A common refrain of allocator veterans over the past two years is that the majority of investment professionals have never experienced a market when interest rates were this high.
That isn’t true anymore. Amid a massive market regime change, younger people in the industry have learned first hand what it means to invest through inflation and rising interest rates.
This year’s Rising Stars distinguished themselves at a moment in time that will shape their approaches to investing and help define their careers.
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Institutional Investor’s ten Rising Stars is made up of people who are on track to become leaders within the industry. They were selected by the editorial team from a pool of nominations submitted by an advisory board, peers, bosses, and industry experts.
The Rising Stars will be honored during II’s sixth annual Allocators’ Choice Awards on September 12 at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York City.
Although the Rising Stars have already been selected, asset owners may still vote for their peers in the Allocators’ Choice Awards. Those winners will be announced at the awards ceremony live. Vote using this link, and request an invitation to the event here.
John Atsalis, managing director at Columbia Investment Management Company, for his transparency and connections with both allocators and managers. Atsalis now works across asset classes to source and invest in both emerging and established managers. During his tenure at Tufts University, he worked in public markets.
Brad Bauguss, associate director at Tulane University, for his collaboration and leadership at the university’s endowment. Bauguss works on private markets at the fund, and, according to his nominator, has been able to “powerfully combine robust quantitative analytical skills with a sharp attention to detail.”
Chloe Breider, vice president at GIC, for her efforts on the sovereign wealth fund’s technology investment team. Breider helped establish the sovereign wealth fund’s venture secondaries program, in addition to overseeing existing commitments. She is a co-founder at Phoenix Fund, which makes angel investments in portfolio companies founded by Harvard Business School graduates.
Renee Hanna, managing director at Baylor University, for her contributions to Baylor’s ongoing strong performance. Hanna has grown alongside the endowment, recently obtaining her MBA. She leads Baylor’s private equity efforts, while mentoring younger staff members.
Sam Johnson, director of investments at Loyola University Chicago. With Johnson’s help, the endowment recently moved from a generalist approach in equities to a specialist model, which has resulted in strong performance. “He will be CIO one day,” his nominator said.
Chase Nicholson, senior portfolio manager at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, for his use of academic research and technical expertise to identify innovative and effective investment ideas. Nicholson oversees SWIB’s $2.5 billion multi-strategy portfolio. According to his nominator, “Chase’s intuition and out-of-the-box thinking set him apart as a true innovator.”
Jocelyn Bilkey Saldana, managing director of investments at Emory University, for her dedication to the university’s endowment. An Emory alum, Saldana joined the endowment after graduating. Since then, she has risen through the ranks to become a managing director, working on both the public and private portfolios.
Caroline Thomas, investment director at Smith College, for leveraging the expertise she gained at Brown Brothers Harriman as head of equity research (manager selection) to the endowment’s benefit. Thomas is a respected investor and member of her local community.
Michael Watson, associate director at NewYork-Presbyterian, for his contributions to the health system, and to community organizations outside of the industry. Watson serves as a board member at Access Justice Brooklyn and Ivy Child International.
Summer Zhao, investment director at Lafayette College, for exceling at building and maintaining portfolios through a “methodical and strategic approach,” her nominator said. They added that her “technical proficiency and strategic investment insights” make Zhao a well-deserving member of the Rising Stars list.
