The Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing seeks to be a preeminent, university-based investment management research and education program worldwide, convening ideas and people around critical industry topics. One of our key priorities is to promote more inclusivity within the investment management industry. NDIGI recognizes that the industry is stronger with diversity of thought leadership and background. Therefore, our research, curriculum and events encourage and promote diversity within the industry, focusing on women, underrepresented minorities and first-generation students.

Women’s History Month is an excellent opportunity to highlight how NDIGI aims to expand the pipeline of women entering financial services, especially asset management. Launched in 2019, the annual Women’s Investing Summit (WIS) is an opportunity for all students at Notre Dame to hear from senior female executives in financial services. Patty Brady of NDIGI took charge of planning WIS ’22 and brought an outstanding group of female role models to campus in February.

In addition, we see an opportunity to help expand the pipeline to Mendoza for women. We are grateful to Mark Dumich, who worked tirelessly to partner with the Admissions office and several finance faculty, to launch a high school pre-college leadership program (The Power of Investing) that targets diversity.  Beyond the classroom, Mark serves as an ambassador to enrolled students to support their questions and application process to Notre Dame. Mark’s personalized attention and support are making a real difference for these high school students in getting to know Notre Dame and Mendoza.

We are also thankful for Professor Carl Ackerman who has partnered with NDIGI on nearly every diversity issue we come up with. From leading Girls Who Invest on campus to now heading our pre-college Power of Investing class this summer, Carl puts in so much time with NDIGI and we appreciate his support for women in finance.

Finally, our partnership with student clubs has been a central part of realizing our mission and priorities at NDIGI. Tess Swain is on the frontlines of supporting our professional clubs, including Smart Women in Securities, which aims to introduce undergraduate women to finance and investing.

The NDIGI team serves as a resource for all students – organizing executive fellows to meet 1:1 with students, offering focused groups of women to have coffee chats with campus visitors and executives, and partnering with Bob Rischard in career services to advise and mentor students on an as needed basis. We help with internships, advice and programming with an intention to continue to change the face of investing. Our hope is that the work of NDIGI and our campus partners will result in increasing the brand of Notre Dame and the Mendoza College of Business within the investment space, allowing us to draw the best students, faculty and investors to Notre Dame.

In Notre Dame,

Erin Bellissimo
Managing Director of the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing