Women in ETFs, an organization that provides networking and educational opportunities for women in the ETF industry, doubled its membership to 1,600 during its second year of existence in 2015.

The organization made the announcement at a two-year anniversary celebration held Monday at the Inside ETFs conference in Hollywood, Fla.

The organization added 900 members during 2015.

Women in ETFs caters to professionals such as fund managers, index providers, brokers, lawyers and custodians. It now has chapters in Boston; Chicago; New York; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C., as well as in Europe, Canada and the Asia-Pacific region.

“The success we have enjoyed in this short period has exceeded all of our expectations and validates the desire of women to build and expand their networks and skills for their professional advancement,” said Deborah Fuhr, the organization’s co-founder and a managing partner at ETFGI, a research and consulting firm.

At some of the Inside ETF conference’s round-table discussions, attendees said they see growth in the ETF industry coming from investors switching from mutual fund assets. In addition, more pension funds, endowments and foundations are using ETFs.

Regulatory concerns were identified as the key challenge for the industry in 2016.

Members of Women in ETFs said they would like to see additional recruiting of women to the ETF industry and more promotions to top-level positions. The organization provides a career center for job postings and notices of networking events.

The group will partner with the United Nations for International Women’s Day on March 8 and ring the bell at securities exchanges around the world.

 

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