My favorite annual events include the Toigo Foundation Galas in Los Angeles and New York City. The NYC event this year was in June and included 800 guests with the backing of sponsors like Carlyle, Apollo, and Ares packed the Glasshouse rooftop. We had a great table of independent fund directors led by Theresa Hamacher, Chair and Lead Independent Director of our client Morningstar Funds Trust. It is such a great venue to visit with so many friends and clients. The views over the Hudson that evening were amazing, as always.
The Los Angeles event this year took place as a one-day conference in December called “Beyond the Benchmark: Innovation, Impact & Investment Leadership.” The sold-out event was a great opportunity to network and learn with backing from sponsors like Aristotle, Carlyle, Clearlake, Oaktree, Goldman Sachs, Palladium, WCAS, GCM Grosvenor, aberdeen and Locust Point. Speakers and panels included Scott Chan, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers Retirement System; Marcie Frost, Chief Executive Officer, California Public Employees Retirement System; Jonathan Grabel, Chief Investment Officer, Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association; Natalie Jenkins Sorrell, Chief Investment Officer, City of Dallas; Rodney June, Chief Investment Officer, Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System; Tom Lee, Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer, New York State Teachers Retirement System; Angela Miller-May, Chief Investment Officer, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund; and Apoorv Saxena, former Partner at Silver Lake (and a Toigo fellow). I was honored to spend time with Sue Toigo and President Nancy Sims, and have lunch with long-time Toigo Foundation Board member David Fann and sustainability entrepreneur and investor Tom Soto, among others. Another highlight was drinks the night before the conference with Chairman Jose Minaya, talking about the business imperative of inclusivity, which remains unchanged across the industry, despite the noise in Washington, DC.
These events on either coast are always on our agenda every year, and we look forward to continuing to build on these relationships in support of such an initiative.