, CAIA, was selected as a runner up for the aiCIO Industry Innovation Awards in the Public Pension Plan Below $15 Billion category. According to aiCIO, “the awards mean innovation – not just for the sake of it, but also for the greater preservation of capital. They mean understanding, and acting upon, material risks in today's markets. They mean long-term, consistent results – and establishing a solid foundation for future returns. They mean understanding the goal at hand, and marshaling all available resources to meet that goal. They mean all these qualities brought together in a small number of service providers and funds that can truly be considered Industry Innovators.”

Sam oversees $3 billion at the City of Chicago Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund and has been profiled in InvestHedge for his investment strategies as CIO.

According to Sam, “the CAIA curriculum and the benefits of its membership help me to remain at the forefront of creative thinking and design innovative solutions to better serve the 8,000 retired and 13,000 active employees of the Plan. Alternative strategies are an area of extreme focus for our fund, and we continue to aggressively pursue opportunities in private equity, real estate, infrastructure, GTAA, fund of hedge funds, and real assets in order to improve the efficiency of the overall portfolio. CAIA has provided me with the building blocks to better understand these complex strategies.”

Sam earned his CAIA designation in April 2010.