Saira Malik, CIO, Nuveen

As Nuveen’s chief investment officer, Saira Malik uses her platform to champion educational diversity in the financial services industry, aiming to “widen the funnel’’ by looking beyond typical target schools.

That’s why she’s working with the CFA Society programs for up-and-coming investment financial employees, spoke at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference and will speak at the upcoming Sohn San Francisco Investment Conference. She also co-heads Nuveen’s affinity group LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development), which fosters networking, career sponsorships and growth for its professional women at all levels.

Ms. Malik, who has worked at Nuveen for 20 years, oversees Nuveen’s $1.1 trillion in assets under management as of June 30. She is based in Nuveen’s San Francisco office, and took over the CIO role in January 2022. She also leads the Global Investment Committee.

Ms. Malik said she had a “non-traditional background growing up, with a mother who emigrated from Pakistan to California and was interested in finance and a grandmother who became a doctor in her home county.”

Ms. Malik said that at Nuveen, “we are focused on the democratization of investing,” noting that the firm is intent on leveling the playing field both internally and externally for all. Nuveen also utilizes its social media outlets to promote the firm’s diversity focus and to urge more people to support diversity, Ms. Malik noted.

In a letter in support of Ms. Malik’s nomination, Jose Minaya, Nuveen’s CEO, wrote: “Saira deeply values educational diversity in financial services and is involved in multiple organizations to encourage young entrants to the industry to have the right resources and opportunities to start and grow their careers.”