WIP Selects Johara Farhadieh as 2022 Distinguished Woman Investment Professional of the Year
(CHICAGO, IL – October 3, 2022)
Women Investment Professionals (WIP), a leading not-for-profit organization for women in the investment management industry, is pleased to announce that Johara Farhadieh has been selected as the 2022 winner of its prestigious annual “Distinguished Woman Investment Professional of the Year” award.
Johara Farhadieh is the executive director and chief investment officer of the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI), where she oversees a $25.0 billion-dollar defined benefit fund and a $6.0 billion-dollar defined contribution plan on behalf of 156,000 beneficiaries. In addition, Ms. Farhadieh leads the organization’s efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Under Ms. Farhadieh’s leadership, ISBI has become one of the nation’s leading pension funds and its private equity portfolio was ranked number one for performance among public pension funds by the American Investment Council for three years in a row (in 2019, 2020 and 2021). Ms. Farhadieh has been consistently recognized as a thought leader in institutional investing. Her numerous accolades include: Notable Executive of Color in Finance from Crain’s Chicago Business (2022), Excellence & Innovation award from Pensions & Investments (2021), All-Star Chief Investment Officer from Trusted Insight (2020) and 40 Under 40 from Crain’s Chicago Business (2018).
“Johara truly is a trailblazer,” said Nancy Prial, President of Women Investment Professionals. “In addition to her successes in spearheading the restructuring of ISBI’s defined benefit fund and a full re‐enrollment of the organization’s defined contribution plan, she has been an effective advocate for strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion across the industry.” The “Distinguished Woman Investment Professional” award is intended to recognize a leading professional woman for her contributions and achievements in the investment management industry. Nominations for the award recipient are put forth by WIP members and winners are selected by the WIP Board of Directors. The award is presented at WIP’s annual Trailblazer Dinner, which focuses on celebrating women who inspire others to achieve personal and professional excellence. This year’s event will take place on October 13, 2022 at The Chicago Cultural Center. Emma Rodriquez-Ayala, general counsel, chief compliance officer and board secretary at LGIM America, will be the keynote speaker.
The event is made possible through the generosity of WIP’s corporate sponsors:
Platinum Sponsors: JACKSON, Jennison Associates, LGIM America, Nasdaq, Nuveen, Putnam Investments, Thornburg Investment Management
Gold Sponsors: AEGON Asset Management, AON, BlackRock, Driehaus Capital Management, Harbor Capital, Lord Abbett, Mesirow, PPM America, Principal, T. Rowe Price, UBS, Willis Towers Watson
Silver Sponsors: Capital Group, EnTrust Global, Graystone Consulting, Marquette Associates, MLC Asset Management, Ninety One, Segal Marco Advisors, SLC Management
For additional information or to register, please visit www.wipchicago.org/events.
About Women Investment Professionals (“WIP”)
Established in 1996, Women Investment Professionals is a Chicago-based not-for-profit professional women’s organization. Our core purpose is to foster a professional community that actively inspires, empowers, and advocates for the advancement of women in the investment industry. We accomplish this by providing professional and personal development opportunities, educational programs, and networking across diverse disciplines, functions, and occupations. Our core values are integrity, collaboration, and inclusivity.