James Perry, CFA, CAIA
Senior Investment Officer

Mr. Perry serves as the Senior Investment Officer for the San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association (SBCERA) where he has been part of the investment team since 2004. He is responsible for contracting, oversight, analysis, and reporting on over $3.5 billion of the Plan’s assets that are invested in hedge funds and traditional assets. Additionally, Mr. Perry oversees the plan’s compliance monitoring program, securities lending, commission recapture, securities litigation and proxy voting. He works closely with the plan’s CIO, fund consultant and the Board of Retirement in the development of investment goals and strategies, program implementation and investment manager selection.

During his tenure with SBCERA, Mr. Perry introduced direct hedge funds and timber into the plan’s asset allocation and has worked extensively on the development and expansion of the fund’s diversified global debt portfolio. He has been a significant contributor in the plan’s development of tactical asset allocation rules and in the construction of the plan’s portable alpha program.

In 1995 Mr. Perry began his career in finance as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch after leaving the Navy and completing his MBA. In 2000, he was accepted into the firm’s Private Investment Advisor portfolio management program. From 1986 through 1994, he was a Naval Aviator in the US Navy where he served as a Helicopter Aircraft Commander and completed training in the elite Sea Based Weapons Advanced Tactical Systems (SWATS) program.

Mr. Perry earned a Bachelors of Science in Biochemical & Biophysical Sciences from the University of Houston in 1986. He also earned a Masters of Business Administration with Distinction from National University in 1995 and is a CFA and CAIA charter holder.