Joe Aguilar
Chief Investment Officer
Illinois State Treasury
Joe Aguilar is the Chief Investment Officer for Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs. In his role, Mr. Aguilar directs seven investment portfolios spanning across public and private market investments on behalf of the Illinois Treasury’s combined $60 billion investment portfolio including the Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund, a $1.5b impact investment fund investing across venture, buyout and private credit, the FIRST Fund, a $1.5b vehicle dedicated to infrastructure and real estate, two 529 College Saving Plans, the State’s Achieving a Better Life Experience program, Student Empowerment Fund, and the Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program. As the Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Aguilar leads all aspects of investment strategy and implementation, including the development of processes and procedures, asset allocation, the Office’s sustainable investment strategy, and the selection of investment products and managers. He is responsible for leading the investment team and the stewardship for all investments and external public and private market investment managers including venture, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private credit managers invested through the office’s platforms.
Mr. Aguilar was previously the Director of Investment Analysis and Due Diligence with the Illinois State Treasury in which he led due diligence efforts overseeing the manager selection process, assessment, and monitoring of all investment managers and co-investments. Prior to joining the Illinois Treasury, he worked for Fortaleza Asset Management. Mr. Aguilar holds a B.S. with a double major in Finance and Business & Commerce from Aurora University and an M.S. in Finance from the University of Miami’s Herbert Business School. He also serves as a Board Member for the Council of Institutional Investors, Board Chair and Chair of the Investment Committee for the Field Foundation of Illinois and serves as a member on Aurora Universities College of Liberal Arts and Business Advisory Board.
Mr. Aguilar was previously the Director of Investment Analysis and Due Diligence with the Illinois State Treasury in which he led due diligence efforts overseeing the manager selection process, assessment, and monitoring of all investment managers and co-investments. Prior to joining the Illinois Treasury, he worked for Fortaleza Asset Management. Mr. Aguilar holds a B.S. with a double major in Finance and Business & Commerce from Aurora University and an M.S. in Finance from the University of Miami’s Herbert Business School. He also serves as a Board Member for the Council of Institutional Investors, Board Chair and Chair of the Investment Committee for the Field Foundation of Illinois and serves as a member on Aurora Universities College of Liberal Arts and Business Advisory Board.