Nidhi Shandilya is responsible for research and thought leadership focusing on the investment management industry at State Street’s Center for Applied Research. Her research interests include analyzing the industry’s value proposition with specific focus around topics including behavioral finance, asset allocation, retirement, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds. By utilizing hard data from primary and secondary research, Nidhi tells meaningful stories that seek to mobilize positive change in the industry.
At the breakfast talk, Nidhi shared with us how industry participants, including asset managers, asset owners, consultants and regulators interact with each other and the key questions from her research paper “Addressing Gender Folklore". She also discussed about whether we are biased against making necessary change and if we are too influenced by familiar reference points, too distracted by benchmarks and peer comparison.
Nidhi Shandilya, Vice President, Senior Research Strategist of State Street Center for Applied Research
Photo opp with Nidhi Shandilya and Pauline Wong of State Street
Nidhi thinks that a team of people who think differently is needed to make good investment decisions. She pointed out the fact that women are under-represented in the investment industry except as regulators and only 7% of money managers are women at the core of the investment management industry. In fact, a new research shows that when financial knowledge and years of experience are taken into account, women are not more risk averse than men. As a result, investment firms need to acknowledge that gender biases exist and there should be more women taking up senior roles.
