Top 2025 Research

Faisal Baig is the chief investment officer of ASFAR, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), where he oversees investments across the tourism value chain in support of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. He brings more than 20 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and investment banking, with a track record of executing high-profile transactions across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East in sectors ranging from technology and consumer goods to manufacturing and energy.

Before joining ASFAR in 2023, Baig was division head in Aramco’s corporate development team, where he played a key role in strategic mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, including the $69B acquisition of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). He previously held senior private equity roles at GFH Financial Group and Investcorp, focusing on mid-market transactions, and began his career in the U.S. with Citi, JPMorgan, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Baig holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Michigan State University.

Cameron Dawson serves as chief investment officer at NewEdge Wealth, where she drives the firm’s investment strategy, macroeconomic outlook, and thematic research. She collaborates with advisors and clients to help shape investment positioning grounded in the firm’s broader market and economic views.

Dawson brings a strong foundation in macroeconomic analysis and equity research, with prior roles as Chief Market Strategist at Fieldpoint Private Securities and Senior Equity Analyst at Bank of America. Known for her dynamic and thoughtful market commentary, she is a frequent guest on financial media and a recognized voice in the investment community.

Dawson is a former board member of the CFA Society of Orlando and holds both her undergraduate and MBA degrees from Rollins College.

Ghiané Jones is deputy chief investment officer at the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) of the State of Illinois, a $80 billion public pension plan serving more than 457,000 members. Based in Chicago, she oversees the TRS city office and leads the investments department, reporting to the executive director and CIO. Jones works closely with the TRS Board to refine investment strategy and strengthen operational performance.

Since joining TRS, she has led several key initiatives, including the triennial asset allocation and asset liability review, the redesign of performance reporting and analytics, and the restructuring of the hedge fund portfolio. She has also enhanced training programs and recruitment processes to build a high-performing investment team.

Prior to TRS, Jones was a managing principal and investment consultant at Meketa Investment Group, where she advised Taft-Hartley, public, and nonprofit clients. She held leadership roles on the Diversity Leadership, Emerging & Diverse Manager, Endowment & Foundation, and Executive Committees. Earlier in her career, she worked at Invesco, Northern Trust Asset Management, and Goldman Sachs.

Panayiotis Lambropoulos, CFA, CAIA, FRM is a portfolio manager at the Employees Retirement System of Texas (Texas ERS), a $44.4 billion public pension plan based in Austin. He plays a key role in helping manage the Trust’s hedge fund allocation, with responsibilities that include strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and ongoing portfolio oversight.

Panayiotis primarily focuses on the Absolute Return Portfolio and opportunistic investments in emerging managers. He has spearheaded innovative initiatives to identify and support emerging hedge fund talent and is an advocate for industry innovation and strategic advancement.

Beyond his work at Texas ERS, Panayiotis is actively involved in the broader investment community. He serves on the CAIA Asset Allocators Advisory Committee, is the CAIA Austin Chapter Head, sits on the CFA Society of Austin Board, and serves as an Investor Board Member at AIF Global, an independent economic think tank. He also mentors interns and participates in Texas ERS’s internal mentorship program, helping to cultivate the next generation of hedge fund professionals.

Prior to joining Texas ERS, Panayiotis held investment and client service roles at global firms including Grosvenor Capital Management and MCP Alternative Asset Management, deepening his expertise in portfolio construction and institutional investment strategy.

He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston College, with concentrations in Finance and Marketing, and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He holds the CFA Charter and the CAIA and FRM designations.

Martin Longchamps is executive vice-president and head of private equity and private credit at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (La Caisse), one of Canada’s largest institutional investors. Based in Montreal, Longchamps oversees the organization’s international private equity portfolio, the private credit team, as well as investment funds through external managers in the private sector. He plays a leading role in shaping La Caisse’s global private market strategy and sits on the executive committee and investment risk committee.

Longchamps rejoined La Caisse in 2022, having begun his career at the investment organization’s former subsidiary, CDP Capital Communications, which focused on telecommunications investments. Prior to his return, he served as managing director and head of origination at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, where he led global co-investments and value creation initiatives. Earlier in his career, he was vice-president of corporate development at Transcontinental and a partner at EdgeStone Capital Partners.

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in commerce from McGill University, where he graduated on the Dean’s honor list.

Anja Mikus serves as chief executive officer and chief investment officer of the Fonds zur Finanzierung der kerntechnischen Entsorgung (KENFO) (KENFO), Germany’s sovereign fund established to finance the country’s nuclear decommissioning efforts. Appointed at the fund’s inception in 2017, Mikus brings more than three decades of experience in asset management and investment strategy.

Before leading KENFO, Mikus held senior investment roles across several prominent institutions. She served as CIO and Partner at Arabesque Asset Management, with responsibilities spanning London and Frankfurt. Earlier in her career, she held managing director roles at Union Investment and Allianz Group, where she oversaw portfolio management and group-wide investment strategy. Her expertise spans both traditional and sustainable investment frameworks.

Mikus studied business administration at the University of Göttingen. She previously served on the supervisory board of Commerzbank AG, nominated by the German federal government.

Jarrett Richards is a portfolio manager on the private markets team at the $79B Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS), where he oversees the private real estate portfolio and serves as a rotating member on the Allocation Implementation Committee. He joined PSERS in 2019 after working on the advisory team at Altus Group for seven years. Jarrett is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst charterholder and a graduate of Pennsylvania State University.