Brown Advisory Hires New Chief Investment Officer for Endowments and Foundations Business

 

Sargent McGowan, CFA                           

Partner and CIO of U.S. Endowments & Foundations

Brown Advisory, an independent investment management and strategic advisory firm, is proud to announce that Sargent McGowan, CFA, has joined as a partner and chief investment officer (CIO) for Endowments and Foundations 

Mr. McGowan joins Brown Advisory after an extensive investing career with over 25 years of experience across global public and private equity, asset allocation and portfolio and risk management. In addition to his investment background, Mr. McGowan brings an extensive network across the investment industry, as well as experience developing investment teams. “We could not be more excited to welcome Sarge to the firm and bring his deep knowledge and experience to our endowments and foundations clients,” said Brigid Peterson, head of the Endowments and Foundations business at Brown Advisory. “Sarge’s leadership of investment teams will be an incredibly valuable asset to our team as we seek to continue to elevate our Endowments and Foundations offering,” she added.

Mr. McGowan previously served as a managing director and senior team member responsible for investing and managing the University of Virginia's $14 billion endowment. He spent over a decade at University of Virginia Investment Management Company (UVIMCO) and served as acting CIO in 2018 during the investment office's CIO transition. While at UVIMCO, Mr. McGowan led multiple investment strategies, served as the chair of the investment committee and was involved in all aspects of portfolio risk management and asset allocation as a member of the risk committee. During his tenure, the endowment consistently achieved top quartile long-term returns compared to its higher education peers1. “The addition of Sarge demonstrates the firm’s commitment to the growth of our Endowments and Foundations business,” said Paul Chew, chief investment officer for Brown Advisory. “Sarge’s extensive knowledge and expertise in investment management will build upon and enhance our investment offering for our clients.”

Prior to UVIMCO, Mr. McGowan was a portfolio manager and head of Developed Market Equities for Invesco, Inc.'s Global Equity group, managing the firm’s institutional global and international equity funds. While at Invesco, Mr. McGowan chaired the investment committee and helped drive the group’s strategy during a CIO transition. He was also a research analyst covering the industrials, materials and consumer discretionary sectors globally for the team. Earlier in his career, Mr. McGowan was an equity research associate at both PaineWebber, Inc. and Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., Inc. He received his bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and his MBA from the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. 

The addition of Mr. McGowan to Brown Advisory demonstrates the firm’s continued commitment to clients with a focus on identifying talented professionals who can help contribute to clients’ long-term strategic goals. The firm believes that by identifying and partnering with people who embody Brown Advisory’s client-first, colleague-driven and community-focused culture, it can make a meaningful difference in the lives of clients and communities across the globe. “Welcoming Sarge to Brown Advisory underscores our ongoing commitment to attract talented individuals who can drive investment success and enhance the level of strategic insight we provide to our clients. We believe that his experience will help us continue to deliver meaningful outcomes for our clients,” said Charlie Constable, head of U.S. Private Client, Endowment and Foundation Business.

1 Source: https://uvimco.org/annual-report/annual-report-2024/. Data as of 06/30/2023.
 

With decades of experience in investing across global public and private equity, asset allocation and portfolio and risk management, Sarge provides knowledge and insights to help clients navigate their investment strategies effectively. Please fill out the form below if you have a question or would like to start a conversation.