Key Takeaways
- • Joshua Kennedy '97 is set to become Brown University's next chief investment officer, overseeing the university's $9.5 billion endowment, according to the Brown Daily Herald.
- • Kennedy will succeed current CIO Jane Dietze in January, having joined the investment office in 2016 and served as deputy CIO since 2022.
- • Kennedy's non-traditional path includes bartending at the student-run pub the Underground, a stint on the news staff of the Wall Street Journal, and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.
- • Peter Levine '95, currently managing director of the Investment Office, will become deputy CIO when Kennedy assumes the top role.
- • Kennedy said the department is "not likely to be dramatically different" under his leadership, crediting governance, hard work, innovation and "a great deal of good fortune" for the office's success.
Summary
Joshua Kennedy '97 is set to become the next chief investment officer of Brown University, where he will help oversee the institution's $9.5 billion endowment, according to the Brown Daily Herald. He will succeed CIO Jane Dietze in January. Kennedy first joined the University's investment office in 2016 and has served as deputy chief investment officer since 2022.
Kennedy's career path is unconventional. As an undergraduate he worked as a bartender at the Underground, a then-student-run pub, and concentrated in religious studies. After graduating, he worked on the news staff of the Wall Street Journal, which he described as "kind of a second undergrad" in business and finance. He then studied accounting and finance at NYU's Stern School of Business, earning an MBA. Before Brown, he worked at Liberty Square Asset Management and later as a managing partner at Sonian Capital Management, a Boston-based global value manager. Kennedy said he is "kind of like an accidental financier."
Kennedy's path to Brown began with discussions between him and Dietze about the University investing in the investment partnership he was managing, which evolved into the prospect of joining Brown as an investment professional. Kennedy said the department is "not likely to be dramatically different" under his leadership, stating, "I've learned this trade from Jane, and we have worked very well together." He attributed the investment office's sustained success to proper governance, hard work, innovation and luck.
Bradford Gibbs '93 MA'18, vice chair of the Department of Economics, attributed Kennedy's non-traditional background to the Open Curriculum and described him as an impactful speaker and mentor for students interested in investment management. Gibbs noted the investment office employs a surprisingly large number of Brown graduates. Peter Levine '95, managing director of the Investment Office and incoming deputy CIO, described Kennedy as "one of the most thoughtful and insightful people I know" in an email to the Herald, citing his analytic skills and deliberate approach to investing. Levine said these qualities are key for a CIO who must evaluate dynamic and subjective information to manage Brown's all-weather portfolio.
Kennedy is also a guitarist for Funkademic, a Rhode Island-based cover band, and has written personalized songs for colleagues. Kennedy said, "This is the dream job, so I feel very privileged that I get to do this for Brown."
Kennedy's career path is unconventional. As an undergraduate he worked as a bartender at the Underground, a then-student-run pub, and concentrated in religious studies. After graduating, he worked on the news staff of the Wall Street Journal, which he described as "kind of a second undergrad" in business and finance. He then studied accounting and finance at NYU's Stern School of Business, earning an MBA. Before Brown, he worked at Liberty Square Asset Management and later as a managing partner at Sonian Capital Management, a Boston-based global value manager. Kennedy said he is "kind of like an accidental financier."
Kennedy's path to Brown began with discussions between him and Dietze about the University investing in the investment partnership he was managing, which evolved into the prospect of joining Brown as an investment professional. Kennedy said the department is "not likely to be dramatically different" under his leadership, stating, "I've learned this trade from Jane, and we have worked very well together." He attributed the investment office's sustained success to proper governance, hard work, innovation and luck.
Bradford Gibbs '93 MA'18, vice chair of the Department of Economics, attributed Kennedy's non-traditional background to the Open Curriculum and described him as an impactful speaker and mentor for students interested in investment management. Gibbs noted the investment office employs a surprisingly large number of Brown graduates. Peter Levine '95, managing director of the Investment Office and incoming deputy CIO, described Kennedy as "one of the most thoughtful and insightful people I know" in an email to the Herald, citing his analytic skills and deliberate approach to investing. Levine said these qualities are key for a CIO who must evaluate dynamic and subjective information to manage Brown's all-weather portfolio.
Kennedy is also a guitarist for Funkademic, a Rhode Island-based cover band, and has written personalized songs for colleagues. Kennedy said, "This is the dream job, so I feel very privileged that I get to do this for Brown."
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.