NEPC’s Krissy Pelletier was recently featured in an article on Pensions & Investments as one of the “Influential Women in Institutional Investing“. View excerpts from her interview below or read the full article on the Pensions & Investments site here.
After studying economics at what is now Simmons University, Krissy Pelletier “was lucky to work with a great mentor (and) portfolio manager” on the public market side of Wellington Management. She still remembers the words said by Michael Carmen to set the tone going forward on her first day as an administrative assistant.
“He said, ‘Krissy, you didn’t go to Simmons to get this great degree simply to be an administrative assistant. So tell me, what brought you to Wellington? What made you interested? Let’s talk about what I do and how we can work together.’ He wanted to see me succeed. He was interested in what I wanted to be a part of,” Pelletier said.
She would leave Wellington in 2006 as a stock-focused research associate, but Carmen, who is still at the $1.25 trillion firm as co-head of private investments, still serves as a mentor to her. Pelletier still checks in him now as a partner and head of endowments and foundations at the $1.7 trillion consultant NEPC — and as a member of Pensions & Investments’ 2024 class Influential Women in Institutional Investing.
. . .
When Pelletier joined NEPC in 2008, she worked for Cathy Konicki. Described by Pelletier as “a really great mentor,” Konicki “led the endowment and foundation team for a really long time” before retiring in 2022.
Konicki took Pelletier “under her wing, showed her the ropes” and challenged the new consultant “to do better and prepare in different ways.” But Pelletier noted her mentor was particularly receptive if one advocated for their interest or passion, as she did in Konicki’s office after a year or two.
Pelletier said she would say, “Cathy, here are the things that I’m less interested in, but let me tell you about things I’m really interested in. So if these opportunities come up, can you think of me? Can you put me in a position to participate? If this type of prospect walks in the door, can I be on the team? Can I help?”
In turn, Konicki would ask “why is that an interest?” and “why would you be successful working with that type of group?” Exchanges like that are what Pelletier said “helped me carve a path within endowments and foundations.” Having Konicki’s support for a career that “was always marrying my personal passion and professional interest” helped Pelletier understand that her path was “a good fit for me.”
Click here to read the full article on the Pensions & Investments site.