Chief Investment Officer (CIO)

A chief investment officer is an executive responsible for managing an organization's investment portfolios. The CIO usually oversees a team of professionals who have responsibilities such as managing and monitoring investment activity, managing pension funds, working with external analysts, and maintaining good investor relations. They also develop short-term and long-term investment policies.

A wide range of organizations and businesses have investment portfolios that need management. Universities or nonprofit organizations have endowments that need to be managed. Corporations have pension funds. Banks and insurance companies maintain investment portfolios. Basically, any business or organization with a portfolio of assets, such as stocks or bonds, will want an investment professional to oversee the management of those assets.

The role of a CIO sometimes is combined with other areas of finance within a company and taken on by the chief financial officer (CFO), a corporate title more common than CIO. The duties of a CIO may include deciding what amount of an organization’s operating funds may be put towards investment activity with limited overall risk to the organization. This typically includes tailoring and making changes to the portfolio of the company’s investments in order to create a desirable balance between risks and return on those investments.

The investment activity, if managed properly, should not introduce a threat to the liquidity of the organization or its ability to support its operations. While the CIO may follow guidelines set by a board of directors, this executive also may offer advice and recommendations to the board on potential ways the investment strategy and policy may change. CIOs may face high expectations for the performance of the investments they choose to make. Even in challenging market cycles, wherein yields remain low for extended periods, CIOs may be expected to navigate these challenges and uphold the fiscal security of their organizations.

CIOs help establish investment strategies that are best for an organization's goals. For example, the goal of a pension fund might be limited to meeting its payment obligations, while an investment firm might seek returns that outpace the market. These goals will determine how aggressive or conservative the investment strategy should be.

Depending on the size of the organization, the CIO might be responsible for building a staff. Even with a staff of employees, CIOs also must decide which outside resources best fit the organization's needs for investment services and advice.

Certification as a financial analyst and a keen understanding of financial markets also may be seen as beneficial for those who seek this role. Experience and familiarity with the overall financial needs of an organization and how it might be influenced by an investment strategy also are important.