Guiding Harvard’s Endowment

June 2, 2009

A conversation with Jane Mendillo

Call it fate. Just as the world’s financial markets started tumbling, a woman with unique understanding of the Harvard endowment took over the helm of the Harvard Management Company (HMC). Jane Mendillo came to the endowment from Wellesley College, where she restructured that school’s portfolio to strengthen investment results over the long term. Before that, she spent 15 years at HMC, handling everything from domestic equities to alternative assets and developing an appreciation for the team at HMC, which she says provides “important insight and flexibility” to the management of Harvard’s assets. Mendillo spoke with the Gazette about guiding the University’s portfolio through challenging economic times. Read more…