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Kapoor steps down as chief investment officer; Kenney to serve as interim


Last updated January 19, 2022

By Clinton Colmenares, Director of News and Media Strategy

After 15 years at Furman University, Kris Kapoor ’94 is stepping away as chief investment officer at the end of January to take the same role at Bakala Capital. Furman Senior Investment Officer Rob Kenney will serve as the interim chief investment officer at Furman while the university conducts a national search.

Kapoor joined Furman in 2007 as the university’s first dedicated head of investments. As chief investment officer, he led the efforts to build a globally diversified investment portfolio that has outperformed internal benchmarks and peers. Over $540 million of returns have been generated during his tenure. Most notably, the portfolio has been transitioned to include more private and alternative investments that have achieved the objectives of the university, as evidenced by the return stream.

Mentoring and engaging students interested in finance has been a passion of Kapoor’s during his time at Furman. In 2019, he received the Wayne and Rubye Reid Alumni (Bell Tower) Award, which is presented each year to an alumnus who has made significant contributions to the career development of Furman students.

“Serving my alma mater has been an honor and a privilege,” Kapoor said. “The endowment plays such an important role in the support of students, professors, departments and our physical plant. I’ve approached the role with a profound sense of duty and responsibility. I feel fortunate to have been a small part of a great team of staff, trustees and outside investment partners that has generated very strong risk-adjusted returns.”

“We will miss Kris tremendously,” said Furman President Elizabeth Davis. “I am grateful for all that he has done for his alma mater and for our students, and I look forward to continuing to engage him as an alumnus.”

Kenney, who will serve as interim chief investment officer at Furman, has worked with Kapoor in the investment office since early 2012, and has significant investment experience. He was recently named to Chief Investment Officer’s Class of 2021 NextGens, a list of accomplished investors in the world of institutional asset allocation.

Bakala Capital, based in Greenville, South Carolina, is the family investment office of Zdenek Bakala, a Czech-American entrepreneur and philanthropist.

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Clinton Colmenares
Director of News and Media Strategy