The Chief Investment Officer Summit

SPEAKERS

• 

  John C. Alexander Jr.

  CIO, Clemson University Foundation

  Dr. Alexander has served as the Chief Investment Officer of the Clemson University Foundation since 2005.  Prior to becoming Chief Investment Officer, he served the Foundation as the Director of Investment Strategy.  He is actively involved with not only the Clemson Foundation portfolio, but serves as an investment advisor to Stetson University, and to other portfolios and organizations, within the United States and abroad.  In 2016, he was honored with the Institutional Investor Chief Investment Officer of the Year Award for Small Foundations.  In addition to his Foundation duties, Dr. Alexander is a Professor of Finance at Clemson University, where he holds the Breazeale Professorship of Investments.  As a professor, his research has been published in several prestigious journals.

• 

  Susie Ardeshir

  Investment Officer, University of California

  Susie Ardeshir, is an Investment Officer at the University of California supporting the CIO and involved in asset allocation and strategy at the Office of the Chief Investment Officer (OCIO). She works across the organization to build upon the objectives and strategy of managing the assets of the various products for the University. In 2017, Susie worked and developed the captive insurance investment portfolio for Fiat Lux. She contributes to developing policy, asset allocation, portfolio construction, risk management, monitoring, and reporting.  Before joining the Office of the Chief Investment Officer in 2013, Susie worked at Mercer Investments, consulting to various asset owners. She earned a MA degree in Economics and BA in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton, and holds the CFA designation.

• 

  Ian Baker

  Senior Vice President, Head of Fundamental and Quantitative, Research, Fidelity Institutional Asset Management

  Ian Baker Senior Vice President, Head of Fundamental and Quantitative Research Fidelity Investments Ian Baker is senior vice president and head of fundamental and quantitative research at Fidelity Institutional Asset Management® (FIAM), an investment organization within Fidelity Investments’ asset management division that is dedicated to serving the needs of consultants and institutional investors, such as defined benefit and defined contribution plans, endowments and financial advisors. In this role, Mr. Baker leads FIAM’s equity research effort across sectors, capitalizations, and geographies and manages a team of more than 40 research analysts located in Smithfield, London, and Hong Kong. Prior to assuming his current position in January 2015, Mr. Baker was senior vice president of quantitative research, risk management, and derivatives at Pyramis Global Advisors, a Fidelity Investments company. In this capacity, he was responsible for risk oversight across the investment platform and direct oversight of all quantitative and derivative-based products and strategies. Before joining Fidelity in 2007, Mr. Baker served as vice president and portfolio manager at Wellington Management Company, where he focused on managing derivative-based portfolios, idea generation, and product development across asset classes. Previously, Mr. Baker held roles at Schooner Asset Management, Scudder Kemper Investments, and The Boston Company. He has been in the investments industry for over 25 years. Mr. Baker earned his bachelor of arts degree in finance and marketing from the University of Wisconsin and his master of science degree in finance from Boston College. He is also a CFA® charterholder. For Institutional Use Only. 795299.1.0 I FIAM-IA

• 

  Craig Barker

  CIO, University of Arizona Foundation

  Craig Barker is the Senior Vice President of Financial Services/CFO/CIO of the University of Arizona Foundation.  He is responsible for overseeing the Foundation’s Asset Management, Accounting, Fiduciary Compliance/Gift Transactions, Central Gifts, Facilities Management and Real Estate Services.  Craig joined the Foundation in April 2000, was promoted to Vice President and CIO in January 2005 and promoted to his current position in May 2006. Prior to joining the Foundation, Craig spent 16 years in the audit and assurance division of Ernst & Young, where he was responsible for serving primarily publicly traded companies and nonprofit organizations.  He is a certified public accountant licensed in both Texas and Arizona, and he received a “Top Ten” award from the Texas State Board of Accountancy.  Barker graduated with a BS in business administration with high distinction from the University of Arizona.  He serves as a Trustee of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and is a member of Resurrection Lutheran Church where he serves on the Finance Committee.  He is a Past President of the Board of 88-Crime, Served as 10 years as the Treasurer for the Rotary Club of Tucson and served for 2 years as Treasurer for the Coronado Little League.  Craig served as a coach/manager for teams in the YMCA Soccer League (2 years), AYSO Region 22 (3 years) and Coronado Little League (4 years). Barker, a Tucson native who graduated from Amphitheater High School, is the proud father of identical twin sons who are juniors at the University of Arizona (Lukas) and Northern Arizona University (Jacob).

• 

  Tim Barrett

  CIO, Texas Tech University System

  Mr. Tim Barrett is Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Investment Officer for Texas Tech University System (TTUS). Mr. Barrett is responsible for day-to-day management of the Endowment Assets and responsible for Investment Strategy and Implementation of the nearly $1 Billion endowment. Mr. Barrett began his relationship with TTUS in April of 2013. Prior to TTUS, Mr. Barrett served as Director of Pension Investments Worldwide at Eastman Kodak, overseeing more than $16 Billion in aggregate through approximately 77 plans globally. Mr. Barrett began his relationship with Kodak in November of 2010. Mr. Barrett began his career with San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association (SBCERA) where he worked his way up the organization to become the Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Barrett began his career in 1996 with SBCERA and left in October of 2010. Mr. Barrett has approximately 15 years’ experience as a CIO and has restructured plans around the world within the three pillars of institutional investors- pension, corporate and endowment. He is a published co-author and winner of the Edward D. Baker III Award by the Investment Management Consultants Association for an article entitled “Dynamic Beta – Getting Paid to Manage Risk.” Mr. Barrett is also a member of the inaugural aiCIO Power 100 and has been awarded many awards for managing best of breed plans. Mr. Barrett is married to his lovely wife, Jo-Anna. They currently reside in Austin, Texas and have two boys that are quickly learning to play football, Texas style!

• 

  Mark Baumgartner

  CIO, Institute for Advanced Study

  Mark Baumgartner is Chief Investment Officer at the Institute for Advanced Study, an endowment supporting a community of scholars in Princeton, New Jersey. Prior to joining IAS, he served as Director of Asset Allocation and Risk at the Ford Foundation and Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Strategist and Head of the Portfolio Architecture team for Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s Global Portfolio Solutions group. Mark also co-managed a global portfolio of equities at Quantal Asset Management, a quantitative long /short market neutral hedge fund and risk management firm, and was a Portfolio Manager at Strategy Capital, a fundamental long /short equity hedge fund.  Prior to Strategy Capital, he worked with The Boston Consulting Group, specializing in corporate venturing, M&A, and strategy development. Mark is a member of the Board of Directors of The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF), a Trustee and a member of the Investment Committee for the YMCA Retirement Fund, and served on the Board of Directors and Investment Program Committee for the Foundation Financial Officers Group (FFOG). He received a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and a Certificate in Public Policy from Princeton University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

• 

  Kane Brenan

  Global Head of the Global Portfolio Solutions Group, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

  C. Kane Brenan is global head and co-chief investment officer of the Global Portfolio Solutions Group (GPS) for Goldman Sachs Asset Management within the Investment Management Division. The GPS Group provides multi-asset class products and solutions for institutional and individual investors, focusing on customized asset allocation, tactical implementation, risk management, and portfolio construction. Previously, Kane was a member of the Private Equity Investment Committee in the Alternative Investments & Manager Selection Group, where he invested in the private equity secondary market. Prior to that, he worked in the Investment Banking Division in the Leveraged Finance Group and the Technology, Media and Telecom Group. Kane joined Goldman Sachs as an associate in 1998 and was named managing director in 2007 and partner in 2014. Prior to joining the firm, Kane worked as a corporate law associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Kane earned a BA from Boston College, and a JD magna cum laude and an MBA from Georgetown University, where he was a Beta Gamma Sigma Scholar and an editor of The Georgetown Law Review.

• 

  Deb Brown

  Managing Director, Asset and Wealth Management Recruiting Practice, Russell Reynolds Associates

  Based in New York, Deb Brown is a senior member of the firm’s Asset and Wealth Management Practice, serving clients with an interest in investment leadership. Deb’s clients include some of the world’s most prestigious investment banks, asset managers and insurers. She has successfully completed searches for CEOs, Chief Investment Officers, chief strategists, directors of research, portfolio managers and senior sector analysts. In addition, Deb has assisted many leading endowments, foundations and plan sponsors in their recruitment of Chief Investment Officers, senior investment talent and trustees. Deb joined Russell Reynolds Associates in 1996 from a boutique search firm and has more than 20 years of executive search experience. Prior to executive search, her experience includes three years as a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Earlier, Deb was with the Travel Related Services Division of the American Express Company. Deb received her B.A., graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in mathematics and economics, and her M.B.A., with honors, in finance from New York University.

• 

  Erin Browne

  Managing Director and Head of Macro Investments, UBS O'Connor, UBS Asset Management

  Erin Browne is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at O’Connor, based in New York, where she manages investment portfolio across multiple asset classes and geography with a specific focus on currencies and equities. She deploys a top-down framework to analyze global economic patterns and imbalances in order to extrapolate investable themes. She sits on the Capital Allocation Committee of UBS O’Connor. In her role, Ms. Browne also advises the UBS Wealth Management Multi-Asset Group in implementing her macro views across the SMA portfolios. Ms. Browne joined the Firm from Point72 Asset Management (2012-2016) where she worked as a global macro portfolio manager for the firm’s Global Macroeconomic Group. At Point72, Ms. Browne was responsible for investing across asset classes and geographies, as well as conveying her ideas and macro framework to the firm’s Principal. Prior to Point72, Ms. Browne worked at Citigroup (2010-2012), where she ran the global macro proprietary trading group. Ms. Browne previously worked as the equity strategist for the Global Macro Fund of Moore Capital Management in New York (2006-2010) and before this was as an equity research analyst at Neuberger Berman. She began her career at Lehman Brothers (2002-2006) in the investment banking division. Ms. Browne is a frequent guest on CNBC’s Halftime Report, and has regularly contributed to publications including Barron’s, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. Ms. Browne holds a BA in Economics from Georgetown University.

• 

  Steven F. Charlton

  Director of Consulting Services, NEPC

  Steve provides strategic leadership in multiple areas at NEPC, including design and strategic direction for several of NEPC’s strategic product initiatives.  Prior to his current role Steve was the head of NEPC’s overall client-facing consulting business for four years and the head of one of NEPC’s major business lines for over ten years.  Steve is a member of NEPC’s Discretionary Committee, Management Group, Traditional Due Diligence Committee, and is involved in many of the technical projects performed at NEPC.  Steve is a frequent speaker at national industry conferences, he is the author of multiple research and technical papers, and is often quoted in the popular press.  Steve was selected as one of PLANSPONSOR’s Most Successful Retirement Plan Advisers in January 2009. Prior to joining NEPC in 1996, Steve worked as an Investment Specialist at Putnam Investments, where he was responsible for helping clients understand the products and performance offered through Putnam.  Steve worked with Putnam’s clients to develop cohesive plan designs and investment policy statements and help plan sponsors better evaluate their long-term objectives and plan performance. Steve earned a B.A. with two majors, Economics and English Writing, from St. Lawrence University in 1991.  Steve is a CFA charter holder and a member of both the Boston Security Analysts Society, and the CFA Institute.   

• 

  Scott Evans

  Deputy Comptroller for Asset Management-CIO, New York City Pension Funds

  Scott C. Evans is the Deputy Comptroller for Asset Management and Chief Investment Officer for the Office of the New York City Comptroller, which serves as investment advisor to the New York City Retirement Systems. With over $165 billion in assets, it is the fourth-largest public pension fund in the United States providing retirement benefits to over 700,000 members, retirees and their beneficiaries. In addition to his investment role with New York City, Mr. Evans serves as Trustee and member of the investment committee for the William T. Grant Foundation and is a member of the Investor’s Advisory Group of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Prior to his appointment Mr. Evans was most recently Executive Vice President of TIAA-CREF and President of its Asset Management subsidiaries. Past external investment roles include serving on the investment committees of the Dutch pension fund ABP, Tufts University Endowment, Rockefeller Family Fund (Chair) and Barnard College (Co-Chair). Other past external roles include serving as trustee of the IFRS Foundation, which sets accounting standards for more than 100 countries, member of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Advisory Committee on Improvement to Financial Reporting, Trustee of Barnard College, and Dean’s Advisory Council at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Mr. Evans holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts. He earned an M.M. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a B.A. in Economics from Tufts University.

• 

  Jeffrey Geller

  CIO of Multi-Asset Solutions, J.P. Morgan Asset Management

  Jeffrey Geller, managing director, is a Chief Investment Officer of Multi-Asset Solutions, where he is responsible for investment oversight of all mandates managed in New York. This includes providing oversight with respect to manager and strategy suitability and fit and ensuring that the team’s asset allocation views are reflected appropriately across a diverse set of mandates. Jeff is also a portfolio manager for less constrained multi-asset class portfolios as well as portfolios with alternatives exposure. Before joining the firm in 2006, Jeff was director of Hedge Fund Investments at Russell Investment Group and served as chairman of the firm’s hedge fund investment committee. Prior to that, he was a senior partner at Credit Suisse Asset Management’s BEA Associates unit where he had responsibility for managing equity, currency overlay and relative value arbitrage strategies. Jeff earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Clark University and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He is a CFA charterholder and is Series 24, 7, and 63 licensed.

• 

  Ting Gootee

  CIO, Elevate Ventures

  Ms. Gootee serves as the Chief Investment Officer at Elevate Ventures with primary responsibilities in investment strategies, due diligence, portfolio oversight and back office operational support. Previously, Ms. Gootee was Deputy Director, 21 Fund & Entrepreneurship at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation where she provided operational and financial management. She also headed the Fund’s university outreach and talent recruitment efforts. Her prior experiences include analytical roles at the Office of Global Counsel for an international hedge fund and its affiliated brokerage firms, where assets in cyclical and non-cyclical sectors were managed in multiple continents, including the Sub-Saharan Continent and Asia. Having participated in multi-billion-dollar private placement transactions, she came with rich experiences in fund management and in business, financial and legal due diligence. A Chinese native and a Hoosier since 2001, Ms. Gootee became actively involved in the entrepreneurial and venture communities, and is loving every minute of it. She serves on the Board of the Venture Club and of the America China Society of Indiana. Ms. Gootee received her BA from Beijing University as a Jin Yuxi Scholar, MA from Purdue University as a Lynn Fellow and a MBA in Finance from Indiana University as a Forte Fellow. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement designations.

• 

  Jean Marie Grisi

  CIO, Nokia (Formerly Alcatel-Lucent Investment Management Corporation, US.)

  Ms. Grisi is CIO and President of the in-house asset management organization responsible for the investments of the Nokia, (formerly Alcatel-Lucent) pension and post-retirement benefit trusts totaling over $37 billion. She oversees a team of 40 in NJ, Boston, Munich, Paris and Holland. In 2013, Ms. Grisi was named one of aiCIO magazine’s Chief Investment Officer Power 100. In 2014, Ms. Grisi was nominated by Institutional Investor for an inaugural Intelligence Award for Thought Leadership in the Investment Management Industry. Ms. Grisi serves on the National Board of the Girl Scouts of the USA and chairs its investment subcommittee; she is a Director of CMMB, an international health care service organization; Treasurer of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets (CIEBA); a trustee of the Lucent Supplemental Healthcare Benefits Trust; and a Director of Managed Funds Association. Ms. Grisi is a mother to three grown men and has one grandson. She and her husband of 34 years live in New Jersey.

• 

  Susan Hammel

  Executive in Residence, Minnesota Council on Foundations

  Susan Hammel, CFA, is the Founder of Cogent Consulting Inc., an independent, Minneapolis-based impact investing consultting firm. Long a leader in impactful philanthropy beginning with Prudential Social Investments, Susan is Executive in Residence with the Minnesota Council on Foundations supported by the Bush Foundation and Otto Bremer Trust. Cogent advises a diverse group of foundations including the Blandin Foundation, Minnesota Philanthropy Partners, and the Womadix Fund. Using her Masters in Public Policy from Harvard and as a Chartered Financial Analyst, she combines financial expertise and a grounding in public policy with the big picture view of a philosophy major from Carleton College, where she graduated cum laude. Susan has extensive board experience serving on the Sunrise Banks’ Advisory Board and prior chair with the Citizens League and NPH USA. Passionate about helping others, Susan’s teaching credentials include Lecturer in Nonprofit Management for the University of Chicago and guest lecturer with the University of Minnesota Law School, Carlson School of Management, and Humphrey School of Public Policy. Susan and her family reside in Deephaven, a lakeside community outside Minneapolis where she enjoys sailing, powerwalking and skiing.

• 

  Britt Harris

  CIO, Teacher Retirement System of Texas

  Britt Harris has more than 30 years of investment experience leading several of the largest, most successful, and most innovative investment organizations in America. In addition, Mr. Harris is currently a member of the President’s Working Group for Financial Markets and an advisor to the New York Federal Reserve. He is one of only a few people who have worked extensively in both the private and public sectors. Mr. Harris is currently the CIO for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) which is among the 25 largest investment funds in the world. Prior to his arrival at TRS, he was the CEO for Bridgewater Associates and was also the CIO and President for Verizon Investment Management Corporation. Previously Mr. Harris was a managing director for Asea Brown Boveri in Europe. Mr. Harris got his start in his home state of Texas. He has three times been named one of America’s leading pension plan investment chiefs. Mr. Harris has been consistently named one of the top five asset investors in the world. In 2013 he was honored with a lifetime achievement for distinguished service to the financial industry. Mr. Harris also serves as an executive professor teaching two courses. The first is titled “Titans of Investing” at his alma mater Texas A&M University. The second is titled “BU4M” at Baylor University, his wife’s alma mater. He has also guest lectured on investments and public policy at Harvard, Princeton, Yale and The University of Texas. In addition, he is a frequent speaker on various spiritual matters and serves on a variety of public and private boards. Mr. Harris has been married for more than 35 years to his high school sweetheart. He and his wife Julia have four children and live in Austin, Texas.

• 

  Elizabeth Havens

  Partner, David Barrett Partners

  Elizabeth Havens joined David Barrett Partners from a boutique search firm where she co-led the firm’s investment and private wealth management practice. Previously, she spent over ten years within investment management, most recently as a founding member and Vice President of Busara Advisors, an investment firm which advised and invested in emerging manager hedge funds. Prior to Busara, Elizabeth worked in Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Division in San Francisco where she advised high net-worth families and individuals on all aspects of wealth preservation, financial planning and trust and estate preparation. Elizabeth began her career at Goldman Sachs in New York in the Portfolio Advisory Division and spent time in Investment Research, Real Estate Principal Investing and Private Wealth Divisions. Elizabeth holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BA in Political Economics (magna cum laude) from Barnard College/Columbia University. She is a recipient of both the Goldman Sachs Scholarship for Excellence Award and Morgan Stanley’s MBA Fellowship.

• 

  David Helgerson

  Managing Director, Hamilton Lane

  David Helgerson is a Managing Director on the Co-Investment Team and serves as a member of the Co-investment Committee. In this capacity, he is responsible for the direction and oversight of the firm’s direct investments and for leading investments within a variety of sectors and strategies across Hamilton Lane’s direct investment products. In fulfilling these duties, he has served as Board Member, Board Observer, and Advisory Board representative for multiple direct company and fund investments across Hamilton Lane’s products and client base. His experience includes fund management and oversight, as well as sourcing, structuring and underwriting of debt and equity investments with financial sponsors and corporations on behalf of institutional clients. Prior to joining Hamilton Lane in 2004, Mr. Helgerson was a corporate investment banker in the Financial Institutions Group of Morgan Stanley in New York, focusing on advising and executing mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions. Previously, Mr. Helgerson worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of Credit Suisse First Boston in New York. Mr. Helgerson also served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. David received an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a B.A. in Political Science from Swarthmore College.

• 

  David Holmgren

  CIO, Hartford HealthCare

  David Holmgren is Chief Investment Officer of Hartford HealthCare’s $3B of investment assets.   Mr. Holmgren has lead responsibility for the hospitals’ investment portfolios which includes risk management, portfolio construction, asset allocation, manager selection and investment operations.  Previously, he had served as Principal Investment Officer for the Connecticut State Treasury as well as Senior Portfolio Manager at DSI/UBS.  David has 30 years of investment experience in the U.S., Europe and Middle East covering traditional and alternative investment management and earned his MBA from Columbia University.

• 

  Robert Hunkeler

  VP - Investments, International Paper

  Bob joined International Paper in 1997 as Vice President – Investments. In this position, he is responsible for the investment direction of IP’s $16 billion in pension, savings and other plan assets. Prior to joining International Paper, he was Associate Director – Funds Management and Financing at Sandoz Corporation where he was responsible for pensions, cash management and other finance activities. Before that he held numerous finance positions at Ciba-Geigy Corporation. He began his career as a chemical lab technician at Ciba-Geigy’s central research facility in Basel, Switzerland. Bob holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and an MBA from the University of Maryland. He is a past Chairman, and current board member, of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets (CIEBA), a former trustee of the Greenwich Roundtable and former member of the NYSE Pension Managers Advisory Committee. He also is a past recipient of Institutional Investor’s Corporate Plan Sponsor of the Year and Small Corporate Plan Hedge Fund Investor of the Year awards.

• 

  David Kelly

  Partner, Hewitt EnnisKnupp, Inc.

  David Kelly is a partner in Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting’s US Delegated Investment Solutions and is the Chief Investment Officer for North America. He has responsibility for leading the portfolio construction and implementation function for over $80bn of delegated client assets in North America. David has 17 years of experience in investment strategy, solutions and risk management for pension and other institutional investors. Over the course of his career, David’s clients have included large plan sponsors in financial services, energy, retail, pharmaceuticals, defense, automotive, manufacturing, and healthcare industries, as well as public plan sponsors. David is a frequent speaker at professional conferences on topics of asset-liability risk management and frozen plan strategies. David has a BSc. in Financial and Actuarial Mathematics from Dublin City University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in economics and finance.  He is a CFA charter holder, a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (UK), a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (US), and was formerly an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA.

• 

  Jason Klein

  SVP and CIO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

  Jason Klein is Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which he joined in 2008 to create the Investments Office. As CIO, Jason oversees $4+ billion in longterm global investment assets and leads asset allocation, manager selection and risk management efforts. The MSK investments team has achieved peer-based recognitions for innovation, portfolio construction and investment achievement. An active member of the endowment and foundation investment community, Jason is a member of the investment committees of Oxford University, Wesleyan University and the College Board; he is a current member of the Global Capital Markets Advisory Council for The Milken Institute and a former member of the Institutional Investor Advisory Council for the Managed Funds Association. Jason is additionally a member of The Council on Foreign Relations, a member of The Economic Club of New York and a Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association. Previously, Jason was the Chief Investment Officer for The Museum of Modern Art and a Vice President and Principal in the private equity division of Lehman Brothers; he has also been an Equity Capital Markets Associate at Prudential Securities and a Commercial Credit Analyst at Chemical Bank. Jason earned an MBA from Wharton, a JD from The University of Pennsylvania Law School and a BA from Wesleyan University; he has also authored law review articles that were published by Stanford and Columbia.

• 

  Erik Knutzen

  CIO, Multi-Asset Class, Neuberger Berman 

  Erik L. Knutzen, CFA, CAIA and Managing Director, is Co-Head of the Neuberger Berman Quantitative and Multi-Asset Class investment team and Multi-Asset Class Chief Investment Officer. Erik joined in 2014 and is responsible for leading the management of multi-asset portfolios, driving the asset allocation process on a firm-wide level, as well as engaging with clients on strategic partnerships and multi-asset class and quantitative solutions. Previously, Erik was with NEPC, LLC where he served as chief investment officer since 2008. As CIO, he oversaw a group of more than 45 investment professionals, including dedicated research teams focused on Alternative Investments, Traditional Strategies and Asset Allocation for NEPC’s client base with, collectively, more than $800 billion in assets under advisement. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, including nine years at Putnam Investments. In 2013, he was recognized by aiCIO magazine, ranking atop their 25 most influential investment consultants. Erik holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Williams College. He has been awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, as well as the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations. Erik is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Investing, is on the Investment Committee of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and on the Board of Directors of the charity Start Small Think Big

• 

  Doug Kramer

  Co-Head of Quantitative & Multi-Asset Class Investments, Neuberger Berman 

  Doug Kramer, Managing Director, joined the firm in October 2015 as Co-Head of Quantitative & Multi-Asset Class Investments (QMAC). Doug is responsible for growing and expanding the firm’s systematic and multi-asset class strategies. Prior to joining the firm, Doug was Chief Executive Officer at Horizon Kinetics, an investment management firm. While with Horizon, Doug’s focus was engaging with clients, as well as building their successful options strategy. Previously, he was a Managing Principal of Quadrangle Group and a Partner of Goldman Sachs & Co. where he served as Chief Investment Officer and Head of the Global Manager Strategies Group. At Goldman, Doug was responsible for manager selection across all traditional asset classes as well as the strategic development of GSAM’s Institutional Fiduciary Management business. Doug holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS from University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School.

• 

  Michael Kreps

  Principal, Groom Law, Chartered

  Michael P. Kreps is a principal at Groom Law Group, where he counsels employers, plan sponsors, financial institutions, trade associations, and coalitions on retirement, health, tax, and employment matters.  Mr. Kreps specializes in issues relating to public policy, fiduciary responsibility, and plan funding and restructuring.  Previously, Mr. Kreps served as the Senior Pensions and Employment Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions from the 110th through the 114th Congresses.  In that role, he managed all aspects of the Committee’s retirement agenda and had primary staff responsibility for pension legislation, including the pension investment provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the funding stabilization and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation reform provisions of the MAP-21 Act of 2012, the Pension Relief Act of 2010, and the CSEC Pension Flexibility Act.  He also led the Committee’s oversight of regulatory activities involving employee benefit plans.Mr. Kreps is a frequent speaker and writer on retirement and health policy.  He holds a JD, with honors, from The George Washington University Law School and a BA, with distinction, in history and art history from the University of Colorado.  He is active in his local community as a member of the Alexandria Commissions on Aging and Human Rights and is member of the Sorensen Institute Political Leaders Program’s class of 2015.

• 

  Jim Leckinger

  Senior VP, Institutional Consultant, Graystone Consulting, Morgan Stanley

  Jim Leckinger’s responsibilities with Graystone Consulting include providing senior consulting services to institutional pension, healthcare, endowment, foundation, and corporate clients.  Jim is a frequent speaker and panelist at national industry conferences sharing his investment expertise around investment policy and strategy, portfolio draw down and tail risk management, implementing “glide path” methodology in asset allocation frameworks, and the role of alternative investments in institutional portfolios. A graduate of the University of Chicago with an MBA in Finance and a BA in Finance from the University of Illinois, Jim possesses 25+ years of experience in the investment management business having held senior positions as Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at two prior firms. Mr. Leckinger joined Graystone Consulting in 2014 after serving the previous five years as the National CIO of Northern Trust’s Foundation and Institutional Advisory practice. In that role Jim was responsible as a senior portfolio manager, for managing large, national client portfolios. Jim also served as a voting member on numerous investment oversight committees covering strategy, third party manager due diligence and selection, private equity manager selection and oversight, and common and collective trust fund management. He is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA), CFA Society of Chicago, CFA Institute, and both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Illinois CPA Society (ILCPAS).

• 

  Jane Marcus

  Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry

  Jane Marcus is a prominent asset management executive search professional, who has carved out a strong reputation at the highest levels of organizations in the financial services industry. Her broad and deep exposure in this sector ensure she understands client challenges and can advise on the most effective leadership solutions. Jane’s client work bridges the firm’s Financial Services and Board & CEO Services Practices. Throughout more than 25 years in the executive recruiting business, Jane has led CEO, C-suite, and other senior-level engagements for clients across the financial services spectrum from institutional asset management firms, insurance companies, and mutual funds to endowments, foundations, private banking firms, and family offices. In addition to her senior-level recruiting activities, Jane is a regularly featured speaker and author on human capital trends in the asset management industry. She has also been selected as a member of Institutional Investor’s US Institute Advisory Council. Before joining Korn Ferry, Jane led the global asset and wealth management practice at another global executive search firm. Her prior search experience includes 13 years with the Chicago office of another executive recruitment firm, where she led the firm’s Midwest asset management practice. Jane earned a master of management degree (with distinction) from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University, as well as both a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of fine arts degree from Stephens College. She serves on the board of trustees of Stephens College. A competitive ballroom dancer, Jane regularly competes nationally on the professional/amateur circuit in both smooth and rhythm styles of dancing.

• 

  Frank McEvoy

  Investment Officer, NYS Common Retirement Fund

  A member of the New York State Common Retirement Fund’s private equity team since 2009, Frank oversees a $1.6 billion portfolio of New York State-focused private equity fund investments. Prior to joining the Common Retirement Fund, Frank spent ten years as a management consultant to a wide variety of commercial clients. Frank has also worked in technology marketing for the 3M Company and was Director of State Tax for the Motion Picture Association of America. An Albany native, Frank received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Arts from the State University of New York in Albany.

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  Tam McVie

  Investment Director – Absolute Return Investment Specialist, Standard Life Investments

  Tam McVie is an Investment Director for Standard Life Investments (SLI). Headquartered in Edinburgh, SLI is a leading asset manager with considerable expertise in liability hedging and generating returns within a risk based framework. Tam is responsible for providing investment and product support for SLI’s multi-asset solutions, including the firm’s flagship Global Absolute Return Strategies (GARS) portfolio. Working with the Multi-Asset Investing Team since 2007, he uses in-depth knowledge and technical expertise to support the ongoing needs of the firm’s institutional clients. Previously based in the UK, Tam joined SLI’s Boston office in January 2012 and was instrumental in SLI’s expansion to the US. He is a frequent speaker at key industry conferences, including FundForum, Citywire and Asset International’s CIO summit. Tam joined Standard Life Investments in 2004 and previously worked at UK pension manager, Friends Ivory & Sime (now part of Aberdeen Asset Management).  He began his career with Standard Life Assurance Company in 1998.

• 

  Anthony Morris

  Global Head of Quantitative Strategy, Nomura Securities International, Inc.

  Tony is a Managing Director in Nomura’s Global Markets division, based in London. He is the global head of the Quantitative Strategies (QS) team, which has existed for over a decade. Unlike other teams in the industry, Nomura’s QS team has its roots in fixed income rather than equities. Clients rate the team highly, pointing to its macro heritage, blend of economic and empirical analysis, pragmatism, track records and coherence of approach.  The QS team has over USD 10 billion linked its strategies across interest rates, equities, currencies, commodities and credit, and volatility. The team’s work has won prizes for derivatives analysis and product design. These include the 2016 Risk.net Buy-Side Award, Institutional Investment Product of the Year, recognizing Nomura’s trend following UCITS fund. This strategy has outperformed benchmarks and prominent competitors. Tony holds a PhD in financial economics from New York University and a BA from Dartmouth College, where he earned a place in the Phi Beta Kappa academic honour society.

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  Steven Oh

  Global Head of Credit and Fixed Income, PineBridge Investments

  Mr. Oh is Global Head of Credit and Fixed Income and Co-Head of Leveraged Finance for PineBridge Investments. He is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the firm’s global credit and fixed income strategies. Prior to joining the firm in 2000, Mr. Oh’s investment experience included serving as Head of High Yield and Special Situation Investments at Citadel Investments, Head of Leveraged Finance at Koch Capital and Vice President of High Yield and Distressed Debt Trading at BancAmerica Securities. Other prior positions include Manager of Ernst & Young’s Restructuring and Reorganization and Strategy Consulting Groups. Mr. Oh received a BS in Finance and Management from the Wharton Graduate School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Finance from the Kellogg School of Northwestern University. He is a CFA charterholder.

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  Brian Pellegrino

  Chief Investment Officer, United Parcel Service

  As Chief Investment Officer of the UPS Group Trust, Brian Pellegrino has established a reputation for achieving consistent portfolio performance and building a best-in-class investment organization. In his current role with United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Mr. Pellegrino maintains investment oversight for a $30+ billion defined benefit trust, including decisions related to strategic direction, asset allocation and risk management. During his tenure, he has improved efficiencies and reduced costs by transitioning the portfolio to a master trust structure and secured a material increase in the portfolio’s alternative allocation by enhancing its governance structure. Under his leadership, UPS has expanded its opportunity set by creating an in-house managed account platform for alternatives and implementing a secondary and co-investment program within private markets. Before assuming leadership of the investment team, Mr. Pellegrino advanced through the organization via a series of managerial roles, including corporate finance, treasury, and mergers and acquisitions. He earned his Master of Business Administration in Finance from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Montclair State College. Mr. Pellegrino’s professional credentials include the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in the State of New Jersey.

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  Scott Pittman

  Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, Mount Sinai Health Systems

  Scott Pittman joined the Mount Sinai Health System as the SVP & Chief Investment Officer in December 2008. The Investment Office is charged with managing the institution’s $1.7 billion endowment and long term capital. The office also advises on about $5.0 billion of insurance related assets. Scott serves as the Chairman of the FOJP Investment Committee and also serves on the Investment Committee for Healthfirst. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Scott was the Director of Investments at Baylor University. He also served as an instructor in the Hankamer School of Business and taught Baylor’s Portfolio Practicum course where students actively managed a $6.5 million investment portfolio. Before joining Baylor’s Investment Office, Scott taught Corporate Finance and Economics within the University’s business school, and he spent several years within the healthcare industry. The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated system encompassing seven hospital campuses, medical school, and a large, ambulatory footprint in the New York metropolitan area. Mount Sinai is internationally acclaimed for its excellence in research, patient care, and education across a range of specialties and ranks as one of our nation’s top medical facilities. Mount Sinai’s investment efforts have been recognized by and received awards from Institutional Investor, Chief Investment Officer, and Foundation and Endowment Money Management.

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  Matthew Sherwood Ph.D.

  Senior Manager, Public Markets Investments, MMBB Financial Services

  Dr. Matthew Sherwood is an accomplished investment professional with a strong track record of success. Dr. Sherwood began his asset management career at Morgan Stanley, where he managed investments in the Private Wealth Management business unit. Dr. Sherwood left Morgan Stanley for a full discretion Portfolio Manager position at Access Global Partners, where he was responsible for allocating capital across all asset classes.
  Dr. Sherwood left Access Global Partners to pursue a Senior Portfolio Manager position at The Schonfeld Group, before obtaining the Chief Strategist position at Ivy Strategy, and now he is the Head of Public Markets and Hedge Funds at MMBB Financial Services.
  Dr. Sherwood has performed exceptionally well throughout his asset management career.  In 2008, a year that saw a 40% drop in the S&P 500 index, Sherwood was up 18% on his assets under management, resulting in a 58% outperformance over the benchmark index.  Dr. Sherwood is a sophisticated and seasoned investor, who is skilled at risk management, investment research, and the application of economic theory.
  Dr. Sherwood graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Honors Program at Liberty University in an accelerated three years. He went on to obtain his Masters of Business Administration, where he studied Finance and Economics, and graduated with honors. Sherwood has studied business quantitative methods and economic theory on the doctoral level, and obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration from Northcentral University. 
  Dr. Sherwood is an appointed Fellow in Business and Finance and an adjunct faculty member at the King’s College, where he lectures on Finance, Economics, and Investments.
  Dr. Sherwood Is an Investment Committee member and a member of the ESG/SRI Working Group for the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA). Dr.  Sherwood is a published author and has a research focus in ESG investing.

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  Danielle Singer

  Portfolio Director, Multi Asset Team, Invesco

  Danielle Singer is a Portfolio Director for the Invesco Multi Asset team.Before joining Invesco in 2014, Ms. Singer was with UBS for over ten years, where she was astrategist and director of the Global Investment Solutions (GIS) team. Her responsibilitiesincluded participating in the review and setting of multi-asset and currency strategies andassisting clients as part of the GIS initiative. Prior to that, Ms. Singer was an account managerfor UBS’s Institutional Investment Management group and an internal investment consultant.Ms. Singer started her investment career in 2002 in financial services and following thatworked on the auction rate desk at Deutsche Bank.Ms. Singer earned a BA degree at Middlebury College and an MBA at the University of Chicagowith concentrations in analytic finance and econometrics. She holds the Series 3, 7 and 66registrations. Ms. Singer is a CFA charterholder and a member of the New York Society ofSecurity Analysts.

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  Jagdeep Singh Bachher

  Chief Investment Officer and Vice President of Investments, University of California, office of the President

  Dr. Jagdeep S. Bachher is chief investment officer at the University of California. He is responsible for managing $100 Billion in the UC endowment, pension and retirement, working capital and insurance assets. Prior to this, Bachher held senior positions with Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCo) and Manulife Financial in Canada. Bachher is a visiting scholar at Stanford University, chairman emeritus of the Institutional Investors Roundtable, and a member of Institute of Corporate Directors.

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  Charles Van Vleet

  Assistant Treasurer and CIO, Textron

  Charles Van Vleet is Assistant Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer of Pension Investments at Textron Inc., Providence RI*. Together with an investment team of four, Charles has Trustee oversight of $10.2BN in defined benefit and defined contribution assets for Textron’s U.S., Canada and UK Plans providing retirement security for over 75,00 current and past employees. The Textron retirement Plans are well funded with broadly diversified investments including private equity, hedge funds, real estate, fixed income and public equity. In addition to investment oversight, Charles serves as a Member of Textron’s Investment Committee, Investment Management group, Employee Benefits Committee, Trustee and Board Member of Textron’s UK and Canadian Plans. Prior to Textron, Charles spent 8 years as Director, Pension Investments at United Technologies in Hartford CT. Prior to pension investment Charles spent 25 years in the asset management divisions of Credit Suisse, Putnam Investments, Alliance Capital, Brown Brothers Harriman and Nomura Securities. At different times -living and working in New York, London and Tokyo- he has had the opportunity to manage ‘40 Act mutual funds, high net worth, endowment, public pension and corporate pension funds. Charles holds bachelors’ degrees in Economics and Political Science from UC Berkeley, Berkeley CA and an MBA from the University of CT (UCONN) in Storrs, CT. Currently, Charles serves on the investment advisory board for the endowment and pension funds of Lifespan, Rhode Island’s largest not-for-profit health care system. In addition, he serves on the advisory Board for Rhode Island’s Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and advisory committee for the Washington DC based, Managed Fund Association (MFA). *Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. Founded in 1923, we have grown into a network of businesses with total revenues of $13.4 billion, and approximately 32,000 employees with facilities and presence in 25 countries, serving a diverse and global customer base. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island Textron is ranked 228th on the FORTUNE 500 list of largest U.S. companies. www.textron.com

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  Jim Vos

  CEO, Aksia

  Jim has over 31 years of research, derivatives, and fund of hedge funds experience in New York, London and Tokyo. As the firm’s CEO, he is responsible for the overall management of Aksia and leads the firm’s top down sector and strategy analysis. He is also a member of the Portfolio Strategies Group (PSG) that formulates Aksia’s strategy views. Prior to Aksia, Jim headed Credit Suisse’s Hedge Fund Investment Group from its inception through December 2005. The group combined the fund of hedge funds investment management of the firm’s investment bank and asset management divisions, which grew to over $8 billion AUM. Jim started his career in 1985 when he joined Credit Suisse’s Portfolio Strategies group, working on portfolio dedications, immunizations, and total return analysis. In 1987, Jim joined the research department in Tokyo where he ran a fixed income research desk. In 1991, he relocated to New York and joined Credit Suisse Financial Products, a derivatives trading boutique. From 1991 to 1997, Jim was responsible for structuring and marketing for the asset management, hedge fund and insurance areas. In 1998, Jim launched the Sapic-98 Fund of Hedge Funds, Credit Suisse’s first institutional multi-strategy fund of hedge funds. In 2000, Jim transferred to London where he managed the investment bank’s fund of hedge funds group as well as the Fund Linked Products business. In 2003, Jim took over responsibility for investment management for the firm’s Hedge Funds Investment Group. Jim graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985 with a B.A. in Economics. In 2009 and 2010, Jim was recognized as Hedge Fund Consultant of the Year by Institutional Investor Magazine. In 2016, Jim was recognized as Consultant of The Year by Chief Investment Officer Magazine.

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  Trent Webster

  Senior Investment Officer, Strategic Investments and Private Equity, Florida State Board of Administration

  Trent Webster is the Senior Investment Officer, Strategic Investments & Private Equity for the State Board of Administration of Florida, which manages approximately $180 billion for a variety of mandates in the state of Florida, including the $145 billion Florida Retirement System. He is directly responsible for $12 billion of investments in hedge funds, private debt, real assets, principle investments, and other alternative investments, and indirectly responsible for private equity. Prior to being appointed Senior Investment Officer, Mr. Webster ran the Special Situations fund for the State Board of Administration, a US-focused, catalyst-driven public equity fund, and was responsible for external manager oversight in the Domestic Equities department. Prior to coming to the State Board, Mr. Webster worked at Sprucegrove Investment Management and ScotiaMcLeod. He has a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Saskatchewan. Mr. Webster is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

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  David Wilson

  Head of Institutional Solutions Group, Nuveen Investments

  Dave is the head of the Institutional Solutions Group at Nuveen Asset Management. He is responsible for utilizing the firm’s multi-asset class capabilities to develop customized investment solutions for defined benefit pension plans, insurance companies, workers compensation pools and other institutions. Dave began working in the financial services industry in 1998. Prior to joining the firm in 2013, he served as managing director and head of customized strategies at Cutwater Asset Management, where he managed over $11 billion of customized mandates. His background includes structuring and managing complex liability-driven investing programs, which utilize multiple strategies in different currencies. During his career, Dave has developed innovative solutions for clients seeking to optimize their business profile, generate value, de-risk or manage liquidity. He possesses strong capabilities in treasury management, structuring and capital modeling, risk management and hedging. He started his career in the financial industry as a mergers and acquisitions analyst at Thompson Financial. Dave received a B.A. in economics from the University of Albany and an M.B.A. in finance from Fordham University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.