MiB: Elizabeth Burton, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

September 16, 2023

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This week, we speak with Elizabeth Burton, managing director and client investment strategist at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. She advises institutional clients on investment strategies and portfolio objectives, working alongside global client advisers and product strategists across public and private markets. Previously, she was CIO at the Employees’ Retirement System of the State of Hawaii, and managing director in the quantitative strategies group at the Maryland State Retirement Agency. She was named to CIO Magazone’s “40-Under-40” (2017) and received the Industry Innovation Award/Power 100 in 2019. She earned her finance MBA in econometrics and statistics from the University of Chicago.

We discuss how the traditional “bucketing” approach of crisply defining asset classes can limit opportunities for asset allocators. Burton explains how the unconstrained approach to institutional asset management creates opportunities for better risk management and an increased chance of superior investment returns.

When you discover that you have specific expertise or insight, you should lean into it; If you have an edge, you should lean into that edge.

A list of her favorite books is here; A transcript of our conversation is available here Tuesday.

You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on iTunes, Spotify, Google, YouTube, and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here.

Be sure to check out our Masters in Business next week with Armen Panossian, incoming Co-CEO and Head of Performing Credit at Oaktree Capital Management, where he oversees all performing credit 2019 at Oaktree. Previously, he was at Pequot Capital Management managing distressed debt strategy.