As Chief Investment Officer, Bola Olusanya will oversee the Foundation’s endowment.
Bola Olusanya will serve as Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the MacArthur Foundation, beginning June 17, 2025. With over 25 years of experience, Olusanya has a track record of growing endowments while aligning investment portfolios with organizational values. He deploys an investment philosophy integrating long-term thinking, collaboration, and a commitment to advancing global challenges through responsible capital deployment.
As Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Olusanya will manage the Foundation’s nearly $9 billion endowment, with the objective of earning a 5 percent real return annually. This portfolio is the source of funds for the Foundation’s grantmaking activity and other organizational experiences.
Olusanya will oversee MacArthur’s overall asset allocation and investment strategy, principally through the retention of outside investment managers. He will continue to pursue the Foundation's goals of increasing assets under management with investment managers committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion while leading a 17-person investment Staff.
“Olusanya has earned a reputation for delivering returns while applying strategic leadership, vision, and a commitment to advancing the mission,” said MacArthur President John Palfrey. “We are grateful he will fill this critical role and lead our skilled and accomplished Investments team.”
“Olusanya has earned a reputation for delivering returns while applying strategic leadership, vision, and a commitment to advancing the mission.”
Prior to joining MacArthur, Olusanya served as Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at The Nature Conservancy, where he managed an investment portfolio of over $4 billion and built the organization’s first internal investment team, transforming the endowment into a global, mission-aligned portfolio.
Earlier in his career, Olusanya held senior roles at Key Private Bank, Vanderbilt University, Strategic Investment Group, and S&P Global, in each role applying innovative approaches to asset allocation, manager selection, and portfolio construction for large institutional portfolios.
Olusanya received an MBA in Finance from Emory University, a master’s in Computer Science from the University of Lagos, and a bachelor’s in Computer Science (First Class Honors) from the University of Ibadan.
Olusanya is a board member of The Investment Fund for Foundations, serves on investment committees at the Cleveland Foundation and United World Colleges, and advises Giant Ventures, a London-based venture capital firm. He also guest lectures on investment management at Vanderbilt University's Owen School of Business. He has published two poetry collections that reflect his global outlook.