BIOGRAPHIES
Claudia Baron
Head of Fund Investments, PPM America Capital Partners
Claudia Baron originally joined PPM America, Inc. (PPMA) in 1993, at which time she was responsible for all investment systems for PPMA as well as coordinating information sharing and reporting with the parent company in London. In 1995, Claudia began working for the Private Finance Group and later the Private Equity Team, underwriting both debt and equity investments. In 1999, she left PPMA to pursue operational roles, including chief financial officer of a technology company and chief executive officer/general manager of a winery in Northern California. In 2008, Claudia rejoined PPMA as a partner on the Private Equity Team, focusing on its fund of funds portfolio. In 2012 she was promoted to head the Private Equity Fund of Funds Team and is responsible for monitoring its fund of funds portfolio as well as seeking new fund opportunities. Claudia has numerous fund advisory board seats. She received an undergraduate degree in political science and economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA in finance/management information systems from the University of Illinois.
Olu Rosanwo
Vice President, Analyst, Manager Oversight, Investment Oversight, Nuveen
Olu is responsible for investment due diligence for the limited partnership alternative investment strategies within Nuveen’s alternative investments business as well as investment oversight of Nuveen’s real assets strategies.
Prior to joining Nuveen, Olu led real assets manager research, due diligence, and capital markets research at Marquette Associates. Previously, Olu worked as a hedge fund manager researcher in the liquid alternatives manager research group at Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting. Olu also supported Aon Hewitt’s U.S. equity and private equity manager research teams and was a Consulting Manager in the firm’s Client Advisory Group, where he provided portfolio-construction, asset-allocation, and manager-selection advice to institutional clients representing over $12 billion in assets. Olu began his career as an Investment Analyst at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Olu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA with concentrations in Analytic Finance and Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School Of Business, where he was on the Dean’s Honor List and a Co-Chair of the Investment Management Club. Olu is a member of the Chicago Booth Finance Roundtable. Olu is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charter holder and has passed Level III of the CFA exam.
Alisa G. Vass, CPA
Vice President, Finance, GCM Grosvenor
Ms. Vass is a member of the Operational Due Diligence Team. Ms. Vass oversees the background investigation process and also shares responsibility for project management and the operational and internal controls review and ongoing operational monitoring of investment managers. Prior to joining GCM Grosvenor, she was a Senior Auditor for Arthur Andersen, L.L.P. She graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1999. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
Julia Cormier, CAIA
Director of Business Development, U.S. Institutional Investor Services, Russell Investments
Julia Cormier is Director of Business Development for Russell Investments’ U.S. institutional investor services and is head of Russell Investments’ Chicago office. Julia is responsible for advancing Russell Investments’ objectives in alternative strategies by providing clients with advice and solutions regarding exposure to hedge funds, private real estate and other alternative assets. Julia joined Russell Investments in 2005.
Prior to Russell Investments, Julia was an executive director at Goldman Sachs in London for 10 years, most recently as a senior investment professional providing advice to institutional investors, charities, foundations, endowments and ultra high net worth individuals regarding portfolio construction, asset allocation and risk management across alternative and traditional asset classes. She joined Goldman Sachs in 1993 and implemented the private wealth management division’s first discretionary investment management program worldwide.
Before Goldman, Julia was a vice president at Northern Trust Company in both London and Chicago, during which she had a number of significant client relationship and business development roles. Julia was a member of the management committee of Northern Trust’s London Branch.
Julia is a member of 100 Women in Finance.
