TTU System Office of Investments Hires New Deputy CIOs
October 3, 2016 | Written by Dana Jennings
The Texas Tech University System Office of Investments has hired James “Dan” Parker and Robert C. Lee III as new deputy chief investment officers (CIO). Parker officially assumed his new role Sept. 1; Lee joined the office today (Oct. 3).
As deputy CIOs, Parker and Lee’s primary focus will be research, analysis and monitoring of assigned segments of the Long Term Investment Fund and making investment recommendations to the CIO. Parker and Lee will be engaged and assist with each decision across asset classes, both public and private.
“We are very excited to welcome Dan Parker and Robert Lee to the Office of Investments,” said Tim Barrett, chief investment officer of the Texas Tech University System. “Both men are established leaders with proven success in the investment industry and will provide valuable insight to ensure growth and stability of our endowment in support of the Texas Tech University System’s mission.”
James "Dan" ParkerBefore accepting his new position, Parker served as an investment officer at Helmsley Charitable Trust, a grant making foundation based in New York. His responsibilities focused on portfolio construction and management, including market and manager research, across the trust's portfolio with a focus on alternative investments, such as hedge funds, private equity and venture capital. Parker also contributed to portfolio strategy and policy.
Parker received his Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University, then served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps before returning to William & Mary to earn his Master of Business Administration. He has spent the past decade in New York City, first as an associate in real estate investment banking at Citigroup, then as a vice president in private equity at BlackRock before joining Helmsley Charitable Trust.
“I’m excited about relocating to Texas to work with accomplished investment professionals like Tim and the rest of the Office of Investments team to deliver the performance that will sustain and expand the Texas Tech University System endowment,” Parker said.
Before joining the Office of Investments, Lee was most recently a director of investments with the Employees Retirement System (ERS) of Texas where he oversaw the pension’s hedge fund, liquid alternatives and hybrid investments. Lee managed the buildout of the ERS’ award-winning hedge fund program which has grown to include multiple portfolios and structures across traditional and nontraditional asset classes. ERS’ hedge fund program has been recognized as a “Top 30 LP Investing in Hedge Funds” by Trusted Insight in 2016, “Alpha Generator” by Institutional Investor in 2015, and for “Industry Innovation” by Asset International in 2013.
Robert C. Lee IIILee received bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and economics from Texas State University. He earned his master’s in econometrics at the Universitaet Konstanz in Germany. Prior to joining ERS, Lee was a director of investments for Hedge Fund Research Asset Management, LLC, and its subsidiary Riverside Portfolio Management in Chicago.
“I’m excited to be joining the Texas Tech University System Office of Investments,” Lee said. “Tim Barrett is a top-notch investor and he’s putting together a team to match. I expect great things.”
The Office of Investments, located in Austin, Texas, manages all areas of investment for the Texas Tech University System and its four component institutions. The department strives to obtain the highest possible returns on the funds of the Texas Tech University System’s endowment, in accordance with oversight established by the Board of Regents and the Investment Advisory Committee.
The Texas Tech University System endowment currently approximates $1.1 billion and was ranked 76th out of 828 higher education institutions reported in the National College University Business Officer 2015 Endowment Study.
About the Texas Tech University System
Established in 1996, the Texas Tech University System is one of the top public university systems in the state of Texas and nation, consisting
of four universities—Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.
Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the Texas Tech University System is a $2 billion enterprise focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach with approximately 20,000 employees, more than 50,000 students, nearly 325,000 alumni and an endowment over $1.1 billion.
In its short history, the Texas Tech University System has grown tremendously and is nationally acclaimed, operating on more than a dozen campuses statewide and internationally. Under the dynamic leadership of Chancellor Robert L. Duncan, the Texas Tech University System has set forth a bold vision of excellence, collaboration and innovation and continues to prove that from here, it’s possible.