Newsmakers
Wesleyan University Names Jonathan Farrar as CIO
The endowment’s deputy will succeed outgoing CIO Anne Martin in leading investments for the $1.7 billion fund.
Reported by Matt Toledo
Jonathan Farrar
Wesleyan University has promoted Deputy CIO Jonathan Farrar to CIO, a university spokesperson confirmed. Anne Martin, an investment protégée of the late Yale University CIO David Swensen, will retire on June 30, having served since 2010, with Farrar officially assuming the role on July 1.
Wesleyan’s $1.7 billon investment office began preparing for the transition three years ago, when Farrar was appointed as deputy, the Wesleyan Argus—the school’s student newspaper—reported. Farrar and Martin will continue to work together during the two-month transition period.
After six years as director of investments at Yale, Martin joined Wesleyan as CIO to replace Thomas Kannam, who was removed from his role following allegations that he used endowment assets for personal trips and other expenses.
“This has been the high point of my career—which included consulting, investment banking, and private equity investing,” Martin told The Argus. “I can’t imagine another job that marries intellectual curiosity and financial skills with doing good for the world by funding financial aid for students.”
Farrar joined the Middletown, Connecticut-based Wesleyan investment office in 2014, having previously worked as a director at multi-family office Highmount Capital, where he managed external manager selection and public markets due diligence. He also conducted manager due diligence as a research analyst at Veritable L.P.
Farrar earned both a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics and a bachelor of science in physics from Lafayette College.