Christianna (“Christy”) has over 30 years of experience managing institutional capital on a global basis in traditional and alternative asset classes. Currently, Christy is the Chair of the Board of the Global Reporting Initiative based in the Netherlands, the leading standard setter of global sustainability reporting standards.
Previously, Christy was the CEO of Capital Z Asset Management, the largest dedicated sponsor of hedge funds, having sponsored 17 hedge funds totaling almost $7 billion. Ms. Wood was also the Senior Investment Officer for the Global Equity unit of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), where she was responsible for over $150 billion in equity, bond and alternative assets.
Ms Wood has an MBA in Finance from NYU, and BA degree in Economics cum laude from Vassar College. She also attended the London School of Economics and University College, London. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.
Christy is also on the boards of the H&R Block Corporation, one of the world’s largest tax preparers. Additionally, Ms. Wood is an independent director of Grange Insurance, a multi-line mutual insurance company and The Merger Fund, a merger arbitrage hedge fund, where she chairs the Audit Committee. Ms. Wood is a Trustee of Vassar College, serves on the Investment, Audit, Budget and Finance Committees and is Chair of the Vassar College Trustee Investor Responsibility Committee. Previously, Christy has served on the boards of numerous hedge funds and private companies. Ms. Wood also is a frequent public speaker on global board best practice, asset allocation, corporate governance, sustainability and integrated reporting among other topics.
Christy is formerly the Chair of the Board of the International Corporate Governance Network, a global corporate governance membership body of international investors representing US $23 trillion in assets under management. Previously, she was a director of the International Securities Exchange, a member of the Consultative Advisory Group of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and the User Advisory Group of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).