Stability

"Appropriate and sound portfolio construction can help trustees and board members have more confidence in their investment programs, allowing them to focus on their underlying or true missions. Money issues don't have to monopolize their time."

Lauryn Agnew has served the institutional investment marketplace since 1980 in roles which have included strategic consulting, public fund trustee, non-profit fiduciary, analyst, lecturer for trustee training seminars, as well as sales, marketing and business strategist for institutional money managers. At Hewins Financial, she advises public pension and retirement plans and not-for-profit foundations and endowments.

Lauryn's role includes educating and building consensus among board and committee members, analyzing the needs or liabilities of current plan structures and designing an appropriately diversified portfolio that considers all investment options. She also assists in the design and implementation of Investment Policy Statements (IPS), selection of money managers and performance monitoring.

"Political or economic influences can pressure pension plan trustees to short circuit a long-term investment discipline. In the not-for-profit world, market volatility can impact spending policies and mission. By working with each client to develop unique investment structures, we can assure institutional plan trustees of best practices and prudent management policies to meet long-term plan objectives even in uncertain times."

Lauryn has experienced several market cycles, beginning her institutional equity/investment career with Smith Barney and Lehman Brothers in the early and mid 1980s. She moved into the money management business in the late 80s crafting marketing and sales programs, defining target markets, building an extensive rolodex, designing marketing materials and raising assets. Her consulting firm, Seal Cove Financial (originally L.A.B. Consulting), played an integral role in forming two specialty institutional investment firms. She has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in new assets under management for former employers and clients.

During her time with the San Mateo County Employees' Retirement Association, Lauryn led the effort to create a new office for the administration of the retirement fund, recruited the executive director, designed the investment strategies and policies and monitored the portfolio and its operations. During her tenure, plan assets grew from approximately $400 million to over $1.2 billion.

Lauryn continues to work with several not-for-profit organizations. Her experience includes years of successful fundraising through the institutional investment proposal process, grant writing as well as public relations through newsletters, press packages and annual summary reports. Lauryn is a past member of the Board of Directors and is the current Chair of the Investment Committee for the Northern California Girl Scouts Council. She has also served on the Board and the Finance Committee for the Immaculate Conception Academy of San Francisco. She is a member of the Security Analysts of San Francisco and the Financial Women's Association of San Francisco, where her peers named her Woman of the Year in 1992.

A Career in Institutional Investing

• Board of Retirement President and Chair of Investment Committee for the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association, 1989-1998
• Owner of Seal Cove Financial (formerly L.A.B. Consulting), 1994-2008, customized long-term business strategies and marketing programs for institutional investment management firms
• Smith Barney, Institutional Equity/Investment Banking, 1980s
• Lehman Brothers, Institutional Equity/Investment Banking, 1980s

Education

• M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Oregon
• B.A. in Economics from Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington

Contact Lauryn
650-645-1425
lagnew@hewinsfinancial.com

Download Bio

[ Back ]