Planning for what matters – Part 3: Women in wealth and the changing face of governance

A meaningful shift in private wealth

Private wealth is undergoing a significant transformation, with implications that extend well beyond the balance sheets.

As wealth moves across generations and between spouses, women are increasingly expected to control a growing share of global wealth in the years ahead. That trend is being shaped not only by inheritance, but also by entrepreneurship, investment and leadership. The result is a growing expectation that wealth planning should reflect a broader set of priorities than preservation alone.

Changing wealth often changes the conversation

Recent research underlines the scale of the change. Cerulli expects a substantial share of inter-spousal wealth transfer to move to widows over the coming decades. The World Economic Forum has projected that women could hold nearly 40% of global investable wealth by 2030, while UBS has reported that many high-net-worth women expect to inherit significant assets but still feel that communication and preparation need improvement.

This matters because when wealth holders change, the conversation around wealth often changes with them.

Family governance, succession and stewardship are not static disciplines. They are shaped by the priorities of the people involved. In practice, that may mean a greater focus on communication, intergenerational preparedness, philanthropy, impact, education or long-term resilience. Those priorities are not exclusive to women, of course, but the broader shift in control is helping to bring them more visibly into the centre of wealth planning.

Moving beyond old assumptions

This transformation also challenges some outdated assumptions within the private wealth space. Historically, planning has too often been framed around a single principal decision-maker, usually male, with others treated as secondary participants. That is increasingly out of step with reality. In many families, women are central to decision-making already, whether as wealth creators, inheritors, spouses, trustees, protectors, business owners or future stewards of family capital.

Inclusive planning leads to better outcomes

The practical implication is that governance needs to be inclusive enough to reflect where authority and influence genuinely sit. That may mean involving the right voices earlier in succession discussions. It may mean avoiding assumptions about who needs information and who does not. It may mean preparing younger family members differently, with a more deliberate focus on confidence, financial literacy and shared purpose.

There is also a more human point here. Wealth transfer can be disorientating, even where it is expected. Individuals inheriting substantial wealth may be dealing at the same time with bereavement, new responsibilities or pressure to make immediate decisions. Good planning should make that process more manageable, not more opaque. Clarity, communication and appropriate support are particularly valuable in those moments.

A more realistic view of modern wealth

For advisors and trustees, the opportunity is not to create a separate conversation about women and wealth for its own sake, it is to recognise that the client base, the decision-makers and the expectations around wealth are changing, and that advice needs to evolve accordingly.

That evolution is likely to reward a more bespoke and less assumption-driven approach. Families want planning that reflects how they actually live, make decisions and define legacy. They want structures that support their goals, but they also want relationships built on understanding and dialogue.

The rise in women’s wealth is not simply a demographic trend. It is part of a broader rebalancing of influence inside families and across private wealth. For firms involved in governance and succession, it is a reminder that planning works best when it reflects the real shape of decision-making, not an older version of it.