Founding director of Columbia University's value investing program to lead Notre Dame's Institute for Global Investing

The University of Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI) has named Erin Bellissimo as managing director, effective Sept. 1.

Bellissimo will be responsible for setting the strategic priorities of the Institute and managing its operations, including developing and directing curriculum and programs, mentoring students, supporting faculty research, and building and facilitating relationships among the Institute’s key constituents.  She will work in collaboration with the NDIGI’s faculty director, finance professor Shane Corwin.

“Erin has been a valuable and supportive resource for us since the launch of the Institute and will be a significant asset to the Mendoza College of Business and the University,” Corwin said. “Given her significant experience in both the investment management industry and academia, she is perfectly suited to lead the Institute during its next stage of growth.”  

“Since its launch just three years ago, NDIGI has developed numerous innovative and effective programs, especially for undergraduate students,” said Martijn Cremers, interim dean of the Mendoza College of Business. “As she has already been an integral part of the Institute’s efforts from the beginning as an outside partner, Erin understands our mission and vision. I’m delighted that she is now joining as the new managing director.”  

Bellissimo launched and spent nine years as the inaugural executive director of the Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing, a world-renowned value investing program at Columbia Business School. In this position, she was responsible for all operational aspects of Columbia’s value investing activities and worked extensively to connect the practitioner and academic communities. She also served as an assistant adjunct professor at Columbia, teaching in various programs. 

A founding board member and treasurer of Girls Who Invest (GWI), Bellissimo has extensive experience across multiple entrepreneurial endeavors in finance. GWI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in portfolio management and executive leadership in the asset management industry.

Most recently, she served as a consultant to a hedge fund and family office, helping to define strategy and improve operations. She previously was a partner at hedge fund Aravt Global, where she helped launch the business and worked closely with the managing partner to set firm direction and strategy. She earned her MBA in finance from The Wharton School and a B.S. in management from Bucknell University.

The Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing was established in 2015 at the Mendoza College of Business with a gift from James Parsons, founder of New York City-based Junto Capital Management, and Dr. Carrie Quinn, an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital and executive director of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center, both graduates of Notre Dame. 

The Institute's mission includes adding depth and breadth to Mendoza’s finance curriculum; expanding internship and career placement opportunities for undergraduate and MBA students; providing experiential learning opportunities both in the U.S. and abroad; leveraging key partnerships among the college, the Notre Dame Investment Office, and the University’s extensive alumni network; and furthering faculty research and thought leadership in areas related to global investment management.

For more information about the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing, visit ndigi.nd.edu