#119: Pink Chip Index: challenging investor bias against female CEOs with Grace O'Brien and Sam Rowlands
The Purse PodcastShow Notes
Grace O’Brien is an award-winning Creative Director at AKQA, an international creative and innovation agency.
Over the last 10+ years Grace has worked with global clients such as Volvo, TikTok, Nike and Jordan. Her work has been recognised by Cannes Lions, the WARC Awards, Fast Company, the London Design Museum, The Earthshot Prize and more.
Beyond the creative industry Grace is an accomplished scholar with an academic background in economics and a passion for climate action and gender equality. In addition to building Pink Chip with colleague and founder Sam Rowlands, Grace leads communications for Generation Climate Europe, the region’s largest coalition of youth-led networks pushing for stronger climate action, and advises UN-led women’s economic inclusion projects in the global south.
Sam Rowlands is a Multi-awarded Creative Lead and Art Director at AKQA. She has worked with many local and global clients, such as Gucci, Nike, Toyota, and Tourism Australia, just to name a few. Her work has been recognised on the world stage, including at the Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show and Webbys. With a wealth of experience, Sam has also served as a judge at leading award shows across many categories, including creative excellence, innovation and visual storytelling.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Sam mentors numerous female creatives, offering guidance and support in navigating the male-dominated industry. As the visionary founder of Pink Chip, an investment initiative challenging investor bias against female leaders, Sam is dedicated to enlightening businesses and investors about the economic power of having women at the helm.
The launch of Pink Chip and its US index on International Women's Day in partnership with UN Women has delivered exceptional performance.
Backdated for over three years, the Pink Chip US Index has outpaced US benchmarks like the S&P500 by over 80%. Featured on Bloomberg and in renowned publications such as Forbes, this milestone marks just the beginning of Pink Chip's journey toward challenging bias against female leaders. Sam has been on the path to creating Pink Chip for over four years.
We cover the following in the conversation:
Investor gender bias
The outperformance of female CEO leadership
The Pink Chip Index -why we need it
The journey to launch
The criteria used for the Pink Chip index
Performance vs standard indices
The impact on promoting gender diversity and inclusion
What's next for the Pink Chip?
What do companies need to do to be included in the Pink Chip Index?
You can see more about Pink Chip via:
Website: pinkchip.org
Instagram:@pinkchipofficial
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pink-chip
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