As Chief Investment Officer, Shannon O’Leary oversees the Foundation’s Investments team as well as all aspects of the Foundation’s $1.8 billion investment portfolios for individual donors, nonprofit endowment holders as well as two partner foundations, F. R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation. In her role, Shannon works closely with the investment committees, Foundation staff and others on portfolio decision-making to maintain and grow assets that sustain the Foundations’ grantmaking, ensuring secure annual income and offering other investment funding, education and capacity-building resources for the 200+ nonprofits it serves. Since joining the Foundation in 2019, Shannon has implemented an approach that both quantifies and preferences Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as well as ESG investing strategies that align with the Foundation’s work to inspire generosity, advocate for equity, and invest in community-led solutions.

An experienced leader with depth and breadth in building and managing investment teams, processes and procedures, Shannon joined the Foundation after serving as CIO at The Advocate Group, a Minnesota-based wealth management firm. Previously, Shannon spent seven years as the manager of wealth planning and investments for a large family office and served as a member of its Investment Committee. She played an integral role in portfolio construction and monitoring, the management of due diligence, client reporting and risk management for the family’s complex multi-generational investment structure and associated entities.

Shannon began her career as an analyst at Dearborn Partners in Chicago after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics with a concentration in high-energy physics from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. As a mom of four, Shannon enjoys bringing her family to community events where they can see the work of the Foundation.