Brown’s Investment Office plays an essential role in preserving and growing the University’s endowment to financially support the endeavors of students and faculty both now and for generations to come. I am pleased to share two updates related to the office and to the strategic leadership of Brown’s investments.

Effective today, Joseph Dowling — who joined Brown in 2013 and has served since 2018 as chief executive officer of the Investment Office — will take on the newly created role of chair of the Investment Office and senior advisor to the president. At the same time, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Jane Dietze will become a member of the President’s Cabinet, a reflection of her role as the Investment Office’s senior leader.

In his new part-time role, Joe will provide strategic advice and counsel to the Investment Office and the Investment Committee of the Corporation, and will be responsible for taking on special projects for Brown at my direction. He will report to me, serve as an ex officio member of the Investment Committee, and work closely with the committee’s chair, the vice president and chief investment officer, and other senior officers to ensure effective efforts in University investment strategy, and best practices in other strategic areas related to Brown’s mission. In particular, Joe will advise on developing and maintaining meaningful, productive relationships that can further our goals in the area of endowment performance and return.

As vice president and chief investment officer for Brown — a role she has held since July 2018 — and as a new member of the President’s Cabinet, Jane will continue her overall leadership of the Investment Office and its team and operations. In that role, she leads the capital allocation and investment process for Brown with the goal of continuing to achieve superior, risk-adjusted returns over time.

Joe came to Brown in 2013 and Jane joined the University in 2014 (as chief investment officer and managing director, respectively). They have been instrumental in leading the exceptional performance of our investments, with the endowment’s returns over one, three, five and 10 years placing it in the top quartile of college and university peers. We are fortunate to have a dedicated, high-performing team of investment leaders and professionals at Brown, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working with both Joe and Jane in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson
President