2026 CIO Lifetime Achievement Honorees Announced
Jase Auby, Laurence Fulton and Lori Heinel
Three investment leaders. Three different institutions. One common legacy: decades of stewardship, innovation, generosity and leadership that helped shape the modern institutional investment landscape.
The CIO Lifetime Achievement Award for 2026 honors Jase Auby, Laurence Fulton and Lori Heinel, whose careers across the public, corporate and asset management sectors exemplify a commitment to fiduciary excellence, investment innovation and the long-term interests of the beneficiaries they serve.
The awards will be presented on November 16 at the CIO Industry Innovation Awards event in New York City.
At the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Auby leaves a remarkable record of service and performance after more than 17 years with the organization, including seven years as CIO. Rising through roles that included chief risk officer, deputy CIO and head of the risk group, Auby guided one of the nation’s largest public pension funds through a period of exceptional results. Under his leadership, TRS achieved the strongest relative investment performance in its history, while building a disciplined, enduring investment organization positioned to serve Texas educators and retirees for generations. Auby is recognized as an innovator among institutional investors.
For nearly four decades at Verizon, including eight years as CIO of Verizon Investment Management Corp., Fulton demonstrated the blend of technical expertise and strategic vision required to oversee large institutional portfolios. In addition to managing approximately $50 billion in assets, he played a key role in one of the earliest major U.S. corporate pension risk-transfer transactions, helping advance innovative approaches to pension management and liability governance. His career reflects a deep commitment to sound financial stewardship across multiple areas of the telecommunications and investment-management sectors. Beyond his work at Verizon, Fulton contributed to the industry as a whole as an active member of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets, including as a board member.
At State Street Investment Management, Heinel has built a career spanning leadership roles across asset management, private banking and institutional investing. As executive vice president and global CIO, she oversees a global investment platform encompassing index, active, multi-asset and alternative strategies and leads a team of more than 600 investment professionals. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for developing innovative investment solutions, advancing product development and helping investors navigate increasingly complex markets while elevating the role of women in investment leadership. Heinel is also recognized as a mentor for women in the industry.
Collectively, Auby, Fulton and Heinel have influenced how institutions invest, manage risk and fulfill their obligations to beneficiaries. Their accomplishments extend beyond investment returns to the teams they developed, the organizations they strengthened and the standards of professionalism they established.
As they conclude or enter new chapters of distinguished careers, they leave enduring legacies that will continue to shape the institutional investment profession for many years to come.