The American Red Cross’ investment office has entered the rebuild phase.
Postings for a head of private equity and senior investment manager went live yesterday, marking the first investment staff searches since CIO Greg Williamson took over in March 2015.
These senior positions both report directly to Williamson, the former longtime CIO of BP America.
The private equity manager “will take a leadership role in building, implementing, and overseeing” all activity for the asset class, the official posting stated, with the mission of implementing “a leading-edge private equity investment program.” Real estate, infrastructure, and other illiquid investments also fall at least partly under the position’s mandate.
Candidates must have at least five years of relevant experience, “preferably in a direct environment.”
The senior investment manager position requires at least twice that much, including fluency with defined contribution, pension, and endowment assets. Portfolio managers and derivatives traders—current or former—are “highly desirable.”
This role appears to take over many of responsibilities formerly under deputy CIO Anne Shelton, who lost her job along with Managing Director Edward Karppi during a reorganization last October.
Like a typical deputy CIO, the senior investment manager “will report to and advise the chief investment officer on all investment and risk matters.”
The American Red Cross hired Williamson to transform the roughly $5 billion portfolio and the division responsible for it into “an industry leader in investment asset management.” As recruiting begins for core members of his senior team, Williamson appears to be pushing ahead on that mandate.
Both positions are based at the American Red Cross’ national headquarters in Washington, DC.
Related: New Red Cross CIO Starts Recruiting; First Staff Changes at Red Cross; BP CIO Quits for American Red Cross Foundation