Daniel P. Ricciardi ’06, investment officer at the College of the Holy Cross, was named to Trusted Insight’s list of the “Top 30 University Endowment Investors in Hedge Funds.” Starting out as an analyst in 2008 for the College, Ricciardi became an investment officer and oversaw a $730 million endowment as part of a three person team.
Ricciardi graduated from Holy Cross with a degree in history and the initial intention of becoming a history professor. But he decided he wanted to gain experience outside the academic world before pursing his Ph.D., which ultimately led to his decision to work in finance. He tells Trusted Insight, “I wanted to experience something outside the role of being a history professor, so I worked at BNY Mellon for a couple of years and discovered that I loved financial services. That was a surprise.”
Ricciardi teaches a class for non-finance majors at the College with the specific intention of “translating the language of finance to the langue of liberal arts.” He discusses his focus on the long-term horizons of investment as well as the hedge fund money in global equity assets. When asked what he looked for in a hedge fund manager, Ricciardi replies “we’re interested in their long-term strategy, investment philosophy and firm culture. Our best managers are always curious about how we see the world and view the relationship as a partnership, not as a source of funding.”
Living by Holy Cross’ mission, “Men and women for and with others,” Ricciardi discusses how important service is to him, “My brother is autistic, and that been a very important part of my life. I’m an advocate for people with disabilities.” He is proud of the service Holy Cross provides to communities and urban developments, such as tutoring. Ricciardi’s sense of service can even be heard in his comment on the pope’s visit to New York, in which he told Trusted Insight “Jesuits have a commitment to help the world’s poor and suffering, and it’s wonderful to see the head of the church really exemplifying that.”
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This “Holy Cross in the news” item is by Emma Collins ’16
