Traditional Managers Have ‘Nowhere to Hide.’ Can Hedge Funds Pick Up the Slack?

With fixed income falling short in protecting on the downside, TIFF Investment Management is betting on hedge funds to help diversify some investment risks.

Despite the bad headlines and their mixed track record, TIFF Investment Management, will keep betting on hedge funds to soften the blow of market stress.

Traditional Managers Have ‘Nowhere to Hide.’ Can Hedge Funds Pick Up the Slack?

Press Release: TIFF Investment Management Appoints Alyssa Rieder and Rick Slocum to its Board of Directors

Radnor, PA – June 27, 2022 – TIFF Investment Management (“TIFF”), the not-for-profit OCIO focused on serving nonprofits with $7.8 billion AUM, including committed capital, today announced it has appointed Alyssa Rieder, Chief Investment Officer at CommonSpirit Health, and Rick Slocum, Chief Investment Officer at Harvard Management Company (“HMC”), to the Board of Directors of TIFF Advisory Services, Inc. Alyssa and Rick join the Board that includes some of the most prominent CIOs, CEOs, and leaders within the nonprofit investment industry.

Their investment expertise along with their extensive knowledge of the nonprofit industry will support TIFF’s asset allocation and portfolio construction, provide general market and investing insights, as well as experienced Board governance and oversight.

Alyssa oversees the investment team at CommonSpirit Health and its $50 billion investment program comprised of corporate, retirement, foundation, and self-insurance assets. She led the ten-fold growth of the program through a combination of organic growth and merger integration, demonstrates a thorough understanding of enterprise risk implications for strategic asset allocation, and is a recognized leader in sustainable investing. Alyssa’s previous experience as an equity portfolio manager, deep and diverse investing network, and established strength in manager selection will contribute greatly to TIFF’s mission.

Rick oversees the investment team at HMC and a portfolio of more than $53 billion. Alongside the CEO, they recently led a multi-year restructuring of HMC, transitioning the investment model to focus almost exclusively on external asset managers while also working with the University to identify the appropriate level of risk for their endowed funds. From his decades of experience in the financial industry, Rick brings a skill set that will greatly benefit TIFF, including a strong track record of building portfolios, designing asset allocation, and private equity investing.

For more information on TIFF’s Board, visit: https://www.tiff.org/people/#board-of-directors.

About TIFF Investment Management
TIFF is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization focused on delivering investment solutions to foundations, endowments, and other charitable institutions. Since its inception in 1991, TIFF has served the non-profit community by providing experienced manager selection and access, risk-sensitive asset allocation, and integrated member service to institutions with long-term investment horizons. For more information, visit: www.tiff.org.

For media inquiries, please contact Sue Watt, swatt@prosek.com.

U.S. Stocks Wobble as Volatile Trading Persists

TIFF Investment Management’s CIO, Jay Willoughby, is cited in the June 17, 2022 issue of The Wall Street Journal. Jay is quoted on a potential recession from the Fed tightening and the impact that yields on the 2-year treasury note have on inflation.

U.S. Stock Wobble as Volatile Trading Persists

Hedge Funds Offer ‘Happy Medium’ Between Equities, Fixed Income: OCIO

Hedge funds can provide critical protection for institutional portfolios amid the current volatility, according to a recent paper from TIFF Investment Management, an outsourced chief investment officer, or OCIO, that serves mostly nonprofit investors.

Certain hedge fund strategies can provide a “happy medium” between fixed income and equities in investor portfolios, said Zhe Shen, co-portfolio manager for diversifying strategies at TIFF. That’s especially as fixed income – traditionally depended on to provide stability during equity drawdowns – has been experiencing losses along with the equities market, he said.

Read the full article, FundFire: Hedge Funds Offer ‘Happy Medium’ Between Equities, Fixed Income: OCIO

TIFF Webinar: Stayin Alive, The Importance of Risk Management in a Risky Market

TIFF hosted the webinar Stayin’ Alive: The Importance of Risk Management in a Risky Market on June 8, 2022. During this hour-long webinar, members of TIFF’s Diversifying Strategies team, Zhe Shen and Suzanne Dugan discussed how TIFF focuses on risk management and preservation concepts, and why we feel it is useful to partner with hedge fund managers. This webinar is the first of a risk management series.

The webinar was based on Diversifying Strategies’ recent white paper, which introduces TIFF’s hedge fund investment philosophy. Read the paper here.

View the webinar through the link below.

Webinar: Stayin’ Alive: The Importance of Risk Management in a Risky Market

Please note that this webinar has been edited from its original recording to shorten its length.  This webinar is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. The asset classes discussed may not be suitable for all investors.  All expressions of opinion are subject to change.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  All investments are subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal.