Focus

We seek investment managers who generate superior sustainable, long-term returns.  We believe this most often occurs when managers concentrate on markets and investment opportunities where they have a repeatable competitive advantage.

Alignment

We target partnerships where there is a strong alignment of interests between the endowment and the investment manager.  We consider alignment to extend beyond traditional economic alignment, though we do expect our managers to be co-invested alongside us.  Partnerships with our managers are built on trust and transparency – when we know what we own and why we own it, we can be better partners to our investment managers, ready to be supportive in the most difficult times.

Integrity

We partner with investment managers that embody the ethics and mission of Wesleyan University.  We will never compromise our principles for short-term returns and believe that managers who possess both investment acumen and high professional standards will have the most sustainable outperformance.

Flexible

We are willing to look for investment partners and returns where others do not.  Unlike many groups, we do not have a checklist of “institutional” requirements.  We are comfortable investing with small teams that have limited or no track record.

Long-Term

We are not afraid of volatility and underwrite relationships we hope will last for decades.  By focusing on process over returns and maintaining active communication with our investment managers, we can provide capital when it is most needed and the return potential is greatest.

Partners

We pride ourselves on the strong relationships we nurture and sustain with our investment managers.  We value the expertise of our managers and work hard to build symbiotic partnerships where we can provide more than capital when appropriate. We open our networks and are readily available to consult on business operations and market conditions.