CIO Greatest Hits: Public Pensions – Ash Williams (Florida SBA)

In this episode of Capital Allocators, Ted Seides interviews Ash Williams, the former CIO of the Florida State Board of Administration. Williams shares his early life in Florida and how he transitioned into the investment world through a series of unexpected opportunities in state government. He discusses his experiences working with the Florida legislature and the State Board of Administration, including modernizing the state pension fund's investment authority and navigating the Savings and Loan crisis. Williams also recounts his time in the private sector at Schroeders and Fur Tree Partners, before returning to lead the SBA again during the 2008 financial crisis. The conversation covers various aspects of managing a large public pension fund, including asset allocation, team building, compensation strategies, governance, and investment decisions in private equity and hedge funds, as well as his views on social media, cyber risk, and life lessons.