Credit Suisse has created an Investment Strategies and Solutions group in its Asset Management Division, which will work in collaboration with Asset Managements Global Institutional Distribution team to help clients develop investment solutions from across their full range of product offerings. David Russ, former Chief Investment Officer of Dartmouth Colleges Office of Investments, has been named Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist of the group.
The Investment Strategies and Solutions group, led by Russ, will also include Managing Director Mark Baumgartner, former Senior Portfolio Strategist and head of Portfolio Architecture in Morgan Stanleys Global Portfolio Solutions group; Managing Director Yogi Thambiah, former head of Credit Suisses U.S. Multi Asset Class Solutions (MACS) business within Asset Management; and Director Nicolo Foscari, former Senior Portfolio Manager in Credit Suisses MACS business.
In addition to providing the investment strategies and solutions to clients that are not subject to ERISA or similar laws, the group has expertise in the more limited approach required for pension plan clients, consistent with applicable laws.
Russ was most recently Chief Investment Officer of Dartmouth College. In that role, Russ directed the College’s investment strategy, asset allocation, and manager selection; and was responsible for Dartmouth’s USD3.5 billion endowment.
Prior to that, he was the Treasurer of the Regents and VP for Investments in the Office of the President at the University of California (USD65 billion). In addition, he was Managing Director Public Markets for the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO), and was also the senior portfolio manager for Stanford University and the Stanford Management Company.
Russ is a member of the Institute for Quantitative Research in Finance (The Q Group), The Conference Boards Research Council on Global Investment, and a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the Tuck Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
The formation of the Investment Strategies and Solutions group is the next step in providing clients with a coordinated, efficient and strategic approach to investing in a range of products across the spectrum of asset classes and investment styles, says Mark Bourgeois, managing director and head of Distribution for Asset Management. Asset Management clients will benefit from Davids deep expertise in portfolio construction and management, as well as his significant knowledge of endowment, foundation and pension plan management.
We are confident that the Investment Strategies and Solutions team will provide invaluable insights as they work closely with our clients to further understand their asset allocation needs and investment objectives, and help us provide strategic and holistic investment solutions that exceed their high expectations.
I am proud to be joining Credit Suisse as it expands its superior client service offerings through the formation of the Investment Strategies and Solutions group, says Russ. This is an exciting opportunity to bring my experience as an endowment and pension plan investor with several of the worlds leading academic institutions to one of the worlds leading financials institutions. I look forward to working with the team to develop and provide Credit Suisses asset management clients with unique solutions to accomplish their varied investment objectives.
L.D.