Nick Smirensky is Chief Investment Officer of the New York State Health Foundation. He is responsible for managing the Foundation's investment portfolio and developing investment strategy.
Prior to joining the Foundation, he was Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Director of Alternative Investments with the $155 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund, the third largest public pension fund in the United States. He was responsible for overseeing the Fund's corporate governance and investment program, which includes internally traded equity and fixed income, external equity managers, private equity, hedge funds and real estate. He directly managed the Fund's private equity program. He was Director of New York's College Savings Program and Director of Budget and Financial Analysis at the New York State Comptroller's Office prior to joining the Common Retirement Fund. He is a trustee of the New York State Teachers Retirement System and chair of the System's Investment Committee and a member of the board of the National Health Law Program. He has taught business classes through Hudson Link for Higher Education.
He holds the CFA designation, has a BA degree from Columbia College and a MA degree from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Columbia University.