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Bespoke OCIO Solutions for Premier Institutions
At many endowments, foundations, institutions, and family offices, in-house investment management is under-resourced. The challenging landscape of the global economy and financial markets requires experienced professionals with a singular focus on investing. Compounding the dilemma, maintaining fiduciary responsibility has become increasingly complex.
At many endowments, foundations, institutions, and family offices, in-house investment management is under-resourced. The challenging landscape of the global economy and financial markets requires experienced professionals with a singular focus on investing. Compounding the dilemma, maintaining fiduciary responsibility has become increasingly complex.
Outsourced Chief Investment Officer Services
Cerity Partners’ boutique OCIO practice works with a limited number of clients to create bespoke solutions, providing the effective fiduciary oversight and institutional investment expertise that long-term asset management demands. Clients can rest assured that their assets are under careful, disciplined stewardship on an ongoing basis.
Cerity Partners OCIO Claims Compliance with GIPS®
(Global Investment Performance Standards)
Our track record isn’t just about our results – it’s about our commitment to integrity, credibility, and transparency. We firmly believe that results are only as valid as the methodology used to report them, which is why we claim compliance with the CFA Institute’s Global Investment Performance Standards.
Our Philosophy
At the heart of our business model for OCIO services is a close partnership with a select number of clients. We take the boutique nature of our business seriously, striving to make each client feel as if they have their own in-house investment team. We view each client as a true partner, valuing their unique needs and goals. Clients benefit from our extensive resources, including dedicated investment, accounting, operations, client service, and legal personnel. We understand that being a good partner goes beyond simply providing investment results. We work closely with clients on a variety of other projects, from help with audit needs to donor relations.
Our Approach
We do not believe in a “one size fits all” approach to outsourced financial officers or portfolio construction. We start by understanding the return goals, risk tolerance, and unique needs of each client. We then construct a portfolio designed to best meet those needs, with a prudent level of concentration that reflects our conviction. Portfolios reflect our “best ideas” across a variety of traditional and alternative investment strategies.
We remain committed to a few simple ideas:
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Collaborative decision-making
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Multi-manager, multi-asset class portfolio construction
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Rigorous due diligence on each investment
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Extensive risk management
Underlying those simple tenets is a comprehensive, process-oriented approach.
Why Cerity Partners OCIO?
Experience
We have extensive experience in providing OCIO solutions to endowments and foundations.
Consistency
Established track record with no Investment Committee turnover since 2009.
Resources
We have significant resources that go beyond portfolio management.
Customization
Bespoke investment options based on each client’s unique needs.
Focus
Our singular focus is on OCIO-related services.
Our OCIO Solutions
We understand that no two clients are alike, so we built our OCIO business around customization. We work closely with each client to establish long-term investment goals and then design a program that best meets those needs.
Cerity Partners OCIO offers several solutions for creating portfolios, including a “building block” option, a separate account option, and hybrid options. Each of these solutions provides a high degree of customization.
Multi-asset class portfolio solutions
We partner with our clients to develop multi-asset class portfolio solutions that reflect their needs. We can build a bespoke solution whether they are starting from scratch or have an existing portfolio.
Mission-aligned investing
We collaborate with clients to establish and refine environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives, as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies aligned with their mission. We then translate these objectives into investment solutions, from negative screens to proactive investments. Our innovative portfolio design approach seeks to optimize risk-adjusted financial return and mission alignment – without compromising investment rigor.
Beyond the Portfolio
Our partnership goes beyond the portfolio. We can meet with various constituents to provide education, work with development and fundraising staff, and assist with strategic financial planning.
Read more about Cerity Partners OCIO
Learn more about the benefits of outsourcing, our mission-aligned investing capabilities, and our work with endowments and foundations.
Our Partnership Experience
Our OCIO clients deserve to know how their capital is invested. Quantitative reporting is supplemented with qualitative commentary so that our clients understand the rationale behind our decisions.
We believe that being a good partner goes beyond simply providing investment results, so clients also benefit from our assistance with:
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Accounting
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Legal Personnel
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Operations
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Client Service
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Audits
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Donor Relations
Our team came together with a single mission: to be the most trusted OCIO partner in the industry. And that mission is what drives us every day.”Chris Bittman, Partner
Our Practice
Each Cerity Partners OCIO practice member brings a different perspective to the table. Our practice has experience in asset allocation, manager selection, and risk management at premier organizations, including the University of Colorado Foundation, the University of Texas Investment Management Company, and Baylor University. Cerity Partners OCIO colleagues serve on nonprofit boards and are involved in numerous charitable organizations.
Meet the Full OCIO Practice
