Valerie Red-Horse Mohl has been named deputy CIO for responsible investing for the five pension funds in the $279.7 billion New York City Retirement Systems, Brad Lander, city comptroller and custodian for the pension funds, announced Feb. 19.
The job is new. She will be responsible for leading the economically targeted Investment program and supervising the diverse and emerging manager and brokerage programs as well as the broader environmental, social and governance program, including corporate governance and ESG due diligence, Lander’s Feb. 19 news release said.
She will report to CIO Steven Meier in the comptroller’s Bureau of Asset Management, which handles the investments for the city pension system.
“Valerie Red-Horse Mohl has been an exceptional investment leader with a proven track record of securing capital and investments for communities who all too often do not have a seat at the table,” Lander said in the news release.
“As our investment team remains committed to enhancing the long-term value of our retirement systems, Valerie’s appointment will be integral to bolstering returns and deepening our partnership with best-in-class asset managers who have been a pivotal part of our strong performance thus far,” Meier said in the news release.
Red-Horse Mohl “spent more than two decades leading capital raising issuances for tribal nations, developing investment policy statements and asset manager selection process protocols for tribal nation and foundation portfolios, and leading annual finance educational seminars for Native American tribal members and leaders," the release said.
According to a statement by Red-Horse Mohl provided by the comptroller’s office, she was a partner and cofounder of Known Holdings, a financial services company, until mid-2024 and before that CFO at East Bay Community Foundation.
She also was founder and CEO of Red-Horse Financial Group and Red-Horse Native Productions.
“I remain majority owner of these entities but my work here is full time so I will be a passive shareholder,” she said in the statement from the comptroller’s office.
Lander’s office announced a search in September 2024 for the deputy CIO job. Red-Horse Mohl began the role on Feb. 10.
The search document said the pension system is authorized to devote 2% of the total assets for economically targeted investments, defined as “investments that return an appropriate risk-adjusted rate of return while also creating collateral benefits for the residents of New York City and its surrounding counties.”
The pension system’s diverse and emerging managers program is responsible for 12.7% of total assets, a percentage that Lander hopes to increase to 20% by 2029, the job listing said.
