Michael H. Strauss, Executive Senior Investment Advisor, partners closely with Dail St. Claire, President and CEO, to lead Endowment Management. Michael recently served as a Managing Director and Senior Investment Strategist at Bank of America Private Bank. He was responsible for developing and executing clients’ investment objectives, including strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and portfolio construction. Michael focused on both the short-and long-term needs of endowments, foundations, charitable trusts, and pension plans, helping them gain clarity about the financial implications of their missions and investment strategies. He worked closely with the CIO office to address top-down macroeconomic, asset allocation, and portfolio strategy issues for clients.
Prior to his position at Bank of America, Michael held a variety of senior investment management roles at Commonfund for almost 20 years. During the bulk of his tenure, he served as the Executive Vice President, Head of Asset Allocation, as well as Chief Investment Strategist & Chief Economist. He also spent several years as the Chief Operating Officer of the firm’s asset management division and served as an advisor to the private capital group. Michael was instrumental in developing the OCIO and Treasury businesses at Commonfund.
Earlier in his career, Michael was a top-ranked chief economist and financial market strategist at Sanwa Securities, Yamaichi International (America) Inc., and UBS. Michael maintains a strong client following in the endowment, foundation, and overall investment sectors worldwide, with his most recent focus on raising and managing client assets. He has been a faculty member and speaker at several conferences over his four-decade career, including serving as a keynote presenter for the Treasury Institute for Higher Education (TIHE) and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Conferences. He has also been widely quoted in the press and appeared on financial television programs.
Michael holds a B.S. degree with distinction from Cornell University and an M.B.A. with distinction from New York University.
Michael’s community service has included volunteering for the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Operation Hope, and Habitat for Humanity. He lives with his family in Connecticut and Florida.