Fernando Vinzons Named New CIO at Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund

The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund has announced the appointment of Fernando Vinzons as its new CIO. Vinzons previously served as the director of investments at Cook County Pension Fund and will begin his new role at CTPF on July 11.

“Fernando comes to CTPF with the leadership experience, technical background and vision needed to meet our policies, pacing, objectives and goals. His collaborative style and proven ability to assess stakeholder needs, implement policy and serve as a mentor to staff will serve the fund well. We are pleased to welcome Fernando to our team,” says CTPF Executive Director Carlton W. Lenoir, Sr.

Vinzons worked in the investment office of Cook County Pension Fund for over 13 years, eventually becoming the director of investments there in 2018. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in economics from the University of Illinois.

Like CTPF, Cook County has struggled with its funded ratio over the last decade. In its most recently published actuarial report, Cook County had a funded ratio of 63.87%. According to the press release, Vinzons helped grow Cook County’s pension portfolio despite its funded status, improving its peer ranking from the 65^th percentile to 28^th percentile while he was there. The portfolio also grew from $5.2 billion to $14 billion during his tenure. CTPF has $13 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021.