Key Takeaways
- • The CIO Lifetime Achievement Award for 2026 honors Jase Auby, Laurence Fulton and Lori Heinel, recognizing careers across public, corporate and asset management sectors.
- • Jase Auby leaves the Teacher Retirement System of Texas after more than 17 years, including seven years as CIO, during which TRS achieved its strongest relative investment performance in its history.
- • Laurence Fulton, who spent nearly four decades at Verizon including eight years as CIO of Verizon Investment Management Corp., managed approximately $50 billion in assets and played a key role in one of the earliest major U.S. corporate pension risk-transfer transactions.
- • Lori Heinel, executive vice president and global CIO at State Street Investment Management, oversees a global platform spanning index, active, multi-asset and alternative strategies and leads more than 600 investment professionals.
- • The awards will be presented November 16 at the CIO Industry Innovation Awards event in New York City.
Summary
AI-CIO has named Jase Auby, Laurence Fulton and Lori Heinel as honorees of the 2026 CIO Lifetime Achievement Award, citing decades of stewardship, investment innovation and leadership across public, corporate and asset management institutions. The awards will be presented on November 16 at the CIO Industry Innovation Awards event in New York City.
Auby's tenure at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas spanned more than 17 years, including seven as chief investment officer. He rose through roles including chief risk officer, deputy CIO and head of the risk group. According to the publication, Auby guided one of the nation's largest public pension funds through a period of exceptional results, with TRS achieving the strongest relative investment performance in its history. He is recognized as an innovator among institutional investors.
Fulton spent nearly four decades at Verizon, including eight years as CIO of Verizon Investment Management Corp. He oversaw approximately $50 billion in assets and played a key role in one of the earliest major U.S. corporate pension risk-transfer transactions. He also contributed to the broader industry as an active member of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets, including as a board member.
Heinel has held leadership roles across asset management, private banking and institutional investing. As executive vice president and global CIO at State Street Investment Management, she oversees a global investment platform encompassing index, active, multi-asset and alternative strategies, leading a team of more than 600 investment professionals. She is recognized for developing investment solutions, advancing product development and elevating the role of women in investment leadership, and serves as a mentor for women in the industry.
The honorees' accomplishments, according to the award announcement, extend beyond investment returns to the teams they built, the organizations they strengthened and the professional standards they established.
Auby's tenure at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas spanned more than 17 years, including seven as chief investment officer. He rose through roles including chief risk officer, deputy CIO and head of the risk group. According to the publication, Auby guided one of the nation's largest public pension funds through a period of exceptional results, with TRS achieving the strongest relative investment performance in its history. He is recognized as an innovator among institutional investors.
Fulton spent nearly four decades at Verizon, including eight years as CIO of Verizon Investment Management Corp. He oversaw approximately $50 billion in assets and played a key role in one of the earliest major U.S. corporate pension risk-transfer transactions. He also contributed to the broader industry as an active member of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets, including as a board member.
Heinel has held leadership roles across asset management, private banking and institutional investing. As executive vice president and global CIO at State Street Investment Management, she oversees a global investment platform encompassing index, active, multi-asset and alternative strategies, leading a team of more than 600 investment professionals. She is recognized for developing investment solutions, advancing product development and elevating the role of women in investment leadership, and serves as a mentor for women in the industry.
The honorees' accomplishments, according to the award announcement, extend beyond investment returns to the teams they built, the organizations they strengthened and the professional standards they established.
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