A New Global Order Integrating Geopolitics

CAIA Association is a global network of forward-thinking investment professionals, redefining the future of capital allocation in a world where traditional and alternative investments are converging at an unprecedented pace. United by a commitment to improving investment outcomes, we lead with authority, educate to inspire, and connect people who turn insight into action. CAIA Association creates dynamic and captivating learning experiences designed to engage investment professionals at every level. Its programs – the CAIA Charter and the CAIA.nxt™ platform – offer critical levels of access to a comprehensive curriculum that equips the investment community with the skills and knowledge needed to build modern portfolios. CAIA Association is a global member-driven community of more than 14,000 professionals, united by a shared commitment to improving investment outcomes and building a more aligned, principled capital market system.

Anastasia Titarchuk is the Chief Investment Officer for New York State’s Common Retirement Fund. As of March 31, 2021, the value of the Fund was $254.8 billion. Under the direction of State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Titarchuk is responsible for developing and implementing investment strategies to ensure that the Fund remains one of the best-funded and best-managed public pension plans in the country. The Fund holds assets in trust for more than one million employees and retirees from state and local authorities. Prior to Ms. Titarchuk’s appointment in 2018, she was Deputy CIO since February 2015. Anastasia joined the Fund in 2011. She started her career on Wall Street in 1998. Prior to joining the Fund, she worked in a variety of leadership roles at Bank of America, Barclays Capital, Lehman Brothers, and J.P. Morgan. Anastasia has always had a derivatives focus. Her experience spans both liquid and structured products across a variety of markets including equities, emerging markets, and rates. Anastasia was named as a 2015 Hedge Fund Rising Star by Institutional Investor magazine. She graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a B.S. in Applied Mathematics.

Marko is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future. At BCA, Marko leads the firm’s premier service, BCA Access, that allows clients to unlock access to custom research and the vast expert network that BCA has cultivated over its 76-year history. Previously, Marko was a partner at an alternative asset management firm in California where he provided his investors and clients with controversial market calls, bold views, and around-the-clock research. He helped seed global macro hedge funds and curate several funds across public and private markets. His work on incorporating geopolitics into the asset management industry has become part of the CAIA curriculum. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, he has lived in Iraq, Jordan, Switzerland, Canada, and the U.S. He has lectured at the top universities and you will frequently see him in global news media.