The world needs strong, ethical business leaders now more than ever. In today’s turbulent economic times, corporate executives and institutional investors are faced not only with daunting challenges, but also with golden opportunities to impact the global business climate for the better.
University of Notre Dame alumni have a long, proud history of positively impacting Wall Street. Notre Dame has educated more CEOs at top financial firms than any other university. With the nation’s No. 1 ranked undergraduate business program within its Mendoza College of Business, it continues to educate tomorrow’s leaders to use business as a force for good.
To explore the multitude of issues facing the global capital markets today, some 600 Notre Dame alumni in the money management business have been invited to converge on Wall Street for the first Notre Dame Investments Conference, to be held Nov. 1 (Tuesday) at the Hilton New York.
The “Invest Like A Champion Today” conference, sponsored by the Notre Dame Wall Street Leadership Committee (WSLC) and the Notre Dame Investment Office, will bring together thought leaders in the investment management profession, coming from leading institutional investors, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital firms. They will be discussing the challenges and opportunities today’s global economy presents to institutional investors.
The conference will be co-chaired by Scott Malpass, Notre Dame’s vice president and chief investment officer, and John Coyle, a 1988 Notre Dame alumnus and head of North America for Permira Advisers LLC. Among others addressing the conference participants will be John W. (“Jay”) Jordan, a 1969 alumnus, member of Notre Dame’s board of trustees, and chair of its investment committee.
“This the first such event in our history, and it reflects the success and reputation of our Investment Office and endowment management reputation, the Mendoza College of Business number one ranking by Bloomberg Businessweek, and the increasing influence of Notre Dame alumni on Wall Street,” Malpass said. “Over the past 25 years, I have watched Notre Dame’s presence at the top firms on Wall Street grow dramatically and this is good not only for the future placement of our students in top firms and the mentoring of young alumni in financial services, but also for the quality of leadership being brought to the Street today.”
While maintaining its strong commitment to ethics in business, Notre Dame also has established itself as a top investment institution, experiencing a 12.1 percent annualized return on its endowment pool during the past 15 years. Under the leadership of Malpass, who has served since 1989 as chief investment officer, the University has been recognized for its innovation in international, private capital and alternative investing, and its philosophy of building relationships with leading edge investment management organizations around the world.
Notre Dame’s WSLC is a group of Notre Dame alumni in senior positions at various Wall Street firms, and is chaired by Tripp Smith, a 1987 Notre Dame graduate and co-founder of GSO Capital Partners and a senior managing director of the Blackstone Group. The committee seeks to increase Notre Dame’s presence, profile and influence on Wall Street through the efforts of Notre Dame students, faculty, staff, alumni and other professionals in the financial services industry.