2020 Chief Investment Officer Summit

Mr. Ailman has been the Chief Investment Officer of the $250+ billion CalSTRS, for 20 years.  Mr. Ailman leads an investment staff of 175.  He joined CalSTRS in 2000 and is one of the longest serving public CIO in the country.  He has over 35 years of institutional investment experience.  Annually, he is listed as one of the top ten CIO’s in the USA and globally by the institutional investment media.  integration of the standards in security analysis and portfolio construction. He has served on several boards and advisory boards in the U.S. and U.K. such as PRI, ICGN, PPI, EDHEC, and most recently as the inaugural Chair of the SASB Investor Advisory Board and the Pacific Asset Management center at UCSD Rady School.  He is currently the North American Chair of the “300” CIO Club and the Milken Global Capital Markets Committee.  He has received numerous awards and recognitions over his career, from CIO of the Year in 2000, the NAA Latino service award, 2011 Large Plan CIO of the year, and Investment Innovator of the Year in 2011 and again in 2013, all culminating in 2017, with receiving the inaugural Institutional Investor Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award.  In 2018, he was named the top CIO in the world by Chief Investment Officer Magazine. Mr. Ailman is a regular guest on the TV and radio, CNBC, Bloomberg, and Nightly Business Report. He is frequently quoted in in major financial publications such as the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Barron’s.   He has a BA from UCSB, an FSA, the Fundamentals in Sustainable Accounting credential from SASB.  He has been married for 35 years with three adult daughters and is a committed Promise Keeper.

David has over 25 years of broad-based experience in senior level recruiting in the investment and wealth management fields. Prior to 2005 when he founded David Barrett Partners (DBP), an international investment and wealth management search firm with 10 recruiters in New York, London and Boston, he worked at two global search firms, including Heidrick & Struggles from 1995 to 2003, where he was the Partner-in-Charge of the Global Asset and Wealth Management Practice.  DBP has been recognized by Chief Investment Officer Magazine and Institutional Investor as one of the leading CIO recruiters in the endowment, foundation, plan sponsor, wealth and family office areas.

David received a BA from Yale University and obtained his MBA from Columbia University. He began his career in equity research with Brown Brothers Harriman in New York. Following graduate school, David returned to investment management as an Equity Analyst with Trust Company of the West in Los Angeles before moving into executive search with Russell Reynolds Associates, initially in Los Angeles and then Singapore and New York.

Nolan is a Managing Principal and Head of Institutional Investments for FEG Investment Advisors, an independent, investment consulting and OCIO provider with nonprofit and corporate clients throughout the United States. He joined the firm in 2004, and as a member of FEG’s Board of Directors and Investment Policy Committee, Nolan’s responsibilities include broader firm and investment strategy. Nolan was named one of the world’s 10 most influential investment consultants by Chief Investment Officer magazine through the Knowledge Broker award for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017. [1] He also was named “2011 Nonprofit Consultant of the Year” by Foundation & Endowment Money Management.[2]  
Nolan is the current investment committee chair and board of trustees member at the Seven Hills School, and is the past president of the CFA Society of Cincinnati. He received his MBA in Quantitative Analysis and Finance from the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Linder College of Business and earned a BSBA in Finance from Georgetown College.

Based in New York, Deb Brown is a senior member of the firm’s Investment Management Practice, where she serves organizations looking to attract senior leadership and investment talent. Deb’s clients include some of the world’s most prestigious asset managers, wealth advisory platforms, banks and insurers. She has successfully completed searches for Board Directors, CEOs, Chief Investment Officers, chief strategists, directors of research, portfolio managers and senior sector analysts. In addition, Deb has assisted many leading endowments, foundations, plan sponsors and OCIOs in their recruitment of Chief Investment Officers, senior investment talent and Trustees. Deb joined Russell Reynolds Associates more than 20 years ago from a boutique search firm and has more than 25 years of executive search experience. Prior to her executive search career, Deb spent three years as a Financial Analyst at Goldman Sachs, and earlier was with the Travel Related Services Division of the American Express Company. Deb received her BA, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in mathematics and economics, and her MBA, with honors, in finance, both from New York University.

Douglas J. Brown joined Exelon Corporation as Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer in November 2009. As Chief Investment Officer, Doug leads a team of professionals responsible for managing all investment activities including pension funds, nuclear decommissioning trusts, defined contribution plans and other employee benefit trusts totaling $44 billion. He is a member of Exelon’s Corporate Investment Committee and the Exelon Foundation Board of Directors.

In 2012, Doug was named Large Corporate Pension Manager of the Year by Institutional Investor. The award recognizes institutional investors whose innovative strategies and fiduciary savvy have resulted in impressive returns. From 2013 through 2019, he was named to Chief Investment Officer Magazine’s Power 100 list of most influential asset owners. Prior to joining Exelon, Doug was Chief Investment Officer at Chrysler LLC with responsibility for all asset management activities globally, including pension funds, defined contribution plans and other employee benefit trusts totaling $30 billion. Chrysler’s $20 billion U.S. pension fund has been consistently among the top performing funds. Doug’s career with Chrysler and its affiliates began in 1983. He was advanced to positions of increasing responsibility, including Treasurer for DaimlerChrysler Canada and Director, Corporate Finance and Capital Markets for DaimlerChrysler Corporation. He was a member of the Chrysler LLC Investment Committee and previously served on the DaimlerChrysler Investment Committees in the United States, Germany and Canada and on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee for the DaimlerChrysler Insurance Company. Doug is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and is Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets (CIEBA) in Washington, DC. He also serves on the Board of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. From 2013 to 2015, Doug served on the Board of the CFA Society of Chicago. Doug was born in Paterson, New Jersey and holds a B.A. degree in economics from Albion College and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Sanjay Chawla is senior vice president and chief investment officer at FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial and industrial property insurers, where he manages all the company’s investment functions. Assets managed include insurance general account and pension assets, combined total of approximately $25B. He is based in Waltham, Mass., USA. Chawla joined FM Global in 2018 from Raytheon Company where he was vice president and chief investment officer, responsible for pension assets investments. Investment management responsibilities included portfolio construction and asset allocation across public and private markets, risk management, operations, ongoing performance and managers’ monitoring and diligence. Prior to that, Chawla worked for Dow Chemical for 18 years until 2013, and held various leadership roles in portfolio investments, treasury, risk management and corporate finance. Roles included global asset allocation, enterprise-wide and financial risk management, and corporate finance at the corporate headquarters in Michigan, USA, and during expatriate leadership assignments in Asia. He received an MBA from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Va., USA, and a bachelor’s degree in commerce (honors) from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, India. He has also completed executive education leadership programs led by Duke Corporate Education, H. H. Dow Academy (Dow Chemical), and Thunderbird and Indiana University.

Clint Coghill co-founded Backstop Solutions Group in 2003 as the Founding Chairman and has helped guide the company as Chairman of the Board. Clint now leads the Backstop Executive Team as CEO. Prior to joining Backstop in an executive role, Clint was CIO of Coghill Capital Management, a successful Chicago-based hedge fund management company he started in 1995. Among his other professional pursuits, Clint was the Founding Chairman of NFTE Chicago’s Regional Advisory Board, which provides entrepreneurship programs to young people from low-income communities and reaches more than 2,000 youth per year. He is also the founder of two charitable Organizations, the Coghill Family Foundation and the Environmental Impact Initiative. Clint received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona, and his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the London Business School.

Fast Facts: Is happily married to an attorney and has 4 kids; two boys and two girls. Family owned a golf course and his first job was retrieving golf balls from the water hazards. Keeps active by snow skiing, surfing, ice hockey, golf, and training for triathlons. Fluent in Spanish and spent time backpacking through South America. Enjoys traveling with his family. In 2015 was named the NFTE “Entrepreneur of The Year”. Appointed to the “Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame” in their 30th annual induction. Is a pro football aficionado and follows the Chicago Bears 

Diamonte joined Raytheon Technologies (RTX) as Chief Investment Officer in December 2004. She is responsible for overseeing Raytheon’s $100+B in global retirement assets. This includes $50B in domestic pension plans, $10B in foreign and non-qualified pension plans and $40B in the defined contribution plan. Diamonte serves on RTX’s Finance Leadership Team and is an executive sponsor for UTC’s Finance Inclusion Forum. Prior to joining Raytheon, she spent thirteen years with Verizon Investment Management. She served as Managing Director of Global Investments, responsible for asset allocation and management for their $40B pension plan. In 2013, Robin was appointed by President Obama and served as a member and chair of the Advisory Committee for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for six years. Ms. Diamonte has been an Independent Director of Morningstar, Inc. since December 2015.  She also serves on the board for the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets (CIEBA), representing more than 100 of the country’s largest private sector retirement funds on fiduciary and investment issues in Washington. Robin is also a current member of the investment committee for Miss Porters School.  Diamonte earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and her MBA in finance from the University of New Haven.

Mr. Draghi is the Chief Investment Officer for the $1 billion Municipal Employees’ Retirement Fund (“MERF”) of the City of Hartford, a public defined benefit pension fund in Hartford, Connecticut.  In this role, Mr. Draghi also provides oversight to the City’s $150 million defined contribution plan and $20 million OPEB trust fund.  He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (1999) and Certified Public Accountant (1985) designations.  Mr. Draghi graduated cum laude from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. His primary duties include advising the City Treasurer and Pension Commission with regard to asset allocation, investment, operational and monitoring activities of the MERF and the City’s other investment funds.  Mr. Draghi has served as Chief Investment Officer/Director of Investments since 2011 and joined the MERF as its Assistant Director of Investments in 2006. Prior to joining the MERF, Mr. Draghi served as a Principal Investment Officer (“PIO”) at the $20 billion State of Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds (“CRPTF”).  Over his fifteen-year career with the CRPTF, Mr. Draghi served in various capacities including PIO-Real Estate Investment, PIO-Accounting and Control and also participated in the management of the CRPTF’s private equity, venture capital and commercial mortgage investment portfolios.  His earlier professional experiences were in public accounting, primarily with Deloitte. Mr. Draghi currently serves as Chairman of the Town of Wallingford (Connecticut) Pension Commission that oversees the investment of the Town’s $215 million defined benefit pension fund. He also serves as a member of the Hartford Healthcare Board Investment Subcommittee and the University of Connecticut School of Business Investment Advisory Board.  He previously served on the Board of Directors of the University of Connecticut Alumni Association, serving as its Treasurer and heading its investment committee. Mr. Draghi is a member of the Hartford Society of Chartered Financial Analysts and the Connecticut Society of Certified Pubic Accountants.

Mark joined NEST in 2008 and has been an investment manager for the over 30 years and managed money at a variety of institutions. At Gartmore, Mark was head of Japanese equities while at American Express Asset Management International, he was chief investment officer. Before joining NEST, Mark was a partner at the boutique investment manager Thames River Capital LLP. Mark has an MA Math & Philosophy from Oxford University & an MSc Management from London Business School. He has non-executive roles on the investment committee of USS and on EDHEC-Risk’s International Advisory Board.

Brandon Gill New is a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Capital Markets Group at OPTrust.  In her role, she provides strategic direction and oversight over a number of strategies within the plan’s portfolio of C$6B externally-managed public-markets funds.  She also sits on the Capital Markets and Incubation Portfolio Investment Committees and is involved in a number of efforts related to Responsible Investment. Prior to joining OPTrust in early 2018, Brandon was a Director at BMO Capital Partners, a proprietary private debt and equity fund at Bank of Montreal.  She also spent a decade at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.  There, she served as a Portfolio Manager in the Alternative Investments Division managing a portfolio of global hedge funds and esoteric investment funds, and as an Assistant Portfolio Manager in the Public Equities Division covering Emerging Markets equities. Brandon holds an MBA from London Business School and a B.A. in International Economics from Middlebury College in Vermont.  She is also a CFA Charterholder.

Barry Glavin is Senior Managing Director and the Chief Investment Officer of State Street Global Advisors Dublin-based Fundamental Value Team and the Portfolio Manager responsible for the International Value Spotlight Strategy. Barry is a member of the SSGA Ireland Senior Management Group, a member of the SSGA Investment Committee and sits on the SSGA Executive Management Group. He joined the business in November 2006 as Head of Industrials Research, and led the Research Team for six years until his appointment as CIO in July 2013. Prior to State Street Global Advisors, Barry spent seven years with the HSBC group; in London, as Head of Industrials Research with HSBC Halbis Partners; and in Paris, as a Portfolio Manager with the Multi Asset Class team. Barry began his financial career as a derivatives broker with Cargill Investor Services in Paris. Barry holds a BA in Politics and Philosophy from University College Dublin and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2003.

Mr. Holmgren is the Chief Investment Officer of Hartford HealthCare’s $3.5B of investment assets. He 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.

Todd is the Chief Investment Officer at Principal Global Asset Allocation, a specialized investment boutique within Principal Global Investors that engages in the creation of asset allocation solutions. He is responsible for investment management, product development, and risk management across the boutique. Todd serves as a Co-Portfolio Manager on our target risk asset allocation suite as well as our active multi-asset high income ETF strategy. He joined Principal in 2010 and has been in the investment industry since 1998. Todd is a member of PGI’s Operating Committee and helps to shape and execute the vision and strategic planning for the firm. Previously, he was an Executive Director and Portfolio Manager for UBS, and a Vice President and Portfolio Manager for Credit Suisse. He received an MBA from New York University with a concentration in quantitative finance and a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Virginia. Todd has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Walter is the Chief Investment Officer for EY Americas based in Secaucus, New Jersey and has 35 years of investment experience.  He and his team are responsible for managing over $21B of ERISA assets in 5 DB and DC Plans for EY’s 80,000+ participants.  Walter is a voting member of EY’s Retirement Investment Committee and of Gloucester Insurance Ltd., EY’s captive insurance group. Prior to joining EY in 2016, Walter spent 10 years as member of the JPMorgan Retirement Plan Investment Group, the investment manager of the JPMorgan Retirement Plan.  He was COO responsible for the investment operations of the JPMorgan’s Retirement and 401(k) Savings Plans, Portfolio Manager for private equity, real estate and real assets and a designated advisor to the firm’s largest international retirement plans’ investment committees. From 1999-2006, Walter worked for Mellon and its Dreyfus subsidiary in roles including National Sales Manager of Retail at Dreyfus, President of Mellon Advisors, and Executive Vice President of Defined Contribution Distribution at Mellon Institutional Asset Management. Before joining Mellon, he spent 14 years at Prudential Securities in various roles including Branch Manager and Associate Regional Director and began focusing on the qualified retirement plan market in 1990. Walter is a member of CIEBA’s Executive Committee and Vice Chair of its DC Committee and received his B.S. in Finance from Syracuse University.

Stephen Laipply, Managing Director, is the Head of U.S. iShares Fixed Income ETFs for BlackRock. His cross-functional team is responsible for supporting client engagement for both institutional and wealth investors, creating thought leadership on fixed income markets and fixed income ETFs, driving new product innovations, and partnering with fixed income broker/dealers. Mr. Laipply is also a member of BlackRock’s Investment Strategies and Insights team and has authored and co-authored articles on fixed income markets and investing that have been published in the Journal of Portfolio Management, the Journal of Index Investing, and the Journal of Trading. 

Previously, Mr. Laipply was the Head of U.S. iShares Fixed Income Product Strategy and was a member of BlackRock’s Systematic Fixed Income Product Strategy Team. Prior to joining BlackRock in 2009, Mr. Laipply was a senior member of the Interest Rate Structuring and Strategic Solutions groups at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he helped to develop investment and risk management solutions for institutional clients across interest rate, credit and securitized exposures.
Mr. Laipply earned a BS degree in finance from Miami University, and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Charmel Maynard currently serves as Associate Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, and University treasurer. In this capacity, he leads the University’s efforts to invest over $3B in assets, including endowment and pension funds. Mr. Maynard is also responsible for the University’s ~$1.4B capital structure, including liquidity and debt issuances. Additionally, he manages treasury and cash management. Mr. Maynard was previously a vice president with J.P. Morgan’s Investment Bank in New York City. During his 10-year career with J.P. Morgan, he focused on investment banking debt capital markets and leveraged finance, where he advised clients on capital structure solutions, deal structuring, and execution of syndicated revolving credit facilities, institutional term loans, and bond issuances. He currently serves on the Mead Art Museum board as the chair of the Budget Committee, the Knight Foundation Community Advisory Board and the Black Angels Miami Board. Mr. Maynard holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Amherst College.

Juan Martinez joined Knight Foundation in 2002. As a member of Knight’s executive committee, Martinez is a partner in the development and implementation of the foundation’s strategy. He is responsible for the foundation’s financial management, reporting and regulatory compliance, overseeing the management of its $2.2 billion investment portfolio, and partnering with program staff in development of grants and program-related investments. In 2011, Martinez led the development of the Knight Enterprise Fund. The fund invested in more than 40 early-stage digital media companies that align with Knight Foundation’s program mission. Martinez serves on the board of portfolio company ViewLift, an OTT management and streaming platform. Juan started his career at CPA firm Arthur Andersen & Co. He left after four years to establish a company focused on the development of intellectual property for film and television as well as an independent financial consulting practice. Prior to joining Knight, he was manager of financial planning for Telemundo Group Inc., the second largest Spanish language US television network. He is an alumnus of Florida International University, Miami Dade College, and the Wharton School of Business. He has been a certified public accountant in the state of Florida since 1992. He currently serves on the Board of Directors, and Chairs the Investment Sub-Committee, of the Florida International University Foundation, in addition to serving on Boards of Council on Foundations and City to City Miami. He also serves as an advisor on several committees including the Launch with GS (Goldman Sachs’ initiative to support diverse entrepreneurs).

Sam has 27 years of investment industry experience. He has been the CIO for $8.6 billion Wyoming Retirement System since 2013. Prior to that, he served as a Managing Director of Tulane University’s endowment, and was a founder and portfolio manager for eight years at the hedge fund Silver Peak Capital
Sam’s other investment experience includes three years at VSS, and four years in real estate investment banking at PaineWebber and Kidder Peabody. Sam received his B.S. in Finance and Investing from Babson College. He holds the CFA and CAIA designations.

Marina Mets heads up Fixed Income and Multi Asset Product Management in the Americas. Building on her prior role in the Research team leading the Canadian Fixed Income business, Marina works closely with FTSE’s partners and key clients, including major asset owners, fund managers and investment banks to develop and broaden FTSE’s fixed income offering globally. Marina leads a team focused on targeted client engagement to design and provide index solutions, educate the market on FTSE’s index philosophy, and profile use of indexes in investment portfolios and strategies across all asset classes. Marina has been with the Fixed Income Index business for almost 20 years, starting her career in the capital markets research team at Scotiabank, and continuing on with the Canada fixed income index business through its acquisition by TMX Group in 2006, and the subsequent acquisition by FTSE in 2013. Marina holds a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in Finance, Accounting, and Economics, from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and is a CPA CMA.

Mr. Moore is the Chief Investment Officer of Michelin North America with responsibility for over $8Bn of retirement plan assets in the US and Canada.  He also serves on a global benefit investment team for Michelin providing oversight and support for retirement plans globally.  Prior to his current role he held positions in both finance and research and development with Michelin.  Mr. Moore earned a BS in Chemical Engineering and MBA from the University of South Carolina and is a CFA charterholder

Ms. Murphy currently oversees the investments of the $17 billion Orange County Employees Retirement System.   Ms. Murphy joined OCERS in 2017 after many years as CIO of a non-profit US health system.  Previous to that role, with a background in trading and portfolio management, Ms. Murphy was the co-founder and CIO of a boutique investment firm serving the bespoke needs of institutional fixed income investors. She is a graduate of Miami University and Xavier University and is a CFA charter holder.

Renee is a Partner and Head of the North American Asset Management practice of Heidrick & Struggles. Renee brings over 20 years of experience in senior executive search with a focus on financial services leadership challenges. She has conducted hundreds of searches over the course of her career, including presidents, chief investment officers, senior portfolio managers, risk managers, as well as senior sales, marketing and distribution professionals. Her clients span a diverse client base of endowments, foundations, family offices, insurance companies, investment management firms, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds. Renee joined Heidrick & Struggles in 2004 from a boutique search firm, where she was a vice president and member of the Wealth Management Practice. Previously, she was the senior recruiter for Banc of America Capital Management, a Division of Bank of America, where she specialized in the recruitment of executives in the investment management industry (Retail and Institutional) and asset management marketing. Renee began her career at another global executive search firm where she focused on executing a broad range of asset management, investment banking and capital markets searches. Renee graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy. She currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University, on the Advisory Board for Girls Who Invest and as a Board member for Gateway to Leadership, the impact arm of the Money Management Institute. Additionally, she is an active participant on the Retirement Plan Investment Committee for Heidrick & Struggles. Renee contributes professionally to 100 Women in Finance, Ellevate, The Family Office Exchange and the New York State Society of CPAs Family Office Group. Renee has been recognized by CIO Magazine as ‘One of Executive Recruiting’s Elite.’

Sylvia oversees the implementation of private credit and real assets portfolios across Aksia’s global base of LPs. As Aksia’s Global Private Credit and Real Assets Strategist, she advises the firm’s clients with respect to portfolio construction, investment selection, pacing, risk, performance monitoring, benchmarking, co-investment programs, structuring, tactical plans and board presentations. Sylvia has partnered with prominent industry organizations to increase awareness of private credit as an asset class, including spearheading the development of ILPA’s Private Credit Specialist Series, where she is one of the lead instructors for the course. In addition, she speaks regularly at industry conferences about the challenges of building private credit portfolios and has contributed to articles including Preqin’s Future of Alternatives Series and Institutional Allocator Magazine. Prior to joining Aksia in July 2016, Sylvia spent nearly a decade in the private market space, working with both investors and GPs across private equity, real assets and private credit selection and positioning. She began her career in 1992 at Goldman Sachs in Chicago, where she oversaw the Midwest Convertibles business and then moved to New York to co-lead the institutional synthetics convertibles business. Sylvia graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in Economics and East Asian Studies and completed her MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Sylvia is a founding board member of the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN).

Dr. Parmar serves as a Director on the Boards of Akouos (NASDAQ: AKUS), Entrada, Homology (NASDAQ: FIXX), Rallybio and Vor Biopharma. He previously served as Board Member or Observer for Achaogen (NASDAQ: AKAO), Arvinas (NASDAQ: ARVN), Audentes (NASDAQ: BOLD), Envoy (acquired by Takeda) and scPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SCPH) and as Acting VP of Strategy and Corporate Development at Novira (acquired by J&J). Dr. Parmar serves on the Advisory Boards of Harvard Medical School, Penn Medicine, Princeton University’s Department of Molecular Biology, and the Grace Science Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Society of Kauffman Fellows. Prior to 5AM, Dr. Parmar was at Harvard Medical School, where he was an NIH-sponsored M.D./Ph.D. Physician Scientist Fellow in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program. He holds an A.B. in Molecular Biology and Medieval Studies from Princeton University, a Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology from Harvard University and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School

Brian Pellegrino joined the Georgia Tech Foundation in January of 2018 as the Chief Investment Officer. He directs the Foundation’s $1.8 billion portfolio and will be responsible for developing the endowment’s long term strategy, building out the investment organization and overseeing policy implementation. He also serves as a member of the Foundation’s Executive Team. Prior to the Georgia Tech Foundation, Mr. Pellegrino was at United Parcel Service of America, Inc. (UPS) for 37 years, where he held senior positions in Mergers & Acquisitions as well as Treasury & Corporate Finance. He was the Chief Investment officer from 2005 to 2017. In that role Mr. Pellegrino maintained investment oversight for $37+ billion of actively managed defined benefit assets, including decisions related to strategic direction, asset allocation, risk management and portfolio construction. During his tenure, he improved efficiencies and reduced costs by transitioning the portfolio to a master trust structure and secured a material increase in the portfolios alternative allocation by enhancing its governance structure. Mr. Pellegrino 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.

Seema is Chief Strategist at Principal Global Investors. Based in London, she oversees global market strategy and advises investment staff across the firm in making economically sound asset allocation calls. She is responsible for the creation of global economic macro and secular event research, closely monitoring global central bank policy and political developments. Seema is a regular participant in conferences and forums speaking about global macro market issues. She is frequently quoted by the financial news media and appears regularly on CNBC and Bloomberg TV. Seema joined the firm in 2010, previously working as a strategist within Principal Global Fixed Income. Prior to joining Principal, Seema served as an economist at Capital Economics. She also worked with the macro consulting group at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and as an economist at HM Treasury. She received a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree with honours in economics from the London School of Economics.

Del Stafford, CFA, Managing Director, is Head of iShares Portfolio Consulting for BlackRock. This team consults directly with institutions across the Americas to develop tailored portfolio solutions primarily through asset allocation and risk analysis.  This is executed across multiple asset classes and product structures, focusing on solutions comprising alpha-seeking, factor and index strategies, with expertise in iShares ETFs.  Mr. Stafford previously held the position of Head of the Model Portfolio & Solutions (MP&S) business. The team is responsible for managing an array of strategies offered as model portfolios. In this role, he was a member of the model management team, the investment committee and research approval board. Additionally, Mr. Stafford served as a portfolio manager on a series of Blackrock iShares Variable Insurance Funds.

Chris Tauber is a Partner and the Office Business Leader for Mercer Investments in the PNW Region.  Chris has over 28 years of investment consulting experience. Current responsibilities include serving various types of private and public fund sponsors in Mercer’s West Unit. His previous experience included working at Jeffrey Slocum & Associates in Minneapolis, Minnesota and R.V. Kuhns & Associates in Portland, Oregon, in which he assisted endowment/foundations, public funds, healthcare systems, defined benefit/contribution, Taft-Hartley, and insurance clients. Core responsibilities throughout his career have included strategic planning, development of investment objectives and policies, asset allocation/asset liability/spending modeling, investment management selection and research, asset class structure reviews, transition management and investment performance evaluation. Chris received a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in political economy concentration from Carleton College.

Mr. Waskiewicz recently launched Investment Office Resources, LLC (IOR), a shared resource platform supporting internal investment offices of not-for-profit institutions.  Prior to launching IOR, Mr. Waskiewicz served as Chief Investment Officer for Mercy Health (St. Louis, MO), joining the nation’s 5th largest Catholic health system as the system’s first Chief Investment Officer.  During his tenure, he built a top-performing investment program and team managing the health system’s $3B investment program comprising reserve, pension, and foundation assets. Under his leadership, Mercy generated strong risk-adjusted returns while receiving industry recognition, including Institutional Investor Investment Committee of the Year (2018) and Investor Intelligence Healthcare Plan of the Year (2015). During his tenure, Tony was named AI-CIO Healthcare CIO of the Year (2018), Institutional Investor Healthcare Chief Investment Officer of the Year (2014), and was listed on Trusted Insight’s Top 30 Healthcare CIO list.  At the conclusion of his tenure at Mercy, Mr. Waskiewicz was ranked #31 on AI-CIO’s Power 100 CIO list.  At Mercy, Mr. Waskiewicz hired and mentored an award-winning team, including the team’s Deputy CIO being acknowledged as AI-CIO’s Next Generation CIO (2019) and the team’s Senior Investment Analyst honored as a Top 30 Women Rising Stars in Institutional Investing by TrustedInsight (2016).  Prior to joining Mercy Health, Mr. Waskiewicz served as Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for the Clark family’s holding company, Clark Enterprises, Inc., one of the largest private holding companies in the country, where he successfully led the investment process and achieved strong returns managing five large investment funds.   Before joining Clark Enterprises, Inc., Tony established an investment and institutional management foundation working with and learning from industry leaders at T. Rowe Price, Mercer Investment Consulting, Evergreen Investments and Morgan Stanley. Tony earned his MBA with a concentration in Finance, from the Sellinger School of Business Management-Loyola College and BS degree in Business Administration from Washington & Lee University. Today, he serves on the investment committees for the Missouri Health Foundation and the Mid-American Transplant Association, and recently completed his term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School in St. Louis, where his two daughters recently graduated. 

Kelli joined the Cleveland Clinic Investment Office in 2017 as a member of the inaugural team tasked with building a fully discretionary insourced investment office. In her role, Kelli is primarily responsible for monitoring portfolio asset allocation policies, maintaining the macroeconomic research function and collaborating with the CIO on research that directs tactical asset allocation, investment decisions and hedging strategies for approximately $11.9 billion in assets across four investment pools. Additionally, Kelli conducts manager due diligence across long-only, hedged and private asset classes.
Prior to joining the Cleveland Clinic Investment Office, Kelli was a Managing Director of Investments with Cambridge Associates where she was responsible for manager selection, investment implementation and strategy for a variety of nonprofit institutions. Prior to joining Cambridge Associates, Kelli was an Endowment Officer at Bowdoin College as well as a Senior Due Diligence Analyst with Edward Jones Investments and Portfolio Manager with the Edward Jones Trust Company in St. Louis. Kelli is the Executive Chair of the Alumni Board of Governors at Washington University in St. Louis as well as a member of the Washington University Board of Trustees, serving on the Audit, Undergraduate Experience and Global Engagement Committees. From 2011-2013, she was an Investment Committee Member for the Crittenton Women’s Union (now EMPath) in Boston, MA. Additionally, from 2011 to 2014, Kelli was a Robert Toigo Foundation Alumni Regional Vice-President in Boston, MA and Washington, D.C. Kelli is a CFA Charterholder, holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.B.A from the Yale School of Management.

Ash Williams, Executive Director & CIO of the State Board of Administration of Florida, is responsible for managing approximately $207 billion in assets including those of the Florida Retirement System, the fifth largest public pension fund in the United States. Prior to joining the SBA, Ash was a Managing Director at Fir Tree Partners and President and CEO of Schroder Capital Management. Ash has extensive experience with both the SBA and Florida government, serving as Executive Director of the SBA from 1991 to 1996 and in senior management in Florida’s executive and legislative branches. Ash currently chairs the Council of Institutional Investors, the Managed Funds Association’s Institutional Investor Advisory Council, and the Alternative Investor Forum’s Investor Board. He serves as trustee of the National Institute for Public Finance, and the Florida State University Foundation. Additionally, Ash serves on several investment committees including the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, and the Community Foundation of North Florida. Ash also serves on the advisory boards of both the Robert Toigo Foundation, and Robert F Kennedy Human Rights. Ash received BS and MBA degrees from Florida State University (FSU) and completed post-graduate programs at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Joel Wittenberg is vice president and chief investment officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, he supports the foundation efforts to promote thriving children, working families, and equitable communities. Wittenberg serves on the foundation’s executive council and is responsible for both Kellogg Foundation and Kellogg Foundation Trust investment portfolios. The foundation is the fourth largest in the U.S. with more than $7 billion in assets. Prior to joining the foundation, Wittenberg spent nine years as corporate vice president at the Kellogg Company, serving as treasurer as well as heading up investor relations. Before joining the Kellogg Company, he was vice president and treasurer with Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and held several key treasury roles with the Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Michigan. Wittenberg earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance at the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University, and his Master of Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti.

Darren Wolf is a Senior Investment Manager and is the Global Head of Investments, Alternative Investment Strategies, at Aberdeen Standard Investments. As such Darren is responsible for working with and managing the investment team, which oversees hedge fund manager research, portfolio construction and top down strategy research. Darren joined Aberdeen Asset Management via the acquisition of Arden Asset Management LLC in 2015 where he was the Director of Research and a member of Arden’s Investment Committee. At Arden, Darren was responsible for managing the day-to-day research activities of the firm. Previously, he was on the Investment Committee and the Head of Research at Robeco-Sage Investment Management, where he joined as a member of the investment team in 2001.