Key Takeaways
- • David Connolly appointed Head of People, Commodities & Systematic Teams at Balyasny Asset Management, a newly created strategic role overseeing people operations and organizational strategy for BAM's Commodities and Systematic investment teams across global markets.
- • Connolly brings 15+ years of HR and organizational development experience, most recently as Global HR Business Partner Team Leader at Bloomberg LP where he led people strategy for over 1,500 software engineers, AI specialists, and product professionals.
- • His Bloomberg tenure included multiple senior HR leadership positions advancing through Senior HR Business Partner and HR Business Partner roles, with demonstrated expertise in organizational design, leadership development, and diversity & inclusion strategy.
- • Prior experience spans Bloomberg PolarLake as HR & Recruitment Consultant and over five years at Zurich Insurance in Resourcing and Learning & Development roles, establishing a multi-sector talent management foundation across financial services and technology.
Summary
Balyasny Asset Management L.P. (BAM) has appointed David Connolly to the newly created position of Head of People, Commodities & Systematic Teams, effective October 2025. The appointment reflects BAM's strategic focus on strengthening organizational capabilities within its Commodities and Systematic investment divisions. In this role, Connolly will manage people operations and organizational strategy, with explicit responsibility for driving initiatives that enhance leadership capability, team cohesion, and long-term talent growth across the firm's global operations.
Connolly brings substantial experience to the role, with over 15 years of progressive responsibility in human resources, talent strategy, and organizational development across financial services and technology sectors. Most notably, he spent more than eight years at Bloomberg LP, where he advanced to Global HR Business Partner Team Leader for Product, AI, and Engineering—a position managing people strategy for a workforce exceeding 1,500 software engineers, AI specialists, and product professionals globally. During his tenure at Bloomberg, Connolly held several senior HR leadership positions, including Senior HR Business Partner and HR Business Partner, where he played a central role in shaping organizational design, leadership development programs, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Earlier career experience includes a role at Bloomberg PolarLake as HR & Recruitment Consultant, where he partnered with senior management to design and execute HR policies, strategic staffing initiatives, and leadership development programs across multiple regions. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Connolly spent over five years at Zurich Insurance, working across Resourcing and Learning & Development functions. This background positions him to address both immediate talent acquisition and retention challenges while building institutional capacity within BAM's investment teams.
The appointment signals BAM's commitment to elevating its human capital function within specialized investment segments, particularly as both commodities and systematic strategies require deep technical expertise and specialized talent retention in competitive markets.
Connolly brings substantial experience to the role, with over 15 years of progressive responsibility in human resources, talent strategy, and organizational development across financial services and technology sectors. Most notably, he spent more than eight years at Bloomberg LP, where he advanced to Global HR Business Partner Team Leader for Product, AI, and Engineering—a position managing people strategy for a workforce exceeding 1,500 software engineers, AI specialists, and product professionals globally. During his tenure at Bloomberg, Connolly held several senior HR leadership positions, including Senior HR Business Partner and HR Business Partner, where he played a central role in shaping organizational design, leadership development programs, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Earlier career experience includes a role at Bloomberg PolarLake as HR & Recruitment Consultant, where he partnered with senior management to design and execute HR policies, strategic staffing initiatives, and leadership development programs across multiple regions. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Connolly spent over five years at Zurich Insurance, working across Resourcing and Learning & Development functions. This background positions him to address both immediate talent acquisition and retention challenges while building institutional capacity within BAM's investment teams.
The appointment signals BAM's commitment to elevating its human capital function within specialized investment segments, particularly as both commodities and systematic strategies require deep technical expertise and specialized talent retention in competitive markets.
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