Michael Gould Named CIO of Lehigh Endowment

Michael Gould

Lehigh University tapped Interim CIO Michael Gould as its long-term CIO overseeing the institution’s $2.3 billion endowment, the university announced Tuesday after a national search.

Gould, who has been at Lehigh since 2018, was appointed as interim CIO in August 2025, following the departure of CIO Kristin Agatone, who became CIO of the Georgetown University endowment in September 2025 after nine years at Lehigh. Gould has been a senior analyst, associate director and director during his tenure.

“Mike has been a key leader in our Investment Office team since 2018,” Lehigh University President Joseph J. Helble said in a statement. “His continued commitment and strategic approach to managing and growing the university’s investment portfolio, his collaborative approach and work to help support the academic mission of Lehigh, and his extensive investment management experience make him ideally suited to serve as Lehigh’s Chief Investment Officer.”

As of June 30, 2025, Lehigh’s endowment returned an annualized 10.4%, 9.5%, 11.4%, 9.3% and 8.6% over the past one-, three-, five-, seven- and 10-year periods, respectively.

“As Chief Investment Officer, I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Investment Committee, university leadership, trustees and broader stakeholders to build on our progress, advance our strategic priorities, and further strengthen the university’s long-term resilience in support of its academic mission,” Gould said in a statement.

Gould was previously a vice president at Citi Private Bank and a senior associate at PwC. He earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a focus on accounting and finance from the University at Buffalo.