Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry Tilly Franklin – Endowment Model at Cambridge University (EP.363)
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Jan 22, 2024 Tilly Franklin is the CEO and Chief Investment Officer at University of Cambridge Investment Management, overseeing a £4.0B endowment fund. She discusses the endowment model's sustainable approach, team development, and the importance of cognitive diversity in investment management. Tilly shares her transition from literature to finance and highlights her advocacy for women in finance through the charity Girls Are Investors. The conversation also touches on asset allocation strategies and the balance between rigorous investment discipline and adaptation to market changes.
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Early Life and Career Pivot
- Tilly Franklin was a nerdy child who excelled at schoolwork due to being sent to school early.
- Her initial ambition was to become an academic, but she realized she preferred teamwork.
From Academia to Consulting and Corporate Roles
- Unsure of her career path after leaving academia, a friend's suggestion led Tilly Franklin to consulting.
- This became her "conversion course" to the business world, followed by corporate roles at Virgin and BBC.
Transition to Buyout Investing
- Tilly Franklin transitioned from Apex's internet team to the media buyout team during the dot-com bust.
- This shift exposed her to later-stage private equity investing despite lacking prior experience.
