Unlike other areas of finance that are dominated by men, the funds management industry is known for having a balance between men and women.
In fact, many funds management firms employ more men than women, and women head a number of their operations. Case in point: Joanna Munro, HSBC Global Asset Management's chief executive for Asia Pacific.
Munro, 49, read mathematics and accountancy at the University of Cambridge but found equity research to be more interesting than numbers and ledgers. She became fascinated with discovering what makes a company tick and then advising investors whether or not to invest. She later turned to trying her hand at managing investors' funds.
Prior to joining HSBC Global Asset Management as its global chief investment officer in 2005, Munro had worked for several investment firms such as Prudential Portfolio Management Group, Salomon Brothers, ABN Amro and AXA in Britain. In May this year, she was promoted to her current position.
The promotion meant her family - including her husband, a professional gardener, and two sons - relocated to Hong Kong from London. While her husband, a tree specialist, is checking out the many green belts in the city and the fresh cooking ingredients in the wet markets, her sons - aged eight and 13 - are enjoying school and swimming at their home in Stanley. Despite her hectic schedule, Munro has no problem juggling between her family and a top job at an investment firm - which like many others have had to deal with the tough investment conditions during the financial turmoil.
HSBC Global Asset Management has US$453.4 billion of assets under management globally, and about US$140 billion of assets are invested in emerging markets.
