University of Florida Grad Takes Over as Chairwoman of School’s Endowment

Bessemer Trust Chief Investment Officer Rebecca Patterson will serve a six-year term as chairwoman of the University of Florida’s $1.57 billion endowment, the university said Tuesday.

Patterson, a 1990 graduate of the university, runs a $100 billion portfolio at Bessemer Trust.

Patterson joined the University of Florida Investment Corp. board in 2013 as a volunteer director. She succeeds Andrew Banks, head of private equity firm ABRY Partners, as chair of UF’s endowment.

Both serve as unpaid volunteers, according to the endowment’s tax return.

Before launching her investment career, Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida. She worked as a journalist in London, Rome, New York, and Washington, D.C., and earned an MBA at New York University and master’s in international economics and politics at Johns Hopkins University.

Patterson was chief markets strategist for J.P. Morgan Asset Management before joining Bessemer. American Banker has named Patterson to its past three lists of “The 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance.” She serves on the New York Federal Reserve’s Investor Advisory Committee and is a member of the Economic Club of New York and the Council on Foreign Relations.

“Rebecca is a proven superstar,” William Reeser, the endowment’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Her contribution of time and talent to the oversight and management of the endowment has earned her great respect among the board and staff of UFICO.”

The endowment funds scholarships, professorships, and other university programs.