Event - Emerging Talent Academy

The training and education of investment teams, boards, and committees has rapidly become a priority for many asset management firms and allocating institutions.

With our stated goal of supporting and strengthening our community of investment professionals globally, Institutional Investor is excited to be partnering with the Allocator Training Institute on the Emerging Talent Academy (“the Academy”). The Academy offers accredited training to board and committee members as well as investment team and compliance staff at management firms and institutional investors.

The Academy’s training program aims to further equip investment professionals with the knowledge and quantitative tools they need to succeed professionally and on behalf of their organizations. Workshops and training include focus on performance calculations, measuring factor exposures, portfolio attribution, operationalizing processes, capital market assumptions, and investment due diligence.

Training Program Content
Participants will gain hands-on experience through case studies and interactive sessions. Each part of the Academy’s curriculum has been designed around the core concepts of utility and applicability, allowing participants to build the necessary knowledge base that will be useful in their role as an institutional allocator.

Investment Policy Statements Spending policies, benchmark selection, allowable assets
Capital Market Assumptions Building blocks approach, implementation, and uses
Strategic vs. Tactical Asset Allocation: Setting SAA targets and their impact, tactical allocation moves
AI for allocators: examples of tools and processes that work
Active vs. Passive SPIVA report findings, separating beta from alpha outcomes
Evaluating Investment Managers: methods to assess probability of ex-ante alpha, memos
Quantitative Tools: practical tools and heuristics to quickly evaluate data
Case Studies Including: endowment troubles in ’08, Hartford Healthcare, UPS and Kodak pensions, PSERS

The program will provide frameworks, tools, and real-world insights to enhance decision-making and investment effectiveness. This two-day workshop runs alongside the Public Funds Roundtable, offering a unique opportunity for emerging professionals to learn, network, and engage with seasoned institutional investors.
Led by Alex Ambroz, CEO of the Allocator Training Institute, and featuring industry experts including Cynthia Steer, Senior Advisor at Institutional Investor.

Feedback from Prior Attendees

The instructor was excellent, and I really enjoyed the smaller group format. By the second day, it felt like we had built some genuine camaraderie, which made the experience even more valuable.
I just wanted to send a quick note to say thank you for an amazing two days of programming. I spoke with a few other attendees, and we were all really pleased that some of the content pivoted into career development tips/advice that will be helpful as we continue to grow in our roles.
Very informative and valuable as the instructor provided succinct first-hand knowledge and experience relating to the various topics, one of the best seminars / instruction courses I’ve participated in for a long time.
Alex was a great professor. He really dynamically taught the lessons, and his experience and passion made the two-day seminar remarkable. I definitely would recommend the seminar to other junior analysts in the industry.

Emerging Talent Academy - Boston 2026

Four Seasons Hotel Boston

FACILITATORS

Alex Ambroz

Cynthia Steer