Services Tags: OCIO

Kweku Obed Speaking at 2026 Apollo U.S. Public Pension Private Capital Roundtable 6/22

On Monday, June 22, Kweku Obed, CFA, CAIA will be speaking at the 2026 U.S. Public Pension Private Capital Roundtable hosted by Apollo Global Management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Kweku will be joining a panel entitled, “Portfolio Construction: Rethinking Risk, Return & Resilience,” described as follows: The investment landscape has grown more complex for institutional investors, and particularly for public pension plans navigating long-duration liabilities in a period of sustained geopolitical volatility. Persistent inflation, elevated rates, policy uncertainty, and rapidly evolving capital markets are challenging long-held assumptions around asset allocation, diversification, and risk management. This session will explore how investors are rethinking portfolio construction in real time, including approaches to risk budgeting, rebalancing discipline, and building resilience across market regimes. Panelists will examine the expanding role of private capital as a tool for enhancing return potential, managing downside risk, and strengthening portfolio durability through periods of sustained uncertainty.

The Roundtable is a one-day event that will bring together senior investment professionals from leading public pension plans alongside top consultants, academic experts, and Apollo’s senior leadership. For more information about Apollo, visit their website.

Jessica Noviskis Featured on Bloomberg Surveillance 5/11/26

Portfolio Strategist Jessica Noviskis, CFA was featured on Bloomberg TV’s Surveillance coverage on May 11, 2026.

Jessica discussed investor sentiment regarding the ongoing conflict/ceasefire narrative in the Middle East, Fed policy, how artificial intelligence and tech companies continue to shape the market, and how current risks influence portfolio construction and performance.

Watch the segment on Bloomberg’s website or YouTube channel.

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

3Q 2025 Market Insights

This video is a recording of a live webinar held October 22 by Marquette’s research team analyzing the third quarter across the economy and various asset classes as well as themes we’ll be monitoring through the rest of 2025.

Our quarterly Market Insights series examines the primary asset classes we cover for clients including the U.S. economy, fixed income, U.S. and non-U.S. equities, hedge funds, real assets, and private markets, with commentary by our research analysts and directors.

Featuring:
Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, Partner, Director of Research
Frank Valle, CFA, CAIA, Associate Director of Fixed Income
James Torgerson, Senior Research Analyst
Catherine Hillier, Senior Research Analyst
David Hernandez, CFA, Director of Traditional Manager Search
Evan Frazier, CFA, CAIA, Senior Research Analyst
Dennis Yu, Research Analyst
Amy Miller, Associate Director of Private Equity

Sign up for research alerts to be invited to future webinars and notified when we publish new videos.

If you have any questions, please send our team an email.

The Calm Before the Storm?

I spent the past weekend at my alma mater to watch them play their biggest rival. Football weekends there are filled with celebrations, traditions, and of course, tailgating. Saturday was a quintessential Midwestern day to be outside: sunny, low 70s, light breeze — no better conditions for food and drinks in the parking lot. About three hours before kickoff, however, massive thunderstorms rolled in which sent fans scurrying for cover and threatened to delay the game. For fans who hadn’t checked the forecast, they were ill-prepared to stay dry and enjoy the game as it rained for the duration of the match. Nonetheless, the stadium stayed full for the entire game, a testament to the home team’s performance as well as fan loyalty. That said, I saw plenty of cold and wet attendees in the concourse after the game — those who weren’t equipped for the conditions undoubtedly wished they had been better prepared for what the environment brought Saturday.

On my drive home Sunday, I couldn’t help but worry if as investors we find ourselves right where I was Saturday afternoon, wondering if the conditions were too good to be true for a mid-October day in the Midwest.

Evan Frazier Speaking at Institutional Investor 2026 East Coast Sub-Advisory & Manager Research Roundtable 4/28

On Tuesday, April 28, Evan Frazier, CFA, CAIA will be speaking at Institutional Investor’s 21st Annual East Coast Sub-Advisory & Manager Research Roundtable in Boston.

Evan will be leading one of the Afternoon Think Tank sessions: The Evolution of Model Portfolio Utilization by Wealth Platforms. The Roundtable brings together leading participants in the sub-advisory and manager research landscape to assess how the investment objectives of institutions are changing and how firms that offer sub-advised strategies can respond to these needs. For more information, please visit the event webpage.

2025 Investment Symposium

Watch the flash talks from Marquette’s 2025 Investment Symposium livestream on September 26 in the player below — use the upper-right list icon to access a specific presentation.

 

Please feel free to reach out to any of the presenters should you have any questions.

Jessica Noviskis Speaking at Foundation Financial Officers’ Group 2026 Spring Meeting 4/16

On Thursday, April 16, Jessica Noviskis, CFA spoke at the Foundation Financial Officers’ Group Spring Meeting in Chicago.

Jessica participated in a panel with fellow investment professionals entitled, “The International Equity Markets Woke Up! Now What?” described as follows: This panel discussion will delve into what caused the international markets to wake up in 2025 after years of lagging the U.S.; is this resurgence sustainable; what can institutional investors do to execute on this; and what are the investment opportunities?

The Foundation Finance Officers’ Group is a dedicated professional network for the highest level financial and investment positions at the largest foundations in the U.S. and abroad. For more information, please visit their website.

Jessica Noviskis Featured on Bloomberg Surveillance 4/10/26

Portfolio Strategist Jessica Noviskis, CFA was featured on Bloomberg TV’s Surveillance coverage on April 10, 2026.

Jessica discussed the publication of March CPI data that morning and the week’s announcement of a ceasefire in Iran, including the outlook for interest rates at the Fed’s meeting later this month, lingering positivity among investors through bouts of volatility in recent years, expectations for the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the impact of the war on energy prices and ultimately on company earnings.

Watch the segment on Bloomberg’s website or YouTube channel.

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Markets

Over the last several decades, artificial intelligence (“AI”) has evolved from a theoretical concept into a transformative force across a variety of industries. The 1940s saw the advent of the digital computer, which was followed years later by the first artificial neural network, a computational model inspired by the structure of the human brain that consists of algorithms that attempt to recognize relationships in data. In more recent years, researchers have developed “deep learning” systems (i.e., neural networks with many layers) capable of increasingly complex tasks including image recognition, reading comprehension, and predictive reasoning. Given the advances in the space, it should not come as a surprise that the use cases of artificial intelligence are now vast, with AI tools now implemented across fields including health care, retail, finance, and entertainment. Researchers and corporate executives are not the only ones to have noticed the remarkable potential of AI, however, as investors have flocked to the space in droves over the last several years.

This newsletter outlines the growth of AI as an investment theme, including performance, valuations, and earnings growth of AI-related companies and equities, other segments of the market that may stand to benefit from advances in AI, and potential risks for investors.

Alternatives in Defined Contribution Plans

On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to expand alternative investment access in defined contribution retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans). This order instructs the Department of Labor (DOL) to reexamine its guidance to plan sponsors incorporating alternative investments into these types of retirement plans. According to the order, the six classes of alternative assets included are:

  • Private markets investments, including private equity and private debt
  • Real estate
  • Actively managed vehicles investing in digital assets
  • Commodities
  • Infrastructure
  • Lifetime income strategies, including longevity risk-sharing pools