school on their birthdays. We take one-on-one holidays with each child once a year – creating lasting memories. While I can’t always be present daily, I carve out three uninterrupted weeks in summer and real time off at Christmas.

Everyone must find their own formula for happiness. To me, the key is consciously structuring time – daily, weekly, and yearly – to balance personal fulfilment with professional success. Setting goals beyond work helps reassess priorities over time. But I think that the journey to happiness is a very personal one, so you should take tips from others, but eventually come up with your own recipe.

Isabelle: It’s important to try and be well-rounded. Having other interests can bring fresh perspective to your work. Having time to relax is important. It’s a very intense job so you need to recharge and take a step back to clear your mind. It can be through family or hobbies – I do this through sport such as running or spinning. PE is a long-term career; we need really good perspective and strategic actions.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self at the start of your career, what would it be?

Flor: Many high-achieving women are conditioned to strive for perfection, and they can struggle as expectations continuously rise – like a video game getting harder with each level. But this is exhausting and unsustainable. The key is recognising that 80% is often enough, and the remaining 20% allows you to be more human, gives you space to connect with others, to look after yourself, to unplug. Aiming high is great, but perfection can be the devil as it drains energy and fuels anxiety and leaves you with a feeling of constant dissatisfaction. Recognising this and learning how to manage it will make your work-life balance more sustainable.

Isabelle: Believe in yourself. Embrace who you are and be your own biggest supporter – everyone else is already taken, so don’t try to be someone else. Don’t be afraid to take risks; they often prove just how capable you are.