Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management
Mayo Center - People
People
Meet the Team
The faculty and staff of the Richard A. Mayo Center work to advance the study and practice of asset management and to create a hub of thought leadership, curricular, content and program development for faculty, students, alumni and business practitioners in the field of asset management. The team is advised by the Mayo Center Advisory Group.
Faculty
Pedro Matos
John G. Macfarlane Family Chair and Professor of Business Administration; Academic Director, Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management
Rustam Abuzov
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
Les Alexander
John Glynn Endowed Professor and Professor of Practice in Business Administration
George (Yiorgos) Allayannis
Robert F. Bruner Distinguished Professor of Business Administration
Joe Andrasko
Professor of Practice
Alan R. Beckenstein
Robert D. Landel Distinguished Professor of Business Administration
Robert F. Bruner
University Professor, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration and Dean Emeritus of the Darden School of Business
Kenneth M. Eades
Professor Emeritus of Business Administration
Richard B. Evans
Donald McLean Wilkinson Research Chair and Professor of Business Administration
Mary Margaret Frank
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development; Samuel A. Lewis Sr. Faculty Fellow and John Tyler Professor of Business Administration
Kinda Hachem
Morris Plan Associate Professor of Consumer Credit
Robert S. Harris
C. Stewart Sheppard Professor of Business Administration
Marc L. Lipson
Robert F. Vandell Professor of Business Administration
Elena Loutskina
Peter M. Grant II Bicentennial Foundation Chair and Professor of Business Administration
Matthew McBrady
Professor of Practice
Davide Tomio
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
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Staff
Rodney Sullivan
Executive Director
As executive director of the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management, Rodney Sullivan has primary leadership and managerial responsibility for the administration and oversight of all of the center’s activities. Sullivan joins the Darden School from AQR Capital Management, the Greenwich, Connecticut, based investment management firm where he served as vice president and head of investment content. An investment industry publishing leader with an extensive track record of developing and communicating innovative research and ideas, Sullivan helped establish and led the firm’s editorial board and also was a founding member of the AQR Asset Management Institute at London Business School. Prior to joining AQR, Sullivan worked as head of publications and editor of the Financial Analysts Journal at the CFA Institute for more than 10 years, including oversight responsibilities for a suite of publication services aimed at the investment community. A Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Sullivan holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rodney also currently serves as an editor for the Journal of Alternative Investments published by CAIA Association. He lives in Charlottesville with his family.Aaron Fernstrom
Director
Aaron Fernstrom joined the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management in March 2017. Prior to returning to Darden, Fernstrom served in the Asset Management Strategy practice at Deloitte. His engagements included long-term strategic planning, growth strategy, marketing strategy, product development, change management, organizational design, and post-merger operational integration for some of the world’s largest asset managers. He also led research initiatives in digital marketing, the disintermediation of traditional asset management, direct lending, private debt and the growth of ETFs. Prior to Deloitte, Fernstrom was a venture capitalist focused on early-stage, revolutionary science and technology companies. The cumulative net IRR generated by his venture capital projects is 57.14%. Fernstrom graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Finance and received his MBA from the Darden School of Business.
Caitlin Boyer
Associate Director of Private Capital Strategic Initiatives
Caitlin Boyer joined the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management in September 2022. Prior to joining the Mayo Center, Caitlin worked as an Academic Operations Coordinator at Darden, starting in 2018. She provides ongoing support and leadership for the implementation and development of strategic initiatives with the goal of furthering Darden’s presence and stature in the venture capital, private equity, and real estate industries, as well as other areas across asset management. Caitlin graduated from James Madison University with a BS in Geographic Science.
Vaska Atta-Darkua
Vaska Atta-Darkua is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management at the Darden School of Business. Prior to joining Darden, Vaska completed a Ph.D. in Finance at Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge where she was a member of King’s College, Cambridge. Vaska also holds an M.Phil. in Finance from the University of Cambridge and a B.Sc. in International Economics from the University of Essex in the UK. During her studies she was a visiting student at UCLA Anderson. Vaska’s research focuses on institutional investors, climate finance, and responsible investing. -
Advisory Group
The Mayo Center Advisory Group was convened in late 2012 to advise the Dean on Mayo Center objectives and activities, and to assist with generating support. The Advisory Group consists of founding Mayo Center supporters, faculty, staff and asset management professionals. The group supports the continued advancement of the Center.
Advisory Group Members:
Kyle Bass
Managing Partner
Hayman Capital Management, LPJim Cooper (MBA ’84)
Managing Partner
Thompson Street Capital PartnersFrank Edmonds (MBA ’94)
Co-Managing Partner
Panning Capital ManagementMichael Gangemi (MBA ’94)
Principal
WNG Capital, LLCPalmer P. Garson (MBA ’83)
Managing Director
Silvercrest Asset ManagementChristopher (Chris) Holden
General Partner
Court Square VenturesLawrence (Larry) E. Kochard
Chief Investment Officer
Makena Capital ManagementJohn G. Macfarlane III (MBA ’79)
Managing Member
Arrochar Management LLCRichard (Dick) A. Mayo (MBA ’68)
Chairman and Chief Strategist
Game Creek CapitalMichael A. Pausic
Founder
Foxhaven Asset ManagementFrank Sands Sr. (MBA ’63)
Founder & Chairman
Sands Capital Inc.Robert (Bob) Smith (MBA ’87)
Portfolio Manager
T. Rowe Price Foundation, Inc.Ichiro Suzuki (MBA ’84)
Greg Turk (MBA ’01)
Director of Investments
Teachers' Retirement System of Illinois
Rodney Sullivan
Executive Director
As executive director of the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management, Rodney Sullivan has primary leadership and managerial responsibility for the administration and oversight of all of the center’s activities. Sullivan joins the Darden School from AQR Capital Management, the Greenwich, Connecticut, based investment management firm where he served as vice president and head of investment content. An investment industry publishing leader with an extensive track record of developing and communicating innovative research and ideas, Sullivan helped establish and led the firm’s editorial board and also was a founding member of the AQR Asset Management Institute at London Business School. Prior to joining AQR, Sullivan worked as head of publications and editor of the Financial Analysts Journal at the CFA Institute for more than 10 years, including oversight responsibilities for a suite of publication services aimed at the investment community. A Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Sullivan holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rodney also currently serves as an editor for the Journal of Alternative Investments published by CAIA Association. He lives in Charlottesville with his family.
Aaron Fernstrom
Director
Aaron Fernstrom joined the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management in March 2017. Prior to returning to Darden, Fernstrom served in the Asset Management Strategy practice at Deloitte. His engagements included long-term strategic planning, growth strategy, marketing strategy, product development, change management, organizational design, and post-merger operational integration for some of the world’s largest asset managers. He also led research initiatives in digital marketing, the disintermediation of traditional asset management, direct lending, private debt and the growth of ETFs. Prior to Deloitte, Fernstrom was a venture capitalist focused on early-stage, revolutionary science and technology companies. The cumulative net IRR generated by his venture capital projects is 57.14%. Fernstrom graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Finance and received his MBA from the Darden School of Business.
Caitlin Boyer
Associate Director of Private Capital Strategic Initiatives
Caitlin Boyer joined the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management in September 2022. Prior to joining the Mayo Center, Caitlin worked as an Academic Operations Coordinator at Darden, starting in 2018. She provides ongoing support and leadership for the implementation and development of strategic initiatives with the goal of furthering Darden’s presence and stature in the venture capital, private equity, and real estate industries, as well as other areas across asset management. Caitlin graduated from James Madison University with a BS in Geographic Science.
Vaska Atta-Darkua
Vaska Atta-Darkua is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management at the Darden School of Business. Prior to joining Darden, Vaska completed a Ph.D. in Finance at Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge where she was a member of King’s College, Cambridge. Vaska also holds an M.Phil. in Finance from the University of Cambridge and a B.Sc. in International Economics from the University of Essex in the UK. During her studies she was a visiting student at UCLA Anderson. Vaska’s research focuses on institutional investors, climate finance, and responsible investing.
The Mayo Center Advisory Group was convened in late 2012 to advise the Dean on Mayo Center objectives and activities, and to assist with generating support. The Advisory Group consists of founding Mayo Center supporters, faculty, staff and asset management professionals. The group supports the continued advancement of the Center.
Advisory Group Members:
Kyle Bass
Managing Partner
Hayman Capital Management, LP
Jim Cooper (MBA ’84)
Managing Partner
Thompson Street Capital Partners
Frank Edmonds (MBA ’94)
Co-Managing Partner
Panning Capital Management
Michael Gangemi (MBA ’94)
Principal
WNG Capital, LLC
Palmer P. Garson (MBA ’83)
Managing Director
Silvercrest Asset Management
Christopher (Chris) Holden
General Partner
Court Square Ventures
Lawrence (Larry) E. Kochard
Chief Investment Officer
Makena Capital Management
John G. Macfarlane III (MBA ’79)
Managing Member
Arrochar Management LLC
Richard (Dick) A. Mayo (MBA ’68)
Chairman and Chief Strategist
Game Creek Capital
Michael A. Pausic
Founder
Foxhaven Asset Management
Frank Sands Sr. (MBA ’63)
Founder & Chairman
Sands Capital Inc.
Robert (Bob) Smith (MBA ’87)
Portfolio Manager
T. Rowe Price Foundation, Inc.
Ichiro Suzuki (MBA ’84)
Greg Turk (MBA ’01)
Director of Investments
Teachers' Retirement System of Illinois