Treasurer Wood Announces New Chief Investment Officer

Press release from the State Treasurer's Office:

Aug. 17, 2021

Connecticut State Treasurer Shawn T. Wooden announced the appointment of Edward “Ted” Wright as the new Chief Investment Officer of the Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds (CRPTF) after completing a highly competitive national search to fill this important role.

Ted will start on August 23, 2021. He will advise the Treasurer, the sole trustee of the CRPTF, and be responsible for the day-to-day management of the CRPTF with assets valued at over $40 billion.

Most recently, Ted served as a Principal Investment Officer and Head of Global Equity at the $70 billion Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA). At LACERA, Wright led a team of investment professionals managing pension assets totaling $26 billion.

Prior to LACERA, Ted Wright has built an extensive career in finance, starting as a research analyst and progressing to a Portfolio Manager at LJH Global Investments, SNR Portfolio Manager and Head of Global Equity at Oppenheimer Funds, Inc., and then Genworth Financial Asset Management as their Global Head of Portfolio Management responsible for $10 billion in assets.

“Ted is an exceptional talent and will bring substantial experience across all asset classes that will serve Connecticut well in this integral role as Chief Investment Officer for Connecticut’s over $40 billion in assets. I look forward to working with him in service to meeting Connecticut’s current and future retirees investment objectives,” said Treasurer Wooden.

Wright holds a Naval Officer Diploma from the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, UK, a BA in Finance from the University of North Florida, an MBA in Finance from Rollins College, and a Master’s degree in Government from Harvard University. He has successfully obtained a quartet of financial, investment, and risk designations including: Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), Professional Risk Manager (PRM), and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

At Genworth Financial Asset Management as the Global Head of Portfolio Management, Wright was the lead asset allocator for $10 billion. Since 2015, Wright served as the Principal Investment Officer of Global Equities at LACERA where he launched a factors-based investments program, while providing advice and counsel to LACERA’s Board of Investments.

“I want to thank Treasurer Wooden for this opportunity to serve Connecticut’s retirees and trusts,” said Ted Wright. “I look forward to assisting the Treasurer in building an equitable future for generations to come through smart investing, protecting our retirees’ pensions, and reducing the unfunded liabilities so that Connecticut can continue to improve its fiscal health.”

This press release was produced by the State Treasurer's Office. The views expressed here are the author's own.