David Y. Ige

Employees’ Retirement System of the State of Hawaii
Names Elizabeth Burton as New Chief Investment Officer

The Board of Trustees of the Employees’ Retirement System of the State of Hawaii (ERS) is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Burton, Managing Director of the Quantitative Strategies Group at the Maryland State Retirement Agency, has accepted the position of Chief Investment Officer of the ERS, effective October 1, 2018.
Using the services of Kumabe HR, an executive search firm, the ERS Board of Trustees conducted a national search which generated an exceptional list of well-qualified candidates. The trustees cited Ms. Burton’s extensive financial and consulting experience in both the public and private sectors as making her uniquely qualified for the position.
“Ms. Burton is dynamic and highly regarded by her peers in the investment community,” said Catherine Chan, Chair of the Chief Investment Officer search committee of the ERS Board of Trustees, “We are confident that Ms. Burton will serve our state and county members, retirees and beneficiaries well.”
Elizabeth Burton previously owned William Street Advisory—a strategic advisory practice which she founded in 2013. Prior to that role, Ms. Burton served as a Senior Economist with Criterion Economics and was a Consultant at First Annapolis where she worked on mergers and acquisitions transactions and consulting. Her previous positions also include: Co-Portfolio Manager and Quantitative Risk Analyst with a South Africa-based fund of hedge funds, Trader (fixed income securities) for a risk management firm, and Portfolio Management Associate with a quant-focused fund of hedge funds.
Ms. Burton is also a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst charter holder and was named one of Chief Investment Officer Magazine’s Top-40-Under-40.
“I am honored and excited to be joining Hawaii ERS,” expressed Elizabeth Burton in her acceptance of the position, “I am looking forward to being a part of a high quality team with Thom, the Board, and a very talented investment staff, to continue the incredible work they have been doing. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to bring my passion and experience to serve the State of Hawaii and its pension beneficiaries, to secure a bright future. Aloha!”
The ERS’s assets of $16.5 billion support annual benefit payments in excess of $1.3 billion to
over 46,000 pensioners and their beneficiaries. With a total state and county membership of over
138,000, the ERS relies on its sustained assets to provide retirement, disability and death benefits
to its active, retired and vested members. The System initiated its nation-wide search for a new
Chief Investment Officer in March. “I could not be more pleased with the Board’s selection of
Elizabeth Burton to head our investment team,” Thomas Williams, Executive Director of the
ERS stated. “The ERS Board and staff are looking forward to working with Ms. Burton, and we
are confident that her broad and extensive experience will be a valuable asset to the ERS as we
develop next generation investment competency within the System.”
For more information about the Employees’ Retirement System of the State of Hawaii visit the
ERS’s website at https://ers.ehawaii.gov.
Elizabeth Burton
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Media Contact:
Donna Curry, Program Specialist, (808) 586-1678 or [email protected]