Home ListingApril 2, 2014

Catholic SRI Organization Appoints New CIO

John Geissinger, former Hewitt EnnisKnupp partner and CIO at North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office, will manage $5 billion in socially responsible investing strategies.

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(April 2, 2014) — Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), a socially responsible investor for Catholic institutions, has hired John Geissinger as its new CIO.

Geissinger, a 30-year veteran in the asset management industry, started his tenure at CBIS on Wednesday, succeeding Frank Haines who retired in August last year after serving 13 years as CIO. The organization had named Richard Wolf, former senior investment analyst at CBIS, as interim CIO in September, 2013.

“The depth and breadth of John’s background have positioned him well to help guide CBIS to the next level of growth,” said Michael O’Hern, president and CEO of CBIS. “We are confident he will prove a tremendous boon in developing investment advice for our clients and strengthening our internal dialogue about global capital markets and investment opportunities.”

As CIO, Geissinger will be responsible for developing CBIS’ investment policy and direction, as well as formulating asset allocation models and risk management programs. He is also expected to oversee the organization’s “manager-of-managers” function and cooperating with such managers to create new investment products, CBIS said in a statement. Geissinger will also oversee four internal staff members plus 13 fund managers.

According to its website, CBIS has over $5 billion in assets under management for Catholic institutions worldwide, including dioceses, religious institutes, and educational and health care organizations.

The New York-based organization retains an extensive socially responsible investing program involving “principled purchasing decisions and active ownership in order to encourage companies to become better, more responsible corporate citizens.”

“I’m excited to bring my investment expertise to an organization to the forefront of mission-based investing for Catholic institutions,” Geissinger said in a statement. “I look forward to helping to grow the organization by leading the investment team and developing innovative investment offerings, strategies, and products that have the potential to satisfy our clients’ needs.”

Prior to joining CBIS, Geissinger served as partner with consulting firm Hewitt EnnisKnupp. He also held CIO roles with the North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office, asset management firmt Natsource, and Bear Stearns Asset Management.