UGA Foundation hires Jason Bull as first chief investment officer

Author: Katie DeGenova (ABJ ’06)

The University of Georgia Foundation has hired Jason Bull as its first chief investment officer, effective April 9, 2018. Bull was formerly managing director for Emory University’s endowment.

The liquid assets managed by the UGA Foundation have surpassed $1 billion, as more donors contribute each year in support of the University of Georgia. Bull will lead the team managing these assets and will be responsible for securing a favorable investment return, which is critical to the foundation’s continued success. The UGA Foundation provides more than $65 million annually, on average, to advance the University of Georgia’s missions of teaching, research and service.

An 11-person committee conducted a national search to fill the role of chief investment officer. The committee was led by UGA Foundation Board of Trustees Vice Chair John Crawford and included both trustees and UGA senior administrators.

“Surpassing $1 billion of liquid assets was a big milestone that led to our decision to seek out strategic investment leadership,” Crawford said. “As the foundation’s assets continue to grow, we need to ensure we’re accessing the best investment opportunities and that our goals are reflected in our investment allocations.”

In his previous role at Emory, Bull led investments within the global public equity markets, which were the largest investments, and delivered significant returns by partnering with world-class investment organizations around the globe. Bull earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School. He is a chartered financial analyst charterholder with17 years of experience managing investments.

“We’re thrilled to have Jason fill this role as we continue to provide more resources through the success of the Commit to Georgia Campaign,” said Kelly Kerner, vice president for development and alumni relations and executive director for the UGA Foundation. “He has the strong technical background in investments and extensive endowment experience that we need, and I’m confident he will also bring enthusiasm and dynamism to this new leadership role.”