Karl Shmavonian

Marcie Frost rose from being a typist without a college degree to being CEO of CalPERS, the largest public pension fund in the US. She is one of 10 women on our list who exemplify what it takes to thrive in the world of private equity.

Despite the current political climate, the women on our list are keeping up the good fight for inclusion and mentorship of women in private equity.

They've broken into the rarefied ranks of private equity as fundraisers and dealmakers – now they are taking the next step and starting their own shops.

One common denominator of the dealmakers on our list is determination – killing it is in their DNA. Says Suma Kulkarni of ACON: 'We don’t give up.'

MD and partner on the technology investing team for Carlyle, Tye is one of the most senior women across Carlyle’s entire global private equity platform.

We toast the work of six private equity firms for their highly successful deals made in 2021. Francisco Partners takes the top prize with its carve-out of medical device maker Capsule Technologies.