Today's Speaker
Dennis A. Johnson, CFA (M.S. '86/B)
Dennis Johnson graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business in 1986 with a Master of Science degree. Mr. Johnson serves on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee for Glass Lewis & Company, one of the world’s leading providers of corporate governance solutions. Dennis serves on the Advisory Board for Siren FX, a London based financial technology company that provides one of the three foreign exchange benchmarks regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Mr. Johnson is the Director of Investments and a member of the Executive Committee for West Coast Financial, a wealth management firm headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Previously, Dennis served on the Board of Directors of Texas Industries, a New York Stock Exchange listed company. He served as Chairman of the Council of Institutional Investors Board of Directors and as a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Investor Advisory Board. He has provided public testimony to the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on investment and finance related matters. Mr. Johnson was a member of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession, International Financial Reporting Standards Roundtable and United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative Asset Management Working Group. Black Enterprise Magazine named Mr. Johnson one of the 75 most influential African Americans on Wall Street.
Dennis began his career in Richmond, Virginia as Treasury Analyst with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia. His professional career includes roles as Managing Director at Citigroup and Head of Global Corporate Governance for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System which is the largest U.S. public pension fund. Dennis served as the Managing Director for the Roy E. Disney, Jr. Family Office, Chief Investment Officer for Comerica Bank and Chief Investment Officer for TIAA. Living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Mr. Johnson served as Chief Strategy Officer for Public Investment Fund which is the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.
Mr. Johnson has served on the boards of directors of numerous non-profit institutions including Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, Detroit Public Television, Manns Horne Youth Foundation, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Dallas Symphony Foundation, Atlanta Ballet and Virginia Military Institute Foundation.
Finally, Dennis served his country as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.
