Deborah McLean

President, CAIA Foundation and Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Deborah, who joined CAIA in 2012, is President of the CAIA Foundation and Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). An ardent supporter of workplace diversity, Deborah has advocated on behalf of the underrepresented for more than 20 years, working to empower women and minorities in business, education, and finance in corporate, nonprofit, and educational settings. Deborah is responsible for shaping CAIA’s DEI strategy on a global scale and advancing the work of the CAIA Foundation to help make the alternative investment industry more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. She serves on CAIA’s Independent DEI Advisory Council and is a member of CAIA’s Executive Management team. Deborah also leads the strategic development of CAIA’s global chapter network, which generates 200+ educational events a year worldwide. Deborah launched her career at ABC News, working on the daily production teams of Good Morning America and World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. She later became a vice president at a leading Washington, D.C.-based marketing/PR firm, managing a client portfolio comprised of non-profits, corporations, and federal agencies. Deborah's passion for education led her to Boston, where she became head of development and communications for a national non-profit organization focused on urban education reform policy, and later on higher education. She worked in Smith College's Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, and later for Mount Holyoke College as a principal gift officer, where she raised money for scholarships and programs to support student financial aid. Debbie is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and received DEI leadership education from Northwestern University.