Awards | Alts 50

With Intelligence Alts 50

Awards Dinner

October 27, 2026. Rainbow Room, New York City

Awarding excellence

Through the inaugural Alts 50: Awards Dinner rankings, we will chronicle the most influential and important allocators in the US as an evolution of The Allocator Prizes – and you can help decide who gets a spot on the coveted list.

When compiling the awards and rankings, judges will take into consideration tenure, amount of capital allocated or advised on, size of organization, and the individual’s influence within the allocator community.

Award categories

Finalists have been shortlisted for the below categories with winners to be announced on the night.

The Alts 50 (Allocator)

You can view the full Alts 50 Members list here. The ranking’s Top 10 names will be announced on the night.

Randy Kim Prize for Fiduciary of the Year (Allocator)

For extraordinary actions in service the institutional mission & stakeholders. Often requires bravery and career risk.

The finalists are:

Anne Dinneen — Chief Investment Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian

Dinneen arrived at the $13B hospital system in May 2022 from Hamilton College, where the endowment had roughly doubled to $1.5B on her watch, and set about rebuilding an investment office. One judge called the result “a complete and total turnaround, both in team, back office, portfolio,” adding that she “put NYP back on the map” in front of a serious investment committee. Our panel agreed that what she did was not only capital allocation, but true fiduciary devotion.
Thomas Lurquin — Chief Investment Officer, Kaiser Permanente

Lurquin, a former managing director at Stanford Management Company, arrived at the $71.6B allocator in May 2022 and set about unwinding prior private equity commitments with massive sales to secondary buyers. When the Wall Street Journal cast one of them as a sign of cash constraints, Kaiser called the claim “simply not accurate.” One judge called it a “massive turnaround effort,” adding that Lurquin “has done great things.”
Brad Briner — Treasurer, State of North Carolina

Briner, formerly co-CIO of Michael Bloomberg’s Willett Advisors, won the treasurer’s office in November 2024 and with it final authority over a $127B pension that had lagged for years. Soon he had persuaded the legislature to divvy up that power: the Investment Modernization Act, signed in June 2025, handed the portfolio to a five-member North Carolina Investment Authority board of directors, which he chairs. The fund has since crossed $150B, returning 12.4% in the fiscal year to June. Briner “has turned that place around and institutionalized it,” one judge said. “That’s a no-brainer, actually.”

Team of the Year (Allocator)

A group that may be large or small, but punches above its weight from the CIO to interns.

The finalists are:

UTIMCO — led by CIO Rich Hall

For a deep bench and a sweeping overhaul. Our judges praised the manager of the University of Texas and Texas A&M endowments throughout the process, so much so that UTIMCO would have placed several people on the Alts 50 had we not capped each organization at one. Hall was “obvious,” according to our judges, and “highly respected,” in the words of an external nominator. Meanwhile, UTIMCO’s public equity team undertook “a complete rethink” of a roughly $20B portfolio, driving a third consecutive year of positive alpha generation in 2025. All of it was done, a nominator said, “in a highly collaborative and thoughtful manner with the rest of the organization and our board. They exemplified change management best practices.”
Washington State Investment Board — led by CEO Allyson Tucker and CIO Christopher Hanak

For being straight with managers and still driving a hard bargain. The $187.4B allocator has enjoyed a 9.8% annualized return over 10 years, powered by a private equity program that returned 13.5% over the same stretch and now makes up 28.5% of the fund. One judge described CEO Tucker as “very frank and very clear about her philosophy.” That runs through the staff: Aaron Daley, who oversees WSIB's global co-investment program and sits on the board of the Institutional Limited Partners Association, is “collaborative with GPs while maintaining accountability,” per one nominator. “Nobody shows up more prepared and informed than Aaron.”
Partners Capital — led by CEO Arjun Raghavan and CIO Alex Band

For proving that an outsourced shop can set the agenda for insiders. “American alts allocators notice what Partners is doing,” as one nominator put it, “in the UK, and anywhere.” At the $77B OCIO, head of credit Emma Bewley is “the standout that people talk about in terms of her expertise in private credit … and she’s excellent,” one judge said.

Partner of the Year (Servicer Provider/Manager)

For an individual that goes above and beyond in service of the institutional mission.

The finalists are:

Beaumont Advisors

For being “exceptionally” dedicated partners, as our judging panel put it. Founded in 2011 by alts veterans Lori Barton and Gillian Scott, Beaumont Advisors “truly are an extension of the team,” one judge noted, lauding the operational due diligence provider’s professionalism, attention to detail, and all-around brilliance. Another judge concurred: “They’re willing to give you support to help you think about how to develop your firm.”

Darsana Capital Partners

For “doing something rather extraordinary,” as one judge observed — two “somethings,” really. First, our judge said, Darsana Capital Partners “gave all of their LPs the opportunity to invest in SpaceX fee- and carry-free, which is going to be very meaningful for any institution that did that.” Second, the judge noted, the hedge fund chose to distribute private side-pocket investments back to LPs rather than rolling them over to inflate AUM. Houston, we have a Partner of the Year finalist.

Juniper Square

For digitizing the paperwork of private markets. Founded in 2014, Juniper Square provides software and fund administration to more than 2,000 GPs, covering 40,000 funds and about $1 trillion in LP capital. Judges praised the firm for the unglamorous but meaningful work of running the manager's back office.

The following categories do not have a shortlist and winners will be announced on the night.

Lifetime Achievement Award (Allocator)

We’re pleased to announce John D. Skjervem, CFA, Chief Investment Officer at Utah Retirement Systems, as the recipient of the 2026 Allocator Lifetime Achievement Award!

John has built his career around public-sector investing, leading investment organisations in both Oregon and Utah. While the two institutions are very different, he has brought the same thoughtfulness and imagination to each, using his investment expertise in service of their wider institutional missions.

His career reflects a longstanding commitment to public service, and he follows previous award recipients Ana Marshall, Michael Trotsky and Robin Diamonte.

Lifetime Achievement Award (Partner/Manager)

We’re thrilled to announce George Walker, Chairman and CEO of Neuberger, as the recipient of the 2026 Fund Manager Lifetime Achievement Award!

Under George’s leadership, Neuberger Berman has grown its alternatives business considerably, including in areas such as secondaries and private credit.

He has also led the firm while keeping it private and employee-owned, a decision that has allowed Neuberger Berman to stay closely aligned with its clients and employees.

That philosophy has earned the firm strong support from the allocator community over the years and is a big part of why George has been chosen for this inaugural award.

Awards dinner venue

Rainbow Room

Perched above Rockefeller Center, the Rainbow Room has long been part of New York’s social and cultural fabric. Its sweeping views across Manhattan and timeless Art Deco design give the space a sense of occasion that few venues can match, making it a fitting setting for an evening centred around recognition, conversation and industry connection.

Our awards committee

A panel of institutional investment industry luminaries - leading figures from both the allocator and manager communities - will determine category finalists and winners, facilitated by The Allocator and informed by nominations.