Common Fund
Institutional investorNorwalk · Seed–Late Stage · 26 people tracked
Also known as Cf Private Equity, Inc. · COMMONFUND OCIO, INC.
Investment thesis
Commonfund is a private, nonprofit asset management organization founded in 1971 to serve institutional investors such as college endowments, foundations, healthcare organizations, pension funds and family offices. Its mission is to enhance clients' financial resources and improve their investment management practices, built around the pillars of access, performance and values. As a nonprofit accountable to clients rather than shareholders, it emphasizes alignment with investor interests. The firm delivers outsourced CIO services through Commonfund OCIO and private markets exposure through CF Private Equity, and runs educational and research programs via the Commonfund Institute. It is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 2, 2026.
Team · 26 people
from the firm's websiteCEO of Commonfund and Chair of the boards of CF Private Equity and Commonfund OCIO. Previously led the Bass Family Office, Nuveen Investments, the British Telecom Pension Scheme, Hermes Pensions Management, and CalPERS; holds a PhD, JD, CFA, CAIA and CPA.
CEO and President of Commonfund OCIO.
Head of Global Venture Capital at CF Private Equity, responsible for due diligence, investment selection, portfolio construction and fundraising for the venture capital platform and venture growth direct investments. Previously a senior banker at Lazard.
President and CEO of Commonfund Securities and Head of Client Engagement for Commonfund OCIO, overseeing sales, service and RFP teams. Previously led Investor Services for CF Private Equity.
Senior leader on the Commonfund OCIO investment team responsible for designing and implementing custom investment solutions, asset allocation and portfolio rebalancing. Previously a convertible securities analyst at BCP Securities.
Managing Director at Commonfund OCIO.
Head of Secondaries and Co-Head of Real Assets and Sustainability at CF Private Equity, overseeing secondaries transactions and the real assets and sustainability programs. Joined CFPE in 2007 via its Associate Program.
Chief Investment Officer of Commonfund OCIO, overseeing a diversified global investment program across nonprofit client accounts and chairing the OCIO Investment and Asset Allocation Committees. Previously Deputy CIO at Tulane University's investment office.
President and CEO of CF Private Equity and head of its Buyout and Growth Equity practice, overseeing due diligence, investment selection, portfolio construction and fundraising. Previously worked at Deutsche Bank and DB Capital Partners.
Head of Buyout and Growth Equity investments outside the U.S. at CF Private Equity, based in Munich. Previously Managing Director and Head of International Private Equity Research at Cambridge Associates.
Head of CF Private Equity Business Development, leading a team managing private market mandates across endowments, foundations, healthcare organizations, family offices, insurers and pensions. Previously led institutional business development at QS Investors.
Leads Commonfund Institute research initiatives including benchmarks studies of independent schools, foundations and endowments, and oversees the Institute's educational offerings.
Member of the Commonfund Institute team who co-leads work on the Higher Education Price Index and contributes to benchmarking studies, thought leadership and research. Previously an economic policy researcher for nonprofit organizations.
Head of Operations overseeing operational and investor services for OCIO advisory clients and fund solutions investors, and a member of the OCIO Executive Group. Previously a business analyst at Energy East Corporation.
Member of the Commonfund Institute team supporting benchmarks studies, DEI initiatives, governance research and ESG work. Previously held event planning and account coordination roles.
COO and CFO with firm-wide oversight of risk management, investor services, IT, operations, HR and financial management. Previously worked at State Street Bank & Trust on hedge fund portfolio accounting and administration.
Chair of the board and President Emeritus of Morehouse College, with over 30 years in higher education and expertise in organizational change. Former Dean of Georgetown's business school and Professor Emeritus of Harvard Business School.
Chief Human Resources Officer at Commonfund.
Executive Director of the Commonfund Institute.
Trustee and independent board director with experience in strategic growth, capital formation and investor relations. Formerly Partner and Head of Strategy and Investor Relations at Kohlberg & Co. and a Managing Director at The Carlyle Group.
Trustee and a professor of business at Columbia Business School specializing in asset pricing and behavioral finance. Previously co-CIO within Goldman Sachs Asset Management's Quantitative Investment Strategies group.
Trustee and a Partner at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group based in Washington, D.C., advising clients on international growth strategies. A former Trustee of Yale University who has served in three presidential administrations.
Trustee and a Partner at Oak Hill Capital, and an independent director of several companies. Previously Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse Asset Management with a background in private equity and venture capital at DLJ.
General Counsel and Secretary of Commonfund with extensive transactional and litigation experience, having been general counsel at two investment firms and a partner at Orrick. A former U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate.
Trustee who formerly served 22 years as VP and CIO of the MacArthur Foundation, managing its endowment. Previously held CIO roles at Boeing and Ameritech.
Trustee and chaired professor of finance at the Yale School of Management, and a principal at AQR Capital Management. A recognized finance scholar and co-author of the best-seller Scorecasting.
Fund performance · per public LP disclosures · 2
as of Sep 2025| Fund | Vintage | Committed | Net IRR | TVPI | DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonfund | 2013 | — | 6.7% | 1.51x | 0.98x |
| Commonfund Capital Natural Resources IX L.P. | — | — | — | 1.51x | 1.01x |
Source: public limited-partner disclosures (CalPERS, CalSTRS). Net IRR / TVPI / DPI as reported by the limited partner; a fund's early-year IRR is an interim estimate (J-curve).
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Common Fund invest at?
- Common Fund invests at the Seed, Late Stage stages.
- What sectors does Common Fund focus on?
- Common Fund focuses on Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Common Fund located?
- Common Fund is headquartered in Norwalk, US.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
from their channelCommonfund OCIO: Outsourced CIO Services for Nonprofits
Commonfund
The Shiny Tinfoil: Investing in AI with Eyes Wide Open
Commonfund
AI in Venture Capital: Separating Hype from Opportunity
Commonfund
Real Estate & Infrastructure: Finding Opportunity After the Repricing
Commonfund
Charitable Giving in a Changing Policy Landscape
Commonfund
Investing in Real Assets and Sustainability
Commonfund
Images
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