Cathie Wood
Cathie Wood is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of ARK Investment Management, a global asset manager specializing in thematic investing in disruptive innovation. Wood is a star stock-picker and is widely regarded as a leading proponent of cryptocurrency adoption and investment. She has over 40 years of identifying and investing in innovation with her forward-thinking tactics. Over several decades, Wood built an impressive career in investment management, working with esteemed firms in the industry, including Capital Group and Jennison Associates. Prior to ARK, she spent twelve years at AllianceBernstein as Chief Investment Officer of Global Thematic Strategies where she managed $5 billion.
Cathie Wood Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer
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Chief Investment Officer
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Managing Director and Chief Economist
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Assistant Economist
Academic History
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B.S., Economics and Finance, Summa Cum Laude
In 2004, Wood established ARK Invest to revolutionize the world of stock portfolios by converting them into exchange traded funds.
As CIO and Portfolio Manager, she led the development of ARK's philosophy and investment approach and has ultimate responsibility for investment decisions.
The flagship ARK Innovation ETF displayed consistent growth in market value until 2020, reaching a peak in early 2021.
Wood has been identifying and investing in innovation for more than 40 years.
She has focused on thematic investing strategies since 1990, particularly on technologically-enabled disruption that cuts across economic sectors.
She is best known for making big bets on technology by investing in small and large-cap stocks in disruptive innovation companies.
She focuses on five areas of innovation in particular: artificial intelligence, energy storage, robotics, DNA sequencing, and blockchain technology.
EARLY CAREER
Wood started her career as an Assistant Economist at Capital Group with the help of her mentor, Arthur Laffer.
She moved to New York City and took on multiple roles, including Chief Economist, Portfolio Manager, and Managing Director at Jennison Associates.
In 1988, she co-launched Tupelo Capital Management, a hedge fund located in New York City that managed $800 million in global thematic strategies.
She served as Chief Investment Officer of AllianceBernstein's global thematic strategies, responsible for managing $5 billion in AUM.
She faced criticism for underperforming less than the broader market during the 2008 financial crisis.
RECOGNITION
2021 Forbes 50 Over 50
2020 Best Stock Picks of the Year, Bloomberg News
2018 Bloomberg 50
2016 Market Media Women in Finance - Outstanding Contribution Award
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
Wood has been profiled and featured in various financial leading media outlets and publications.
She has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, CNBC, NPR, The New York Times, CNN, Barron's, and Yahoo! Finance.
She was a featured speaker at the World Economic Forum in China in 2016 and 2017, and the World Strategic Forum in Miami in 2017.
She has also been featured in The Block, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, TheStreet, and Real Vision.