Markets Group’s editorial team spoke with leading allocators throughout the year — from chief investment officers to senior investment leaders guiding portfolio strategy for some of the world’s largest institutional investors.
These allocators opened up about the thinking behind their sustainability goals, their use of complex credit structures, how they balance active and passive exposure, and the ways they’re leveraging innovation to generate alpha.
Below are the Top 10 most-read exclusive allocator interviews Markets Group published in 2025:
1. UNJSPF focuses on sustainability and carbon reduction for alpha
Pedro Guazo, the Secretary-General’s Representative and CEO for the investment of UNJSPF, spoke with reporter Muskan Arora about the fund’s strategic decision to internally manage most of its portfolio and its shift toward a total portfolio approach.
2. The inside story on why NYC’s Chief Investment Officer quit
Following his resignation, Steven Meier, CIO of New York City’s five-pension system, spoke with Christine Giordano, Markets Group’s editor in chief and head of content, to provide context behind his decision to leave the fund.
3. David Swensen’s former Yale neighbor on adopting his model for managing active and passive exposure
Fordham University CIO Geeta Kapadia met with Muskan Arora to share how her team balances public-market liquidity with private-market illiquidity by using hedge funds as diversifiers and selecting managers with strong small- and mid-market buyout track records.
4. CIO Keith Morris of State of Maryland Treasurer’s Office on Trump’s election and debt levels
Earlier this year, Keith Morris, CIO of the State of Maryland Treasurer’s Office, discussed with Muskan Arora how he’s navigating investment strategy amid the economic and policy outlook of President Trump’s second term.
5. Sampension’s CIO on investing in complex credit structures for alpha
Sampension CIO Henrik Olejasz Larsen also spoke with Muskan Arora earlier this year, outlining his approach to the alternatives space, which reflects a CPPIB-style focus on alpha-driven add-ons.
6. How he made 9.4% returns with a team of 3 and an energy divestment mandate
Frank Mihail, CIO of the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands, spoke with Christine Giordano in March, sharing how his three-person team generated 9.4% in his first year despite operating under an energy divestment mandate.
7. PPB Capital CEO on bridging the private wealth alternatives gap
Brendan Lake, founder and CEO of PPB Capital Partners, spoke with Markets Group’s deputy editor, Lauren Bailey, about the significant hurdles private wealth advisors face when accessing private markets — from illiquidity and complex compliance requirements to rigorous due diligence, portfolio construction challenges, and intricate fee structures.
8. Concordia University’s CIO builds allocation playbook that leaves beta behind
Concordia University’s corporate treasurer and CIO Marc Gauthier also spoke with Lauren Bailey earlier this year to discuss how he built an “investment playbook” that removes beta from its pension plan, as well as an impact-driven strategy for its endowment fund.
9. BCI’s AI adoption fueling investment innovation
Tony Payne, the British Columbia Investment Management Corp.’s chief technology officer, sat down with Lauren Bailey to discuss how the organization is leveraging AI across every corner of its operations.
10. CIO Molly Murphy adopts core-satellite approach for alpha
Earlier this year, Molly Murphy, CIO of the Orange County Employees Retirement System, spoke with Muskan Arora about the pension fund’s efforts to build its private credit and infrastructure portfolios while expanding its venture capital sleeve.
