MADISON, WI (July 29, 2021) — The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) has named Michael Stohler, PhD, as its new chief investment officer.
Stohler was chosen from a diverse pool of candidates following a national search conducted by The Prince Houston Group based in New York City.
Stohler is currently the managing director of investments at Washington University (St. Louis) Investment Management Company (WUIMC). He joined WUIMC in 2015 and played a key role in evolving the endowment asset allocation and identifying investment opportunities. Prior to joining WUIMC, Stohler worked in multi-asset class portfolio management with JP Morgan Private Bank. The asset allocation and private markets experience he brings from JPM and WUIMC makes him an outstanding fit for his new role at WFAA.
Stohler earned his bachelor of arts degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and his master of science degree from Indiana University. He began his career as a high school physics teacher in Indiana before earning a PhD in physics at Purdue University in 2002. He later received a master of business administration degree from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
“Mike brings a wealth of investment knowledge, experience, and networks, along with his technical skills and deep experience in a top-performing university endowment to our organization,” said Mike Knetter, president and CEO of WFAA.
Stohler is excited to return to Wisconsin. He and his wife, Rachel, are originally from Racine. They have three children. “My goal is to ensure that donor gifts supporting many UW-Madison programs are managed in a way that balances the best risk-and-return trade-off,” said Stohler. “I will work to preserve the value of the endowment for today’s students and future generations.”
Stohler begins his new duties on September 7. He will work closely with the Investment Committee of the WFAA Board, which oversees all investment policy.
Stohler succeeds Julie Van Cleave, who retired on June 30, 2020.
