Pakistani American Woman Named Chief Investment Officer of $1.2 Trillion Fund
By Riaz Haq
Pakistani-American Saira Malik has been named chief investment officer of Nuveen which manages US$1.2 trillion in equities, fixed income, real estate, private markets, natural resources, other alternatives and responsible investments, according to US media reports.
She will maintain her portfolio management and leadership responsibilities for Nuveen’s US$450 billion global equity business, and remain lead portfolio manager for the US$132.95 billion CREF Stock strategy and a listed portfolio manager for the US$37.84 billion CREF Growth and US$27.21 billion CREF Global Equities strategies.
Saira has held a variety of positions on joining Nuveen in 2003. Prior to being named CIO, she was head of global equities portfolio management, and before that, head of global equities research. Previously, Saira was with JP Morgan Asset Management, where her roles included vice president/small cap growth portfolio manager and equity research analyst.
Saira Malik's parents migrated to the United States from Pakistan. She grew up in Stockton, California, where she attended Lincoln High School. She has a bachelor's degree in Economics from California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly), San Luis Obispo, and a Master's degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Her interest in finance was sparked by her father's interest in watching financial news channels.
Last year, Malik was named among Barron's "100 Most Influential Women in US Finance". Barron's recognized Malik thus:
"She (Malik) and her team improved performance last year and continued ‘to drive more deeply’ into environmental, social, and governance investing, she says. As of February, according to the company, Morningstar ranked at least 77% of Nuveen’s US equity assets above their peer-group median over the trailing three- and five-year periods..... A mother of two young daughters, Malik co-heads two industry affinity organizations — LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Development), which seeks to promote gender diversity in the asset-management industry, and Achieve, a resources group for female professionals".
