Santa Clara University

Sharath M. Sury

Dean's Executive Professor of Finance

Sharath Sury is a trusted adviser to some of the nation's wealthiest family groups and private organizations. Since retiring as CEO of S4 Capital, a multi-billion dollar family office investment supervisor, Professor Sury has been the Dean's Executive Professor of Finance at Santa Clara University teaching investment theory, corporate finance, and applied portfolio management. He is recipient of numerous teaching awards, including the DePaul University Seiden Award, presented to the top member of the adjunct faculty, and Santa Clara University's ACE Outstanding Faculty Award.

Professor Sury is the founder and current director of the Sury Initiative for Financial Innovation and Risk Management (SIFIRM)--a forum that brings together the most innovative scholars in finance to solve problems in risk management, and serves as a board member of the Arditti Center for Risk Management in Chicago.

As an internationally recognized expert in portfolio theory and risk budgeting, Sury is a frequently invited speaker in various prominent venues, including the AIMR-CFA Institute, Financial Research Associates, FinanceIQ, Wealth Management Summit, Private Banking India (chair), and the University of Chicago. His research on the optimal integration of traditional and alternative (hedge fund) investments is featured in the highly anticipated anthology, Essential Readings in Advanced Portfolio Management.

Under Sury's leadership, S4 Capital became the #1 ranked U.S. wealth management firm in 2006 and 2007 (Wealth Manager Magazine), a "Top 10" financial advisory firm in 2006 (Financial Advisor Magazine), and was the #2 ranked U.S. wealth management firm in 2005 (Bloomberg Wealth Manager Survey). Over the years, S4 Capital's R&D arm, comprising researchers with Ph.D.s and other advanced degrees, has developed state-of-the-art techniques and strategies for client-optimized portfolio management.

Prior to the formation of S4, Sury was appointed Vice President at Goldman, Sachs, & Co., where he built one of the fastest growing teams in the Midwest, and advised a niche group of ultra-wealthy clients representing several billion dollars in investment assets spanning equities, fixed income, and alternative investments. During his tenure, Sury also taught several classes of incoming Goldman Sachs financial analysts on topics ranging from portfolio analysis to accounting. 

Sury had previously served in special advisory and enforcement capacities for both Federal and local government agencies, and also held highly technical oriented positions with International Business Machines (IBM), Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. (C3I and SSD), and the MCC R&D Consortium. For his achievements in these roles, he has been highlighted in the media and awarded a variety of honors, among them the prestigious IBM Austin Excellence Award, Lockheed's Space Systems Division Commendation, and the SCC District Attorney's Letter of Commendation for Meritorious Service in Law Enforcement. 

Sury received his MBA (High Honors) in Finance and Statistics from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He earned his undergraduate degree in Economics (High Honors and Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of California, where he also held teaching assistantships in Macroeconomic Theory and Statistical Analysis. In 2003, Sury was featured in Crain's Chicago Business "40 Under 40: Chicago's Rising Stars," for his professional accomplishments.

Personally, Sury enjoys giving back to the community through such efforts as Junior Achievement, Habitat for Humanity, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, and the South Shore Drill Team. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Medical Research Institute Council of Children's Memorial Hospital, and the Graduate School of Business CEO Roundtable. Based in part on his experience in law enforcement (criminal investigation), he currently serves on the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Advisory Board and the Executive Committee of the San Jose Police Officer Association Charitable Foundation.