[REPLAY] Ana Marshall – Applied Direct Investing at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (Capital Allocators, EP.111)
Jan 8, 2024
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Ana Marshall, VP and CIO for The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, discusses her passion for investing, company meetings for manager selection, portfolio structure, measuring risk, perspectives on peers, internal dynamics, and learning from mistakes.
Ana Marshall has a lifelong passion for investing and emphasizes the importance of knowing as much as possible and having conviction in investment decisions.
Anna Marshall values diversity of thought, collaboration, and continuous learning within her investment team to make the best investment decisions.
Deep dives
Anna Marshall's passion for investing from a young age
Anna Marshall developed a strong interest in investing and managing money at the age of 13. She immersed herself in learning about fixed income, bonds, and capital preservation. By the time she went to college, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.
Anna's journey in the investment industry
Anna started her career as a research analyst in high-yield debt and eventually moved into trading. She then transitioned to emerging market debt and later focused on global equities. Through her experience, she cultivated a passion for understanding global trends and connecting dots across different regions and industries.
Anna's investment philosophy and approach
Anna's investment philosophy emphasizes knowing as much as possible and having conviction in investment decisions. She values capital preservation and believes in understanding different corporate governance systems. Her approach is driven by an openness to change, continuous learning, and the ability to think outside the box.
The structure and dynamics of Anna's investment team
Anna leads a small, highly collaborative investment team that consists of experts in various asset classes. They prioritize diversity of thought and challenge each other's perspectives to arrive at the best investment decisions. The team values trust, open communication, and a commitment to becoming better investors every day.
Ana Marshall is the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she oversees a $10.5 billion pool of capital. Ana joined Hewlett in 2004 after spending eighteen years as a direct investor in high yield credit, emerging market debt, and international equities.
Our conversation covers Ana’s lifelong passion for investing, joining the “super buy side,” conducting company meetings to inform the manager selection and allocation process, portfolio structure, manager selection, monitoring and measuring risk, perspectives on peers, internal dynamics, and working through a big mistake.