2024 Elite 100 CIOs Part 3

Robert “Vince” Smith, CFA, is one of the country’s longest-serving public fund investment officers, with nearly four decades of experience. Vince has held leadership and portfolio management roles at public pension and sovereign wealth programs across Montana, Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico. Currently, he is Chief Investment Officer for the New Mexico State Investment Council, based in Santa Fe. Under his leadership, the value of New Mexico’s permanent funds has grown from $13 billion to $55 billion over 14 years. Vince’s investment process emphasizes macroeconomic analysis, long-term strategy, and strategic asset allocation.

Paul Greff serves as the Chief Investment Officer of the Ohio Public Employees' Retirement System, where he oversees the management of $112 billion in assets. Under his leadership, OPERS focuses on a diversified investment strategy designed to meet the long-term retirement needs of its members. Greff brings extensive experience in public pension management and investment strategy to his role.

Michael Brakebill is the Chief Investment Officer for the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, managing a $65 billion portfolio. His focus is on prudent asset allocation and optimizing returns to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fund, while adhering to the system’s fiduciary responsibilities.

David T. Veal is the Chief Investment Officer of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS), where he leads a team of over 70 investment professionals in managing a $40 billion retirement trust fund. His leadership has been instrumental in consistently outperforming the fund's policy benchmark, with ERS frequently ranking in the top decile of its peer group. In recognition of his achievements, David received the Markets Group Strategy Award in 2023. Prior to joining ERS, David served as Chief Investment Officer for the City of Austin Employees’ Retirement System for five years. His experience also includes senior roles at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, equity research analysis at Morgan Stanley, and distinguished service as a US Navy officer. David’s strategic investment leadership has made a significant impact on ERS, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the fund.

Scott Chan has served as the Chief Investment Officer of CalSTRS since July 2024, leading an investment staff of over 200 professionals and overseeing a $347 billion portfolio. With extensive experience across a wide range of asset classes and geographies, Scott is responsible for the strategic direction and management of one of the largest pension funds in the world. Before joining CalSTRS, Scott was Senior Managing Director at the University of California Regents, where he oversaw a $55 billion global equities portfolio across the UC’s pension fund, endowment, and working capital pools. He has also held senior roles as Chief Investment Officer for the Sacramento County Employees’ Retirement System and as a partner and portfolio manager for hedge fund partnerships. Scott serves on the boards of the Toigo Foundation and the Institutional Investors Roundtable, and he holds advisory roles with the Alternative Investment Management Association, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association, and other leading industry groups. He earned his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Under Scott Chan's leadership, CalSTRS has achieved annual returns of 8.5%, adding over $100 billion to the trust while outperforming benchmarks by 0.8% annually. He has maintained low-cost execution and managed risk at lower levels compared to peers. Scott led efforts to significantly grow and diversify CalSTRS' private markets and alternative assets portfolio, increasing investments by $48 billion. He also accelerated the growth of CalSTRS' Collaborative Model, enhancing in-house asset management and generating an estimated $1.5 billion in cost savings. Additionally, Scott played a key role in implementing the Net Zero strategy, securing $30 billion in low-carbon solutions and developing a dedicated private markets portfolio focused on emerging climate opportunities. His leadership in people management has been pivotal, expanding the investment team by 175 professionals and earning CalSTRS 'Pension and Investments Best Places to Work' honors for five consecutive years. Scott is a CFA charter holder.

Cheryl Alston is the Chief Investment Officer of the Dallas Employees' Retirement Fund, overseeing the management of $4 billion in assets. With a focus on disciplined investment strategies, Alston works to ensure the fund’s long-term growth and sustainability to provide retirement benefits to the City of Dallas’ employees.

Gordon Fyfe leads the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation as Chief Investment Officer, overseeing the management of $170 billion USD in assets. Fyfe plays a key role in managing BCI’s diversified portfolio, focusing on sustainable investment strategies to secure long-term growth for the corporation’s clients.

Jeremy Wolfson is the Chief Investment Officer of the Los Angeles Water & Power Employees' Retirement Plan, managing a $22 billion portfolio. His leadership focuses on risk management and maximizing returns while maintaining a commitment to serving the retirement needs of the city’s employees.

John D. Skjervem is Chief Investment Officer for Utah Retirement Systems (URS), which manages a $54.4 billion financial and real asset portfolio as of December 31, 2023. URS encompasses both defined benefit and defined contribution retirement programs. Prior to joining URS, John served as Chief Executive Officer of Alan Biller and Associates, overseeing its $131 billion institutional investment advisory practice. He also held the role of Chief Investment Officer at Oregon State Treasury, managing a $111 billion globally-diversified investment portfolio. Before his time in Oregon, John worked at Northern Trust, where he was Chief Investment Officer for the firm’s $180 billion wealth management division. John is a member of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation’s Investment Advisory Group, an advisor to the Retirement Board of the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho, and serves on the IEEE Foundation’s investment committee. He is also part of the Milken Institute’s Global Capital Markets Advisory Committee and sits on the Investor Advisory Group of the International Sustainability Standards Board. John holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, a BA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Statistics from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Eric Henry is the Chief Investment Officer of the Vermont Pension Investment Commission (VPIC), where he oversees the management of $6 billion in assets for three statewide pension plans. Since joining VPIC in 2018 as its first CIO, Henry has led a comprehensive restructuring of the pension assets to enhance risk management, streamline oversight, and improve performance. His initiatives include the development and implementation of diversified private equity and private credit portfolios, as well as the creation of a cloud-based investment data warehouse to optimize workflow and risk management. Henry also spearheaded legislation to transition VPIC into an independent state investment board, significantly reducing political influence over investment decisions and staffing. His focus on shareholder initiatives has led to improved board diversity, accountability, and enhanced environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk disclosure. In addition to his work at VPIC, Henry has held key leadership positions at organizations including the Hershey Trust Company, UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, and Texas Municipal Retirement System. His experience in both the public and private sectors, combined with his deep expertise in portfolio construction, risk management, and governance, has made him a leading figure in institutional investment management.

Scott Simon oversees $8 billion in defined benefit and defined contribution plans as Chief Investment Officer at the Fire and Police Pension Association of Colorado (FPPA). He has initiated major governance model improvements, increased the alternatives exposure from 15% to 50%, and introduced strategies like hedge funds, co-investments, and opportunistic investments. Simon also led the implementation of FPPA’s derivatives overlay, currency hedging, and total fund risk management. He is committed to incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into FPPA's investment processes.

Farouki Majeed has been serving as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at the School Employees' Retirement System of Ohio (SERS) since July 2012. Under his leadership, the fund's performance has consistently exceeded its benchmark and the actuarial interest rate, significantly enhancing the fund’s financial stability. During his tenure, the total fund value has grown from $10 billion to $19 billion, and the funded ratio of the plan has improved from 62% to 76.6% as of fiscal year 2023. Prior to joining SERS, Mr. Majeed held several prestigious positions, including Senior Investment Officer for Asset Allocation and Risk Management at CalPERS, and the inaugural CIO of the Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions and Benefits Fund of the United Arab Emirates. His earlier roles include Deputy Director of Investments at Ohio PERS and CIO of the Orange County Employees Retirement System. Mr. Majeed began his distinguished career in pension fund investing as an Investment Officer for the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund in 1991.

Michael Viteri is the Chief Investment Officer for the Arizona State Retirement System, where he oversees the management of $52 billion in assets. Viteri’s focus on asset allocation and long-term growth helps secure the future of ASRS’s retirees and beneficiaries.

Jase Auby serves as Chief Investment Officer for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, managing a $193 billion portfolio. His strategic investment decisions ensure that TRS remains a robust and sustainable retirement system for Texas educators and employees.

Lamar Taylor serves as the Chief Investment Officer of the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA), a state constitutionally-created investment management organization with over $250 billion in assets. Since joining the SBA in 2002, Taylor has held several key positions, including Deputy General Counsel, Deputy Executive Director, Chief Operating and Financial Officer, and Interim Executive Director and CIO from 2021 to 2024. A licensed attorney and CPA with both private and public sector experience, Taylor has been instrumental in driving significant initiatives that have strengthened SBA's investment strategies and operational capabilities. In 2023, Taylor led a major revision of SBA’s asset allocation strategy, including the restructuring of strategic investments and the creation of a new asset class, active credit. He also played a critical role in the passage of key legislation that expanded the statutory cap on alternative investments, enabled SBA to invest internally in defined contribution assets, and established a securitization facility for direct-owned real estate investments. His leadership also resulted in the development of an in-house real estate credit facility, providing cost-effective financing for SBA's real estate investments. Taylor's strategic vision has contributed to ongoing enhancements in SBA’s performance and analytics systems. He has also strengthened SBA's talent base by personally recruiting senior investment and operational professionals. His ability to cultivate strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the Investment Advisory Council and legislative staff, has been vital to his leadership. Additionally, Taylor has fostered a culture of performance, accountability, collaboration, and mutual respect across the organization.

Bryan Lewis is the Chief Investment Officer of United States Steel Corporation, overseeing $4 billion in assets. His investment strategy is focused on preserving and growing the company’s retirement and benefit funds, ensuring financial security for the corporation's employees and retirees.

Toru Shindo is the Chief Investment Officer of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, managing $94 billion in assets. Shindo’s leadership focuses on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the fund to support the retirement of United Nations employees across the globe.

Robin Diamonte has been Chief Investment Officer at RTX (Raytheon Technologies) since 2004, overseeing $115 billion in global retirement assets, including $44 billion in domestic pension plans. She serves on RTX’s Finance Leadership Team and Global DE&I Advisory Board. Robin previously worked for Verizon Investment Management, managing their $40 billion pension plan. Appointed by President Obama, Robin chaired the Advisory Committee for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. She also serves on the Morningstar Board and CIEBA. Robin holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance from the University of New Haven. Robin has been inducted into Markets Group’s CIO 2024 Hall of Fame.

Jason Klein is Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he oversees $9 billion in global investment assets. Jason has built an innovative and high-performing investment office at MSK, with peer recognition for portfolio construction and performance. He also serves on several investment committees, including those of the College Board and the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to MSK, Jason was CIO at the Museum of Modern Art and held senior roles in private equity at Lehman Brothers.

Dr. Jagdeep Singh Bachher is the Chief Investment Officer of the University of California, responsible for managing approximately $180 billion across the UC endowment, pension, retirement savings, and working capital. Known as an innovator and champion for change in the investment industry, Bachher developed ""The UC Investments Way,"" a collaborative culture built on ten guiding pillars that shape the university’s investment decisions. He also founded the UC Investments Academy, which provides technical training, mentorships, and job placements to UC students, with a goal of increasing financial literacy among students and expanding the academy to 10,000 members. Before joining the University of California, Bachher was Executive Vice President of Venture and Innovation at Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCo). He has also worked in the U.S. wealth management, Canadian, and investment divisions of Manulife Financial and has entrepreneurial experience. Bachher holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in Management Sciences, as well as a B.A.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, where he serves as the 12th Chancellor.

Philip Griffith serves as the Chief Investment Officer of the Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana, where he oversees a $26 billion portfolio. Griffith’s investment strategy is designed to optimize returns and ensure the system’s long-term viability in serving the state’s educators.

Donald Pierce has been the Chief Investment Officer for the San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association (SBCERA) since 2010. He is responsible for the fund’s investment division, overseeing policy formulation, investment strategy, and manager selection. Prior to SBCERA, Donald worked at Watson Wyatt, managing pensions, healthcare, and investments. During his time at SBCERA, Pierce pioneered a rebalancing methodology that has contributed over $1 billion in gains since its inception in 2006.

Anurag Pandit is the Chief Investment Officer of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where he manages $8 billion in assets. Pandit’s investment leadership ensures the financial health of the hospital’s endowment, supporting its mission to advance research and provide care for children battling life-threatening illnesses.

Steve Meier is the Chief Investment Officer of the New York City Retirement Systems, overseeing more than $285 billion in assets. brings over 40 years of public and private sector experience, most recently serving as Assistant Treasurer and Interim Chief Investment Officer for the Connecticut Office of the State Treasurer. He oversaw $40 billion in public pension assets. Steve spent 17 years at State Street, where he became Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Global Fixed Income, Currency, and Cash Management, overseeing over $900 billion in assets. Meier’s prior roles include positions at Credit Suisse First Boston, Oppenheimer Capital, and Merrill Lynch.

Stephen Gilmore oversees one of the largest public pension funds in the United States as Chief Investment Officer for CalPERS, managing a vast $502 billion portfolio. Gilmore leads investment strategy across a wide range of asset classes to maintain the financial health and sustainability of the fund for California's public employees.