The 2017 Tech 40: Neal Pawar

< The 2017 Tech 40

32. Neal Pawar
Chief Technology Officer
AQR Capital Management
Last year: 38

Open sourcing, or freely allowing computer code to be tested and enhanced by developers, is embraced almost everywhere these days. It’s a value that Neal Pawar has instilled in AQR Capital Management in his three years as chief technology officer. Pawar doesn’t take all the credit, though. He says the Greenwich, Connecticut-based firm was open sourcing, in a sense, from its start in 1998. For example, its website has a “Cliff’s Perspective” section for regular postings by managing and founding principal Clifford Asness, and a library page that says, “Our mindset is to share our discoveries and insights to advance the collective wisdom of the world’s investment community.” Pawar, 45, leads a team of more than 200 technologists on the mission of identifying and deploying the systems, technologies, and tools best suited to AQR’s highly quantitative needs. That means keeping pace with its growing business: AQR’s $187.6 billion in both traditional and alternative assets under management as of March 31 was an increase of 22 percent year-over-year, while its employee count of 793 was a 23 percent increase. The firm has also added new capabilities in such areas as cloud computing and advanced analytics through data visualization.

The 2017 Tech 40