Leila Heckman Ph.D. is a senior executive, investment strategist, and pioneer in global research and money management. She directs global investment strategy, product development, and research. She has successfully engaged new clients while strengthening existing relationships, throughout her ...more

Leila Heckman Ph.D. is a senior executive, investment strategist, and pioneer in global research and money management. She directs global investment strategy, product development, and research. She has successfully engaged new clients while strengthening existing relationships, throughout her career. She has also chaired and served on Investment Committees of high profile, non-profit endowments and foundations, including serving as Chairman of the Investment Committee of NYU/Polytechnic Endowment Fund. Dr. Heckman developed a quantitative, proprietary methodology to global investing, which has successfully spanned market cycles. She headed the global equity teams at Bear Stearns Asset Management, Mesirow, and Lebenthal Asset Management. She has also established and launched an independent research firm Heckman Global Advisors to provide recommendations and allocation software models on the global markets to institutional money managers. Earlier as Senior Managing Director of Equity Research for Citigroup Smith Barney, her pioneering quantitative modeling of markets and sectors was the basis for global equity strategy and recommendations. She was an early champion of and entrant into global markets including developed and emerging countries. Institutional Investor’s Global Poll ranked her work #1 or #2 in asset allocation and quantitative research. Citigroup’s CEO selected Dr. Heckman to serve as a voting member of the Asset Allocation Committee of Citigroup Smith Barney overseeing $100+B in assets. Earlier in her career, she headed credit policy for the Bankcard Division of Citigroup. She has been on the Board of Directors of Sun Life Financial US. and is on the Board of Advisors of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and is on their Investment Committee. She has been on the Board of Directors of the Women's Forum of New York and is an advisor to Catalyst's Investment Committee. She is also a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.less