Key Takeaways
- • Private Equity News is running a series of interviews with 2026 "trailblazing women" in the industry, in which they describe what drew them to private equity and how they landed their first roles.
- • The series covers career entry points, with one interviewee recounting her start at JPMorgan before moving into the sector, and also includes advice for those entering the field.
- • Published coverage cites a 2020 Preqin survey finding that only 9.9% of senior roles at private equity firms were held by women, a figure the series sets against progress in other industries.
- • Marcie Frost, named on PEN's 2026 class, is highlighted as having risen from a typist role, one of 10 women profiled on the list.
- • Earlier PEN lists, including the 2025 "Twenty Trailblazing Women" that featured Thoma Bravo partner Irina Hemmers, provide context for the recurring recognition program.
Summary
Private Equity News has published the first installment of an interview series with trailblazing women of 2026, in which they discuss their careers in private equity and the factors that drew them to the industry. According to the publication's summaries, the interviewees address how they entered the sector, what they would advise others entering it, and what first attracted them to a role in the field. One excerpt describes a candidate who was working at JPMorgan, had recently married, and moved into private equity, illustrating the cross-over from investment banking that remains a common recruiting route.
The series sits within PEN's wider recognition efforts. The publication's 2025 "Twenty Trailblazing Women" list included professionals from firms such as Advent, Apollo Global Management, Ardian, CVC, General Atlantic and HarbourVest Partners, and named Thoma Bravo partner Irina Hemmers to that group. For the 2026 class, PEN highlights Marcie Frost, who rose from a typist role, as one of ten women on the list.
Coverage of the series also frames the underlying representation challenge. PEN cites a 2020 Preqin survey finding that only 9.9% of senior roles at private equity firms were occupied by women, a statistic that contrasts with progress in other industries. Related commentary in the same coverage notes that traditional private equity recruiting pools draw almost exclusively from investment banks, which themselves have low female representation, and points to retention and promotion as areas requiring focus.
Because the full interview text was not available for this summary, individual career details beyond those cited above are limited to the published excerpts and headlines.
The series sits within PEN's wider recognition efforts. The publication's 2025 "Twenty Trailblazing Women" list included professionals from firms such as Advent, Apollo Global Management, Ardian, CVC, General Atlantic and HarbourVest Partners, and named Thoma Bravo partner Irina Hemmers to that group. For the 2026 class, PEN highlights Marcie Frost, who rose from a typist role, as one of ten women on the list.
Coverage of the series also frames the underlying representation challenge. PEN cites a 2020 Preqin survey finding that only 9.9% of senior roles at private equity firms were occupied by women, a statistic that contrasts with progress in other industries. Related commentary in the same coverage notes that traditional private equity recruiting pools draw almost exclusively from investment banks, which themselves have low female representation, and points to retention and promotion as areas requiring focus.
Because the full interview text was not available for this summary, individual career details beyond those cited above are limited to the published excerpts and headlines.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.