AT A GLANCE
Director of National Accounts
Ariel Investments
Alma mater: Columbia
Josean Fernandez is a financial services executive with 15 years of experience in the strategic growth of key accounts on a national and international level. He has covered some of the most sophisticated and complex clients in the world. He is also a deeply committed and award winning DEI advocate.
Currently, Mr. Fernandez is the Director of National Accounts at Ariel Investments. In this role, Josean is responsible for leading Ariel’s existing partnerships and building new intermediary relationships within the wealth segment.
As a Director at BlackRock and Head of Home Office for Latin American clients, Mr. Fernandez focused on business strategy, marketing campaigns, public relations, negotiations, and top-down sales leadership for $28B in total Assets Under Management covering US offshore and Latin American Wirehouses, Private Banks, Broker Dealers, Family Offices and TAMPS. Somos (Latinx Business Resource Group) executive committee member.
Previously as a Managing Director with OppenheimerFunds, Mr. Fernandez partnered in building and leading an award-winning Global Private Bank group that grew from $200MM to $13B+ in AUM from 2012 to 2019. These efforts focused on spearheading international distribution initiatives and establishing relationships with decision-makers and influencers for new product placement. During his time with OppenheimerFunds, Mr. Fernandez was awarded Consultant of the Year two times and founded the Latino Professionals Network (LPN) as one of the firm’s Business Resource Groups (BRGs).
From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Fernandez served as a Regional Director with Neuberger Berman, driving sales for the firm’s North East Territory, which represented $900MM in total AUM. This focused on the delivery of products that included mutual funds, UCITs, separately managed accounts, private equity, and hedge funds.
Mr. Fernandez completed a dual MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School and holds a BS in Finance from Bloomfield College. He is a CAIA charterholder and holds Series 7, 63, and 3 licenses. Additionally, he is a member of CAIA’s New York City Chapter, served on the Bloomfield College Board of Trustees (Executive Chairman of Student Affairs 2012-2020), is on the Board of DIME (Diversity Investment Management Engagement) and is Co-Chair of the Money Management Institute’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Mr. Fernandez was elected as top Latino in Finance by the Alumni Society in 2019.
