The $9B John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation appointed Bola Olusanya as vice-president and chief investment office, succeeding former CIO Susan Manske, .
Effective June 17th, Olusanya will oversee the asset allocation and investment strategy for the foundation, with the objective of earning 5% real returns annually, according to a press release. Additionally, he will continue to pursue the foundation’s goals of increasing assets under management while using investment managers committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and leading a 17-person investment staff.
The portfolio is the source of funds for the Foundation’s grantmaking activity and other organizational experiences. Manske, who is retiring in June, has led the foundation since 2003.
The appointment will see Olusanya leave his current role as the Arlington-based non-profit Nature Conservancy’s CIO, a he has held for more than five years. While at the $4B environmentally focused investment firm, he has been responsible for building the first internal investment team.
Additionally, Olusanya has also held roles as the managing director of manager research, asset allocation and portfolio strategy at Key Bank and the managing director of public equity at Strategic Investment Group.
He is a board member of the Investment Fund for Foundations, serves on investment committees at the Cleveland Foundation and United World Colleges, and advises Giant Ventures, a London-based venture capital firm. He earned his MBA in finance from Emory University.
“Olusanya has earned a reputation for delivering returns while applying strategic leadership, vision, and a commitment to advancing the mission,” said John Palfrey, the foundation’s president, in the release. “We are grateful he will fill this critical role and lead our skilled and accomplished Investments team.”
