Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry CIO Greatest Hits: Multi-Family Offices – Jenny Heller 2017 (Brandywine)
Aug 25, 2025
Jenny Heller, Chief Investment Officer at Brandywine Trust Group, shares her journey from a liberal arts education to finance, driven by a passion for social impact. She discusses the intricacies of managing family wealth, emphasizing long-term investment strategies and the active versus passive investing debate. Heller also reflects on the lessons learned as a new CIO, tackling risk management and collaborative decision-making. Personal anecdotes highlight the significance of mentorship and community in navigating the investment landscape.
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South Africa Trip Sparked Microfinance Interest
- Jenny described a semester in South Africa that sparked her interest in microfinance and Mohamed Yunus's Grameen Bank.
- That experience shaped her early career choices and curiosity about development economics.
Disillusionment With One NGO In India
- Jenny recounted living in India and working for an NGO to explore microfinance but found the work frustrating and misaligned with her expectations.
- She observed organizational focus on grants and branding sometimes outweighed effective on-the-ground impact.
Early Training At Stanford Management Company
- Jenny described joining Stanford Management Company in 2002 and working across diverse mini-endowments with a young, energetic team.
- The role gave broad asset-class training and freedom to learn from senior investors.
