Barings' Cooper: Women in the industry 'need the confidence to back themselves'

The story behind the company's Women's Network

A combination of social factors and behavioural differences means it is now more important than ever for women to "back themselves by having confidence and understanding the support functions available to them", according to Barings' Dr Ghadir Cooper.

Cooper, who has been head of global equities at Barings since 2016, is an active advocate of diversity within the asset management industry, having been one of the key organisers behind the Barings Women's Network since it launched two years ago. The network, she said, focuses on "five key pillars": engagement, education, talent retention, networking and recruitment. Diversity and the power of belonging "The idea is to harness really positive factors that grow organically from within the organisation, not because they have been imposed," she said.  "The idea here is to find a wa...