Heinz Endowments Names John Barker CIO
Barker joins after 19 years at the Kresge Foundation, the last four as CIO.
John Barker
The $2.2 billion Heinz Endowments named John Barker as its new CIO, following his departure from the Kresge Foundation earlier this month. He will oversee Heinz’s investment management and will lead investment adviser and investment committee relations.
Barker left the $4.2 billion Kresge Foundation after 19 years, spending the last four as CIO. Prior to Kresge, Barker was an assistant investment director at the University of Notre Dame for five years. Barker was also treasurer of the Foundation for Detroit’s Future, which was set up in 2014 to help the city emerge from bankruptcy. He also served as a board and investment committee member for the Children’s Foundation of Michigan.
Barker is originally from Pittsburgh, where the Heinz Endowments are based.
“It’s a chance to come home and contribute to a mission that matters deeply to me,” Barker said in a statement. “This is a talented, passionate group doing work I respect, and the opportunity to work alongside them is a big part of what drew me here.”
Kresge President and CEO Rip Rapson said Barker “managed our endowment with discipline and a long-term perspective, always mindful of the people and communities Kresge resources are meant to serve.”
The Troy, Michigan-based Kresge Foundation announced leadership changes to replace Barker.
Jon Gentry, a managing director and 21-year veteran of the Kresge Foundation, will be its new CIO, and Emily Bertsche, currently managing director of private markets, will be named deputy CIO, effective September 1.