The Rock Creek Group, LP is a global investment management firm with about 85 professionals dedicated to serving an institutional client base that includes endowments, foundations, corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and other institutional investors. The firm was founded in 2002 by founder and CEO Afsaneh Beschloss and has approximately $11.5 billion in assets under management. Rock Creek specializes in multi asset class solutions, alternatives and emerging market investments. Rock Creek is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in New York City and London. The Rock Creek Group is an SEC-registered investment adviser under the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940 since its inception.
The Rock Creek team led global investments for The World Bank, notably in hedge funds, other alternative investments and in emerging markets, since the early 1990s, before launching Rock Creek in 2002. During careers at the World Bank spanning over twenty-five years, Rock Creek personnel were responsible for managing portfolios totalling as much as $115 billion of traditional and alternative investments for a client base that included central banks, pension plans, endowments and foundations, and sovereign wealth funds. Team members also managed an over-the-counter derivatives book as large as $250 billion (notional).
The Rock Creek team now includes colleagues who worked at hedge funds, asset management and fund of funds firms, consulting firms, and universities. The team and its clients have been remarkably stable; today, the client base is 100% institutional, comprised of public pension plans, endowments and foundations, and Fortune 100 corporations.
Rock Creek's investment philosophy, manager selection approach, and portfolio construction processes are based on our team's many years of experience working in large sophisticated institutions. In addition, Rock Creek does a great deal on improving diversity in the asset management industry, and we are one of the biggest investors in diverse women-owned and minority firms
When Rock Creek’s founder established the firm in 2002, her vision was to create an institution that would have a positive, lasting impact on the global economy. Rock Creek encourages its entire organization to become a positive force in the community through employee volunteer efforts as well as other ways in giving back to the community. The research and promotion of sustainable investing is a high priority for us and as such is overseen by our Investment Committee. Rock Creek’s Legal and Compliance group is ultimately responsible for monitoring and enforcing the firm’s sustainability policies. Furthermore, Rock Creek encourages our clients and our portfolio managers to incorporate impact and ESG into their process.
In particular, the firm emphasizes continuing public service, and a number of team members are on the boards and investment committees of non-profits. For example, Ms. Afsaneh Beschloss, the founder and CEO of Rock Creek, is a member of the Ford Foundation's Impact Investment Advisory Group. Furthermore, Ms. Beschloss is on Board of Governors and the Boards of the Endowment Fund and Investment Committee and the Compensation and Management Committee of the American Red Cross. She is also a member of the Board at the Institute for Advanced Study, PBS, Urban Institute, World Wide Web Foundation (Board Chair) and Visiting Committee at the Center for Development Economics at Williams College. Additionally, Ms. Beschloss is a member of the Smithsonian Institution Investment Committee.
With regard to good corporate governance, Rock Creek's involvement in this critical issue includes:
• The Rock Creek team has experience in both policy making and has worked on corporate governance since the mid-1990s. The team includes more than ten professionals previously employed at The World Bank Group.
• Ownership of The Rock Creek Group includes women and minority ownership.
• Team members have presented at many conferences such as Public Pension Fund Management (2001) with other notable experts on corporate governance.
• Team member have served on corporate boards and worked with corporate governance leaders such as Bob Monks and Nell Minnow in the mid 1990's. Team members included good corporate governance objectives to World Bank investments as well as advice provided through financial technical assistance.
• The Rock Creek Group's Advisory Board includes well-respected leaders in governance.