At the ultimate meeting of minds, CEO Mala Gaonkar and her team at SurgoCap hosted our group. This female-led hedge fund provided a unique encounter to learn about the ins and outs of investing AND the challenges of creating successful career paths and executive positions for women in finance.
Each of the members of the SurgoCap team took time to speak to our group about their individual responsibilities and field questions that the group had for them. The students heard from various members of the C-suite as well as some analysts and data scientists who recently graduated from college and were in the beginning of their careers.
The Opportunity Fund Project class had never interacted with a hedge fund before, so this meeting was an engaging time to learn about the investment philosophy and logistics behind this kind of operation. The Opportunity Fund Program focuses on long-only stocks, while SurgoCap bets on and against stocks.
It was truly inspiring to see a female-focused team lead the company and it was living proof to the students on the trip that while being a leading woman in finance is incredibly difficult, it is not impossible.