Mark Steed named PSPRS’ CIO

The Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System has promoted Mark Steed to CIO following a national search that produced dozens of candidates who sought to manage the agency’s $10 billion investment portfolio.

Steed, 40, started with PSPRS in 2007 as an investment intern and served an instrumental role in transforming the pension’s once traditional stock-heavy portfolio into a modern, highly-diversified portfolio built to withstand market volatility and crashes while delivering returns.

Steed has successfully managed all PSPRS portfolio asset classes, including private equity, venture capital, fixed income, absolute return, private credit and global trading strategies.

PSPRS’ Trustee Harry Papp, who manages a private investment firm, credited Steed’s rise to CIO to his firm grasp of both traditional publicly traded investments and alternative private strategies, including opportunities in private equity, private credit and real assets. He also praised Steed’s integrity and experience with adversity.

Steed serves as an advisory board member to Institutional Investor, the Investment Institute, and the Institutional Limited Partners Association.

Steed served PSPRS as the interim CIO following the June 30, 2018, retirement of CIO Ryan Parham, who is credited with transforming the PSPRS investments into a highly diversified portfolio capable of withstanding market volatility.