Anne Stausboll was named CEO of CalPERS, the board announced Wednesday. Her appointment fills one of the two top-level vacancies at the nation’s largest retirement fund.
Ms. Stausboll, 52, will take over Jan. 12. She will replace Ken Marzion, who has been interim CEO since the June retirement of Fred Buenrostro. Ms. Stausboll had been serving as the fund’s interim CIO since April, when Russell Read resigned.
In a statement announcing the selection, CalPERS President Rob Feckner said Ms. Stausboll “has done a tremendous job guiding our investment office during some very difficult economic conditions. She is a stellar public servant and natural leader for our fund.”
Ms. Stausboll served in the fund’s legal office between 1994 and 1999, and was deputy general counsel when she left to become general counsel to former California state Treasurer Phil Angelides. In 2000, she was appointed chief deputy state treasurer and was responsible for overseeing department operations that included public investment and cash management for billions of dollars in state funds.
She returned to CalPERS four years ago as chief investment operating officer, working with the senior investment officers to implement investment strategies for the real estate, alternative investment and public market portfolios, including the development of portfolio trade and management systems. She also was responsible for supervising the search process for external managers, advisers and pension consultants and coordinated internal investment policy.
As CEO, Ms. Stausboll will oversee CalPERS’ 2,300 employees and operations that include programs encompassing investments, health and retirement benefits administration, actuarial and employer services, supplemental retirement programs, a long-term care program, government affairs and stakeholder relations for state employees and employees of about 1,600 municipal government entities that contract with CalPERS.
A graduate of Oberlin College with a bachelor’s degree in English, Ms. Stausboll received her law degree from the University of California, Davis.
