Willie Zantzinger

I have a 30-year career as an institutional investor, most recently serving endowments and foundations as a Director in the Member Strategy Group at TIFF Investment Management (aka The Investment Fund for Foundations). At the same time, I spent almost 20 years investing from the perspective of an asset owner while serving on the investment committee of an endowed nonprofit.

Prior to my work at TIFF, I spent most of my career with an independent investment firm that specialized in U.S equities. Before business school, I worked as an equity trader in New York and London.

I earned a B.A in Economics from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A from U.Va.’s Darden School.

My wife Joan and I live in Richmond and spend considerable time in Charlottesville and D.C. with our children and grandchildren.

While my career was in providing investment services, my understanding of the asset owner’s perspective really began when I joined the board of a museum that depended on its endowment to fund operations. My tenure on that board and various committees opened my eyes to the challenges faced by endowed charities and the degree to which their culture and decision making differ from the private sector.

My work with the museum also introduced me to TIFF, a non-profit created to help endowed charities with their investment programs. I was taken with TIFF’s cooperative-style approach where non-profits could pool their endowment funds to access the approach of the largest university and foundation investment offices. This model evolved into what is known today as the OCIO advisory model (Outsourced Chief Investment Officer).

I served as a Director in the Member Strategy Group at TIFF until 2024. While there, I worked with foundations and endowments throughout the southeast, helping staff and fiduciaries with all aspects of their investment programs.

I spent most of my early career at Gardner Lewis Asset Management, an institutional equity investment firm managing about $10 billion when I retired my partnership interest.  At Gardner Lewis, I led risk management and trading and also oversaw the firm’s client service and marketing efforts.

I began my career as a trader and worked with Morgan Stanley & Co. trading European equities in their New York and London offices. 

From 2012 to 2016, I served as President of the board of Trustees of the Delaware Museum of Natural History. I continue to support the museum as a member of the investment and finance committees.