Key Takeaways
- • Columbia Investment Management Company CEO Kim Lew told Pensions & Investments, "We don't really know what's going to happen next," framing the current investment outlook as highly uncertain.
- • Lew is weighing geopolitical risk, artificial intelligence, and private markets uncertainty while maintaining a long-term investment view for the Columbia University endowment.
- • Lew has led Columbia Investment Management Company, which manages the university's endowment, since joining from Carnegie Corporation, where she served 13 years, including as chief investment officer.
- • The interview was written by Caryl Anne Francia and published March 4, 2026.
Summary
Columbia University endowment chief Kim Lew acknowledged deep uncertainty in the investment environment, telling Pensions & Investments, "We don't really know what's going to happen next." Writing on March 4, 2026, reporter Caryl Anne Francia characterized Lew as navigating a set of overlapping challenges: geopolitical developments, the influence of artificial intelligence, and uncertainty surrounding private markets. Despite these concerns, Lew is maintaining a long-term orientation for the portfolio.
Lew serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Investment Management Company, the entity responsible for managing the Columbia University endowment. Prior to that role, she spent 13 years at the Carnegie Corporation, where she was chief investment officer. Her public comments on investing in private assets and portfolio construction have been featured in earlier industry profiles, though this summary is limited to the framing presented in the March 2026 interview.
Lew serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Investment Management Company, the entity responsible for managing the Columbia University endowment. Prior to that role, she spent 13 years at the Carnegie Corporation, where she was chief investment officer. Her public comments on investing in private assets and portfolio construction have been featured in earlier industry profiles, though this summary is limited to the framing presented in the March 2026 interview.
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