NEPC’s Bill Ryan and Allan Martin, both featured on CIO’s 2023 Knowledge Brokers list, were recently quoted in an article to discuss what lessons they’ve learned over the course of their careers. View the full article on Chief Investment Officer’s site here.
The most fascinating periods in history were filled with tumult and upheaval. 2023 is no different. When selecting CIO’s 2023 Knowledge Brokers, we asked the candidates to tell us what lessons they learned over the course of their careers and how those insights apply in the latest interesting times.
Among the 10 Knowledge Brokers, nine answered CIO’s question about what specific guidance they could offer, and that guidance falls largely into four categories. Paraphrasing what each said, they counseled patience; stressed the importance of both questioning conventional thinking and of holding fast to your convictions; and, lastly, these professionals advised the need to maintain empathy for and connections with colleagues and clients.
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Bill Ryan, a partner in and the head of defined contribution solutions for NEPC, reflected on the value of having patience in the face of change. “Being comfortable with uncertainty and the many things we simply cannot control allows me to maintain focus on the end result for plan participants who put their trust and retirement savings into the hands of plan sponsors and their consultants,” said Ryan.
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Allan Martin, a partner in NEPC, pointed to the importance of insight, the knowledge of fundamentals and constantly incorporating new research into the mix of ideas, but also of having the “fortitude to stay the course when short-term disruptions occur and the courage to act when others are in distress.”
“In volatile and stressful times, it is important to remember that a well-reasoned long-term asset allocation plan, appropriately diversified to provide protection in adverse environments, is the best protection against long-term capital loss,” Martin said.