On January 21, 2019, Kayo Conference Series hosted its first international event, a pop-up in partnership with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), in Toronto, Ontario.

The event brought together 40 women in private equity, real estate, energy, power, and infrastructure and began with a “2019 State of the Markets” panel. Featured speakers included Lindsay Stiles, Slate Asset Management, Sarah Yates, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and Vivian Chao, Fiera Infrastructure, led by moderator Lisa Lafave, HOOPP.

The speakers provided insight on a variety of topics including their highlights and top lessons from 2018, what major trends are impacting their portfolios in 2019, the effects of technology, how to find value in a changing market, and targets and risks for 2019.

“Disruptive tech is an opportunity. Uber is 9, Amazon is 24. The big technology in 10 years probably already exists today.

The panel’s advice for 2019 included giving early-on TLC to portfolio companies to better prepare them for any big punches the year may throw, always modeling in a recession and staying cautious in 2019. The biggest threats noted included Brexit, China, and political uncertainty. Representing three globally invested firms, diversifying portfolios based on asset classes and locations was also noted as an approach for taking on the uncertainty 2019 is presenting.

The panel concluded with advice to a room full of other professional women on how to succeed in the investment industry. All three panelists agreed that women in the investing world need to champion themselves and one another, learn from other leaders whenever possible, and always strive to learn more.

“We [women] need to be our own advocates. We need to put our own hands up. ‘I want to be at this meeting, I want to work with this client, I want to be on this deal.’ Don’t be afraid to say, ‘Hey, what about me?” – Sarah Yates

“Speaking to our nieces, our daughters, our neighbors about what it is that we do. Talk and educate the next generation.” – Lindsay Stiles

Special thanks to the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan team for hosting. Kayo currently curates six annual summits reaching 1,500 women annually in industries such as Private Equity, Venture Capital, Energy, Infrastructure, Credit and Real Estate. They also host pop-up lunches and leadership retreats as a way to tighten their community and create continued networking and personal development opportunities.

Get on the list for our next Toronto event here.