The American Red Cross has filled its openings for a senior investment manager and private equity head, CIO has learned.
Margaret D’Annunzio joins the $5 billion fund as a senior manager across its defined benefit, foundation, and defined contribution assets. D’Annunzio arrives at the Washington, DC-based nonprofit after a six-month consulting stint and 25-plus years in the financial sector.
“She brings a wealth of portfolio management, portfolio construction, and risk management experience from previous senior roles at BlackRock, JP Morgan Asset Management, and Mercer Consulting,” CIO Greg Williamson said in a statement, when asked to confirm the hirings.
A familiar face took the private equity manager position: Former Red Cross Senior Investment Analyst James Donohue. He worked at the investment office from 2012 to mid-2014, before taking a “two-year hiatus.” Donohue returned in March, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Williamson praised Donohue’s global “experience in private equity fund-of-funds construction and portfolio engineering.” He spent more than a decade in Europe with AXA Investment Managers (1999 to 2003) and Keyhaven Capital (2003 to 2010) building funds-of-funds before moving back stateside in 2012.
“We are excited to have Jim back on our team,” Williamson said.
Donahue returns to a vastly different investment office than he left.
Williamson replaced longtime CIO Christina Samson last May, who retired after 19 years with the Red Cross.
The incoming CIO set forth on his mandate to “build a world-class investment management capability and organization.” That has involved a full-scale review and restructuring of the fund’s personnel, investments, and governance, according to Red Cross spokespeople.
These latest two hires follow several additions to the operations team, led by Boeing’s longtime former Managing Director Jane Western.
The Red Cross’ executive team and board of governors support Williamson in the overhaul, the statement highlighted.
A partial list of investment office personnel changes since May 2015 follows:
External Hires
- Margaret D’Annunzio, Senior Investment Manager (formerly Mercer Consulting)
- Carol Anne Lindsey, Director, Operations & Governance (formerly director of operations, George Washington University)
- Jane Western, Senior Director, Operations & Governance (formerly managing director, Boeing)
Returning Staff
- James Donohue, Private Equity Manager (formerly senior investment analyst, 2012 to 2014)
Exits
- Edward Karppi, Managing Director (now deputy CIO, Mangham Associates)
- Jordan Levine, Associate Director (now director of investments, American Chemical Society, exit unrelated to changeover)
- Anne Shelton, Deputy CIO (now vice president, investment management, AARP)
Related: Red Cross Needs PE Chief, Senior Portfolio Strategist & Red Cross Nabs Staff From Boeing, GW University