Cambridge Associates Announces New Senior Hire in U.S. Pension Practice

BOSTON, MA and NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Apr 26, 2017) -  Jeff Blazek has rejoined Cambridge Associates as Managing Director and as a Chief Investment Officer (CIO) in the Pension Practice. Blazek, also a member of Cambridge Associates' Hedge Fund Ratings and Advisory Committee, will lead the firm's presence in New York City, where he is based.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jeff back to Cambridge Associates," says Sona Menon, Managing Director and Head of North American Pensions at Cambridge Associates. "Our Pension Practice has seen significant growth in recent years. As a highly experienced investment professional, Jeff will help us serve our growing client base, including those plan sponsors and other institutional asset pools that are increasingly turning to us for discretionary portfolio management. Jeff is joining a great roster of CIOs at Cambridge Associates who work across our discretionary global client base.

"Jeff's extensive track record in working with large investment offices, researching asset classes, and building and managing portfolios makes him an ideal member of our team. His deep knowledge of both the research and implementation sides of investment management will be a critical advantage in addressing plan sponsors' full portfolio needs and objectives -- with both risks and returns top of mind," continues Menon.

Blazek, who rejoined Cambridge Associates on March 27, 2017, says, "I am excited to return to Cambridge Associates. Many pension plans are seeking partners that can provide high-quality investment office services, and in particular create customized portfolio strategies and liability hedges that holistically address the plan's specific needs. Cambridge Associates emphasizes the need to generate strong returns -- with a focus on active management and alternatives -- while managing pension liabilities and meeting other institutional objectives."

Blazek has 15 years' experience working with the investment offices of large pension plans in the U.S., as well as experience advising and managing endowment and foundation investment portfolios. Blazek, who had previously served as a Managing Director in Cambridge Associates' Dallas, Texas office from 2008 to 2014, was one of the original architects of the firm's pension practice model, and its unique and proprietary pension risk management framework.

Blazek was most recently Managing Director at New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP), which is ranked #1 in the New York metropolitan area by U.S. News and World Report and repeatedly named to the Honor Roll of "America's Best Hospitals." As part of the senior leadership team for NYP's Office of Investments, he served as a key decision maker on all investments, with responsibility for global equities (both public and private investment portfolios) and fixed income, and senior oversight for hedge funds and asset allocation. Jeff also previously served as Principal and Portfolio Manager at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, where he contributed to the plan's efforts in Strategic Research, Risk Management, Derivatives, and Fixed Income strategies.

Cambridge Associates has served as the fiduciary partner to owners of complex asset and liability pools around the world for over 40 years, building customized portfolios that help create the value that each plan sponsor needs to meet their goals and objectives. Today, Cambridge serves more than 140 pensions worldwide, including corporate, public, union, and healthcare plans. The pension practice also provides investment advice and management to other complex asset and liability pools such as insurance plans and special-purpose trusts.

For more information, or to speak with Jeff Blazek or Sona Menon, please contact Eric Mosher of Sommerfield Communications at +1 (212) 255-8386 or eric@sommerfield.com.

About Cambridge Associates
Cambridge Associates is a global investment firm founded in 1973 that builds customized investment portfolios for institutional investors and private clients around the world. Working alongside its early clients, among them several leading universities, the firm pioneered the strategy of high equity orientation and broad diversification, which since the 1980s has been a primary driver of performance for these leading fiduciary investors. Cambridge Associates serves over 1,100 global investors -- primarily foundations and endowments, pensions and family offices -- and delivers a range of services, including outsourced investment (OCIO) solutions, traditional advisory services, and access to research and tools across global asset classes. Cambridge Associates has more than 1,300 employees -- including over 150 research staff -- serving its client base globally. The firm maintains offices in Arlington, VA; New York; Boston; Dallas; Menlo Park and San Francisco, CA; Toronto; London; Singapore; Sydney; and Beijing. Cambridge Associates consists of five global investment consulting affiliates that are all under common ownership and control. For more information about Cambridge Associates, please visit www.cambridgeassociates.com.