OUem announces CEO retirement
Oxford University Endowment Management (OUem) today announces that Sandra Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, will retire at the end of 2026, marking nearly two decades leading the firm.
Sandra was OUem’s founding Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2007 and has been instrumental in its growth and success. As part of a planned succession, Neamul Mohsin, previously Deputy CIO, was appointed CIO in January 2025, with Sandra continuing as CEO.
Under Sandra’s leadership, OUem has grown assets under management from £600m to £7bn, while distributing £2bn to investors over the last two decades.
Separately, Fay Ashwell, Chief Operating Officer (COO), is moving into an advisory role, before stepping down at the end of next year. Fay has worked alongside Sandra since OUem’s inception, playing a central role in building the firm and shaping its culture and operations. The COO responsibilities will be shared across the Chief Financial Officer, Rachel Scott, incoming General Counsel, Neil Hayes, and the CEO.
Sandra Robertson, CEO of OUem, said: “Fay and I came to Oxford nearly 20 years ago with a brief to professionalise the management of the University’s endowment to help grow and steward this for generations to come. Within two months of us arriving, in the middle of the global financial crisis, we were asked to create a regulated investment business. Our track record and investment approach attracted interest from other institutional investors across the collegiate University and beyond.
OUem has been successful over the last two decades because of support from the University, our board members, and our investors. It has been a privilege and an honour to build an enduring business with a fantastic team.
We are especially proud of the contribution the Oxford Endowment Fund makes each year to our 46 institutional investors. With our innovative global approach and diversified portfolio of exceptional investments, we have exceeded our investment objective, generating £3.6bn in performance alone and returning £2bn in distributions to our investors.
I would like to thank Fay, who has been by my side throughout this journey. It feels fitting that we will step down together towards the end of next year. Until then, I look forward to continuing in my role over the year ahead. I am confident our investors are in great hands with Neamul who has already proven himself a dedicated and talented CIO.”
Sir Paul Ruddock, Chair of OUem, said: “Sandra has been an exceptional leader for OUem. On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our deep gratitude to both Sandra and Fay for their outstanding contributions in building the business to what it is today. The Board has begun a process to appoint a new CEO who will join the Board upon Sandra’s retirement at the end of 2026.”