Â鶹¹ú²úAV hires Erik Bernhardt as its first Chief Investment Officer
Bernhardt will oversee Â鶹¹ú²úAV's $580 million endowment
Â鶹¹ú²úAV has hired Erik Bernhardt as its first Chief Investment Officer effective August 1, 2019. Bernhardt brings more than 20 years of investment experience to the college. He started his career providing investment advisory services to endowments and foundations at Cambridge Associates in Washington, D.C. Bernhardt’s extensive investment career includes 10 years at Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company, where he researched hedge fund teams and managed multi-strategy hedge fund portfolios for global institutions. He also was a member of the firm’s investment committee. Bernhardt comes to Â鶹¹ú²úAV from Artisan Partners, a global investment management firm. As a director of the firm, he was tasked with building new investment teams.
“We are very excited that Erik is joining us at Â鶹¹ú²úAV,” said Vice President and Treasurer Lorraine Arvin. “Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s endowment supports the academic mission of the college and our ability to provide significant financial aid to roughly half our students. Prudent stewardship of the endowment is paramount to Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s success. Erik brings valuable experience and leadership to this new position.”
Under the leadership of its investment committee, Â鶹¹ú²úAV undertook a comprehensive review process that included trustees, faculty, and staff to determine the optimal endowment management model for the college. The review process concluded that Â鶹¹ú²úAV should hire a Chief Investment Officer to lead the college’s management of the endowment. Â鶹¹ú²úAV’s endowment is currently valued at $580 million and provides more than 25 percent of the college’s annual operating budget. Over the past 10 years, endowment earnings have contributed over $220 million to the operations of the college.
Bernhardt holds a BA in history and business administration from Principia College and an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles. Bernhardt is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is active in the nonprofit community and currently serves as a trustee for the Holt-Elwell Memorial Foundation and as head of its investment committee.