Judy Chambers is a recipient of the Women in Investment Management Recognition. As Managing Director at Meketa Investment Group for six years, Judy leverages her decades in the investment industry to support the pension plans of teachers, public safety officers and public employees – and sustain the longevity of educational institutions.
Judy is a protégé of Allan Emkin who has spent almost 40 years in the industry. Judy is a graduate of Duke University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Spanish, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she earned her MBA. Before Judy joined the Pension Consulting Alliance, she spent four years at Bank of America, and four and a half years at Lehman Brothers. At Meketa, which advises on over $2 trillion of assets as of September 2024, Judy assists institutional investors to develop and build out their private markets portfolios by evaluating and underwriting investment opportunities.
What aspect of your work or contribution are you most proud of, and what impact do you hope it will have on others?
I strive to build private equity portfolios that generate attractive risk adjusted returns to ultimately support the pension plans of teachers, public safety officers and public employees and sustain the longevity of educational institutions. It’s fulfilling to watch clients embrace new investment opportunities and to see how they develop into sophisticated private equity investors and investors of choice by GPs.
What advice would you give someone who aspires to be in your role someday?
Stay curious, always go with your gut instinct, and develop good relationships.
What part of your portfolio are you most excited about?
Private equity continues to play an important role in the portfolio of institutional investors. Although the asset class has many challenges pertaining to manager selection, illiquidity, long investment horizons and operational risks, investors that are committed to the space can experience attractive returns and an ability to gain exposure to interesting underlying companies and strategies. It’s exciting to identify, diligence and underwrite new managers that enter this asset class as they tend to be hungry, scrappy and innovative.
Who is your mentor and how did the two of you connect?
I’ve been fortunate to start in this business working for Allan Emkin who is a legend in investment consulting. We connected in 2007 via a mutual friend, and it has been wonderful to learn from him over the years as he prioritizes the client. His analysis and opinions are direct and sound.
What is your favorite hobby outside of work?
My favorite hobbies include watching tennis and attending Broadway shows and concerts with friends and family.
This piece has been edited for length and clarity.
Market Intelligence Is Independent of the Institutional Investor Magazine Newsroom.
