Dimensional Fund Advisors Promotes Savina Rizova to New Co-CIO Role

Dimensional Fund Advisors, an investment advisory firm with $677 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2023, announced plans to restructure its leadership roles, elevating Savina Rizova, formerly global head of research, to a new co-CIO role.

Rizova will serve in the role alongside Gerard O’Reilly, who was previously in charge of the firm’s research team and has been co-CEO and CIO since 2017. Rizova will continue her duties as global head of research at the firm, according to a Dimensional spokesperson.

“Savina is one of the smartest, most dedicated leaders I have had the privilege of working with,” O’Reilly said in a press release. “In addition to her impressive research expertise, she has helped drive innovation across Dimensional’s product offering, including the development, launch, and rapid growth of our exchange-traded funds, expanded separately managed accounts offering, and model portfolios. I look forward to working alongside her to help financial professionals and investors pursue their financial goals.”

Rizova joined Dimensional in 2004 as a research assistant and was elevated to the role of global head of research in 2019. She was previously co-head of research and head of strategy research at the firm. She earned a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. and an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

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The structure that sees multiple people sharing leadership roles is one the spokesperson said has already proved successful.

“Dimensional has demonstrated the benefits of a team-based structure in other areas of the business, including our co-CEOs and co-heads of [the global client group], and we believe it puts us in a strong position to serve financial professionals and investors,” the firm spokesperson said.