About The Author
Over his forty-year professional career, Philip has been engaged as Chief Investment Officer (“CIO”) of large institutional portfolios, including for the endowments of The University of Chicago and Caltech, and the pension plans of The Washington State Investment Board and J.C. Penney Company. He has been a prolific author and has consulted for the governments of Egypt and Kazakhstan on pension and insurance reform.
In addition, Philip has served on the boards, audit committees and investment committees for dozens of diverse institutional financial organizations in the United States such as DWS RREEF America REIT II, The Frontenac Company, M Financial Group, NationsBuilders Insurance Services, Oxford Financial Group, and SunTx Capital. He also has been retained many times as an expert witness on fiduciary matters. Philip currently serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board for Edgeline Capital Management.
Philip also has worked extensively overseas investigating investment opportunities for his employers and has consulted on financial policy for the governments of Egypt and Kazakhstan. For ten years he was Lead Director of Duet India Hotels, International Hotel Group’s operating partner in India.
He has authored two investment books, Marketing Institutional Money Management Services: Meeting the Needs of Today's Plan Sponsors and Corporate Treasurers and Emerging Markets: A Map for Global Investors (co-author). Philip’s journal articles have appeared in the Journal of Portfolio Management, Financial Analyst Journal, Journal of Investing, CFA Continuing Education and other publications. He has lectured extensively worldwide on a variety of financial, fiduciary and investment topics.
In addition to his professional activities, Philip has actively participated as a board member and a supporter of numerous philanthropic organizations, including many at the University of Chicago. Mr. Halpern is actively involved at Chicago’s renowned Institute of the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) through sponsorship of archaeological projects in the Near East and docent tours in the museum. Having been captivated by the confluence of history, politics, religion, commerce and law embedded in the Code of Ḫammurabi Stele, he was inspired to write the book, Divine Enlightenment: The Making of a Mesopotamian King and his Legend.
Mr. Halpern holds an M.B.A. in Finance from UCLA and an A.B. in Anthropology from Grinnell College, and completed doctoral coursework in Strategic Planning at Northwestern University. After one-year of academic study, he was awarded the Certified Cybersecurity Leader designation from Carnegie Mellon University.
Personal interests include biking, golfing, hiking, and playing pickleball. Splitting his time between Chicago and La Quinta California, Philip is blessed with a beautiful wife, four wonderful children and five precious grandchildren.
