Women in Institutional Investments Network (WIIIN) is a Los Angeles-based forum for women in institutional investing. WIIIN’s primary goal is to strengthen relationships and facilitate a dialogue to advance and empower women in the Southern California institutional investment community. We strive to achieve our goal by sharing knowledge and connecting through a combination of educational and philanthropic endeavors.
Board of Directors
Advisory COUNCIL
Committee Leadership
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Leah Emkin is a Director of WIIIN and Chair of the Membership Committee.
Ms. Emkin is Wilshire's Chief Client Officer, responsible for overseeing Wilshire's client solutions and marketing functions across all business lines. She is a member of the Wilshire Executive Committee and is a co-founder of Wilshire’s Gender Diversity Awareness Committee. Leah joined Wilshire in 2008. She holds an MA and MBA from Claremont Graduate University and a BA from Lewis & Clark College.
Leah can be reached at Leah@wiiin.org
Robin Fujimoto, is a Director of WIIIN and the Co-Chair of the DEI Committee.
Robin is primarily responsible for Marketing and Client Services for Segall Bryant & Hamill. She focuses on new business development including Sales and Marketing, with an emphasis on the institutional, family office, consultant, and Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) markets. Prior to joining the firm, she was at Third Avenue Management as a senior managing director focusing on Institutional Sales. Ms. Fujimoto holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at San Diego. She holds Series 7, 24, 63, 65 and 66 securities licenses. Ms. Fujimoto is on the Board of Project Angel Food which prepares and delivers healthy meals to feed people impacted by serious illness. She previously served as Co-chair of the WIIIN Programming Committee.Robin can be reached at robin@wiiin.org
Mary Ruth Newman is President and Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of WIIIN. She is also a member of WIIIN’s Programming and DEI Committees.
Mary Ruth is a Senior Vice President at Cohen & Steers Capital Management where she leads west coast consultant relations. She is a member of the firm's Corporate Responsibility Committee, D&I Subcommittee and sits on the Steering Committee of the Women’s Exchange, an employee resource group. Prior to joining Cohen & Steers, Mary Ruth worked at Wells Capital Management in a similar role.
Previously, Mary Ruth lived and worked overseas for fourteen years, first in Hong Kong as VP and Assistant General Manager of Corestates Bank HK Branch (later First Union) where she led business development with foreign financial institutions in HK and surrounding countries. From there she moved to London with First Union National Bank (later Wachovia) where she led the Financial Institutions Group for Northern Europe and helped launch the bank's European Debt Capital Markets business.
Mary Ruth has a BA from Earlham College and the Sorbonne and tries to maintain her fluency in French. She currently holds Series 3, Series 7 and Series 63 FINRA Certifications. Additionally, she is a member of the investment committee for the Roessler-Chadwick Foundation. She lives in Manhattan Beach with her husband and two kids. In her free time, she enjoys golf, tennis, skiing, and spending time in the mountains. Mary Ruth also enjoys supporting her son’s mountain biking passion and her daughter’s equestrian pursuits.
Mary Ruth can be reached at maryruth@wiiin.org
Teri Noble is a Director of WIIIN.
Ms. Noble joined Pathway in 2017 and is a senior vice president in the California office. She is responsible for client servicing and business development in the United States. Prior to joining Pathway, Ms. Noble served as senior vice president, client portfolio manager, for American Realty Advisors, and before that, she served as senior vice president at BNY ConvergEx. At both firms, she focused on managing and cultivating consultant and institutional relationships. Ms. Noble earned a BA from the University of California, Davis, and an MBA from St. Mary’s College of California and holds Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses. She is involved in several national and regional organizations and serves as an affiliate committee member of the State Association of County Retirement Systems (SACRS) and as a committee member of Women in Institutional Investments Network (WIIIN).
Teri can be reached at teri@wiiin.org
Maisie Short is a Co-Founder and the Immediate Past President of WIIIN. She is also a member of WIIIN’s Finance, Governance, Membership, and DEI Committees.
Maisie is a Managing Director at Manulife Investment Management where she leads west coast consultant relations. She is a member of the firm’s Global Women’s Alliance, ESG task force and is actively involved in organizational Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts. Prior to joining Manulife, Maisie was a Managing Director with Los Angeles Capital where she cultivated and managed relationships with investment consultants, plan sponsors, and financial institutions on a national basis and in Canada. Maisie was a member of the Firm’s Responsible Investing Solutions Group and chaired the Diversity & Inclusion Working Group. Prior to joining Los Angeles Capital, Ms. Short held client service and marketing roles with Wilshire, 300 North Capital, LLC and Convergent Wealth Advisors (now Pathstone Federal). Ms. Short began her career in non-profit fundraising with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Maisie holds a BA from Duke University, an MA from the Johns Hopkins University, and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM) and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. Maisie also received a Certificate from Cornell University in Diversity & Inclusion. She is an Advisory Board Member for Nerdy Girl Success, Inc and a member of the Programming Committee for the Urban Land Institute in Los Angeles. Additionally, she is a member of the CFA LA ESG Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. In her free time, Maisie enjoys planning vacations, pilates, tennis, political podcasts, and chasing her two young kids and puppy.
Maisie can be reached at maisie@wiiin.orAlison Schiraldi, is a Director of WIIIN.
Alison is a managing director in the Client Solutions Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. She leads the institutional client business for the Pacific region, working closely with public and corporate pension, healthcare, endowment and foundation clients. Alison joined Goldman Sachs in 2023 as a managing director. Prior to joining the firm, Alison worked at PIMCO as an account manager for 11 years, where she served as an advisor to institutional clients and delivered customized investment solutions across asset classes. Prior to that, she was an investment analyst on the private equity secondaries investment team at Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners. Previously, as a product manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Alison developed and launched alternatives funds for institutional and retail investors. Alison serves on the Board of Directors for Women in Institutional Investments Network, a nonprofit that seeks to advance and empower women in the Southern California institutional investment community through educational and philanthropic endeavors. She served on the Board of Directors for the CFA Society of Orange County from 2018 to 2022. Alison earned a BS, magna cum laude, in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Alison is a CFA charterholder.
Alison can be reached at alisons@wiiin.org
Negin Sohrabi is a Director and the Treasurer of WIIIN. She is also the Chair of the Finance Committee.
Ms. Sohrabi is an analyst at Citadel Global Equities, responsible for the consumer staples sector. Prior to joining Citadel, Negin was a senior analyst with Causeway Capital, a global value fund covering consumer companies. Previously, Negin has worked at Kopernik Global Investors and Vinik Asset Management, with responsibilities in emerging and global consumer and materials sectors.
Negin has mentored several young women through her partnership with Girls Who Invest and serves as an Ambassador to the organization.
Ms. Sohrabi earned her BA from University of California, Berkeley and holds an MA from Harvard University. She is a CFA Charterholder.
Negin can be reached at negin@wiiin.orgCarrie-Ann Stepien is a Director of WIIIN and Chair of the Philanthropy Committee.
Carrie-Ann is a Director on The Walt Disney Company’s Pension & Investments Team. Carrie-Ann is responsible for monitoring asset allocation and rebalancing of the $15B pension plan, conducting external fund manager due diligence across the public equities, fixed income and Alternatives asset classes, and regularly presenting portfolio and market updates, as well as manager and fund hiring and termination recommendations, to the Investment and Administrative Committee. Carrie-Ann is also responsible for the investment fund options available to Disney’s 90,000+ participants in the $11B defined contribution plan. Prior to joining Disney in 2013, Carrie-Ann spent three years with PwC in New York City in its Financial Instruments, Structured Products and Real Estate specialty group, as well as PwC’s Banking and Capital Markets Audit group. Carrie-Ann holds a BS in Accounting and an MS in Finance from Texas A&M University, and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive status).
You can reach Carrie-Ann at carrie-ann@wiiin.org
Jolie Twiss is a Director and the Secretary of WIIIN. She is also Chair of the Governance Committee and a member of the Programming Committee.
Jolie is Vice President and Senior Legal Analyst in the legal department at Nuveen, providing legal and compliance support to Nuveen’s affiliated investment advisers. Prior to this, Jolie served as a Marketing Associate on the National Accounts team at Eaton Vance. Jolie started her career in Public Relations and is a freelance photographer. Jolie graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Communication, and is a California Notary Public.
Jolie can be reached at jolie@wiiin.org
Audrey Wang, CAIA, is a Director of WIIIN and the Co-Chair of the Sponsorship Committee.
Audrey is a Managing Director of Consultant Relations at Marathon Asset Management. Prior to joining Marathon, she was Head of Global Consultant Relations for MacKay Shields. She has also served as Vice President at Attucks Asset Management, responsible for manager sourcing, due diligence, portfolio construction and client servicing for customized portfolios of emerging managers. From 2002 to 2011, Audrey served various research roles at The Marco Consulting Group, including Manager of Alternatives and Assistant Director of Research, where she co-managed the Research team and manager research process at the firm. Audrey has a BBA, cum laude in Finance and Economics from Loyola University Chicago and a MBA with distinction in Financial Analysis from DePaul University. She is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charter holder.
Audrey can be reached at audrey@wiiin.org
Christina Yi is a Director of WIIIN and the Co-Chair of the Programming Committee.
Christina Yi is Client Director at Schroders Capital, responsible for the development of private equity client relationships in the US.
Ms. Yi brings over 25 years of diverse industry experience. Previously, she was Director of Strategy for Franklin Templeton’s Chairman of Asia Pacific, Executive Sponsor of Sustainability and CIO of Global Private Equity, responsible for driving and implementing business across all verticals. She was also a member of Templeton Global Macro's Investment Specialist team, as well as the firm's Global Consultant Relations team, covering US and global consulting firms. Prior to Franklin Templeton, she served as managing director at Los Angeles Capital Management responsible for consultant relations, strategic client relationships and new business development. Previously, she was the head of Consultant Relations and Marketing Services at First Quadrant, LP. Prior to joining First Quadrant in 2012, Ms. Yi held various senior positions in foreign exchange and global macro sales and trading at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Nomura Securities and Deutsche Bank, in both New York and San Francisco. She is a retired member of the New York State Bar Association, and formerly a practicing attorney with Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
Ms. Yi holds a JD from Harvard Law School and attended Harvard College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Languages and Civilizations.
Christina can be reached at christina@wiiin.org
Machel Allen, CFA, is the President and Chief Investment Officer at Metis Global Partners. She leads the firm’s business strategy efforts as well as the investment team responsible for researching and managing the firm’s portfolio strategies.
Machel’s investment career spans over 28 years, including ten years with Brandes Investment Partners where she led the quantitative investment team that designed and implemented the investment process used by Metis today. Prior experience includes Lord Abbett, as an Equity Analyst to international and domestic portfolios, as well as institutional investment consulting roles at LCG Associates and Watson Wyatt.
Machel earned an MBA in investments from the Robinson Business School at Georgia State University (GSU) as well as a BBA in finance from GSU. She is a Past President and Board Director of the CFA Society of San Diego and is a member of the Chicago Quantitative Alliance (CQA). Machel is an Advisory Board Member of The Brandes Institute.
Lara Clarke is a Co-Founder, Past President and a member of the WIIIN Advisory Council.
At The Carlyle Group, Lara Clarke is a Managing Director and Senior Relationship Manager responsible for building and enhancing Carlyle’s strategic relationships with the largest institutions in the Western U.S. Prior to joining Carlyle, Lara was a Managing Director, Client Advisor and Head of Public Fund Client Strategy at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. As a Client Advisor, she oversaw client and business development efforts and provides tailored investment solutions serving U.S. institutional investors across public and corporate pension plans. As Head of Public Fund Client Strategy, Ms. Clarke set the strategic direction including engagement and thought leadership with public fund clients and consultants across the U.S. Previously, Lara spent a decade as a Managing Director at Los Angeles Capital Management, leading the firm’s marketing strategy to the public pension, corporate plan sponsor, foundation/endowment, and consultant community in the Western and Midwestern U.S. Before then, Ms. Clarke focused on business development and relationship management at Thomson Financial.
Lara received an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and BS in Finance and International Business from Pennsylvania State University. She is also on the Women’s Steering Committee for AIF Global and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Women’s Alliance. In her spare time, she enjoys sailing and skiing with her two daughters.
Lara can be reached at lara@wiiin.orgKristen K. O’Connor serves as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Ahmanson Foundation, a private grant-making foundation in Beverly Hills, California. She joined the Foundation in 1997 as Assistant Treasurer, became Treasurer in 1998, and was named CFO and Treasurer in 2002. At the Foundation, she is responsible for the areas of audit, tax, treasury, investments, financial reporting, regulatory compliance, legal, insurance, information technology, retirement plans, and human resources. Immediately before joining The Ahmanson Foundation, Kristen was Controller of Lannan Foundation, another private grant-making foundation. She began her career with Price Waterhouse in Los Angeles.
Kristen is a CPA and a CFA charterholder. She earned a B.A. with a major in economics from UCLA, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and earned a M.Sc. (Econ.) in accounting and finance from the London School of Economics. She has lived and studied in Scotland and the former Yugoslavia, as well as London.
Kristen is a past President of the Foundation Financial Officers Group (FFOG), a non-profit membership organization of financial and investment officers of large private foundations. FFOG has more than 400 members from 200 foundations in the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Israel.
Poorvi Parekh, CFA is a member of the Board of Directors, a shareholder of Canterbury, and directs the Canterbury Outsourced CIO platform, which caters to institutions and private clients who wish to outsource day-to-day management of their portfolios to Canterbury. In that role, Ms. Parekh is the chair of the Canterbury Outsourced CIO Committee and a member of each of the firm’s five Manager Research Committees. She joined Canterbury in 1996 as the manager of analytics with responsibility for directing the firm’s account analysts and client services group. In that role, Ms. Parekh secured many of the asset allocation modeling and research software tools we use today. In 2001, she became the director of manager research, responsible for oversight of all manager, fund, and product research; maintenance of Canterbury’s proprietary research database; and chairing the Investment Manager Research Committee. Ms. Parekh graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. She completed her Master of Business Administration at Shenandoah University.
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