Johara Farhadieh serves as the Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer at the Illinois State Board of Investment (“ISBI”), managing a $18.1 billion dollar defined benefit fund and a $4.2 billion dollar deferred compensation (“DC”) plan for the State Employees’ Retirement System, the General Assembly Retirement System, the Judges’ Retirement System, the Illinois Power Agency, and the State of Illinois Deferred Compensation Plan. In this position, Mrs. Farhadieh is responsible for all investment operations, managing and executing ISBI’s investment policies and assisting the trustees in the strategic direction of ISBI.
Under Mrs. Farhadieh’s leadership, ISBI developed into one of the nation’s leading pension funds with key accomplishments including the restructuring of the defined benefit fund, as well as a full re-enrollment of the DC plan. Most recently, the American Investment Council ranked ISBI’s private equity portfolio performance #1 for the ten years ending June 30, 2019. Mrs. Farhadieh also leads the continued effort of promoting diversity and inclusion within ISBI.
Mrs. Farhadieh received her Master of Business Administration with honors from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the DePaul University College of Commerce.
Mrs. Farhadieh was recently recognized in Crain’s Chicago Business 2018, 40 Under 40 list. Mrs. Farhadieh is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, New America Alliance, Women Investment Professionals, the National Association of Securities Professionals, and the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators. In addition, Mrs. Farhadieh serves on the La Rabida Children’s Hospital Foundation Board. In her free time, Mrs. Farhadieh enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons at their home in Chicago, Illinois.