An Extraordinary Life

Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg, CFA, is Founder and Chairman of Strategic Investment Group, an independent investment management firm based in Arlington, VA with $28 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of December, 2018. She is also a wife, mother, author, and teacher who loves equipping people with tools to excel in finance and in life.

From Caracas to Cambridge

Hilda was born in Caracas, Venezuela where she earned her BA in economics and rose to become the treasurer of a public utility. But  she longed for total financial independence and knew she needed to learn more. Driven to deepen her knowledge of finance, she set her sights on Harvard and applied for admission despite not knowing how she would fund her studies. She was accepted, but she was also crestfallen. How would she pay for it? Then something happened that would change her life forever.

The Kindness of A Stranger Changes Hilda’s Life Forever

In a stunning twist of fate, Hilda was soon flying to the US to pursue her dream after learning that a US consulate employee in Caracas named Mrs. Fisher had applied for a scholarship on her behalf without telling her… and that she had won.

That scholarship was the Fulbright Fellowship – a prestigious scholarship funded by the US government to foster international education and exchange. Decades later, Hilda would give back as the Director of the Fulbright Association, the unified voice of alumni and supporters of the program, from 2007 to 2011.

At Harvard, Hilda earned her Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and completed doctoral studies, all but dissertation, in Business Administration in Finance at Harvard Business School. She also met her husband. Together they moved to Washington, DC to launch the next stage of their life together.

A Decade At The World Bank

After moving to Washington, DC, Hilda took a short-term role as a financial consultant for the World Bank. Less than a year later, in 1976, Hilda had transformed this experience into a full-time job as the Chief Investment Officer within the Bank’s Pension Investment Division.

Entrepreneurial Vision

Hilda relished her work crafting innovative new strategies for managing an international portfolio of global financial assets in a way that could deliver competitive returns. After 12 years, she was ready to launch her own venture, although she would continue as a manager of the World Bank Pension assets until 1996. She founded Strategic Investment Group in 1987. The firm provides institutional and private clients with proprietary services and solutions for managing their unique portfolios of financial assets. This leap of faith not only paid off, but lead to many other ventures. Hilda has since served as a trustee and asset management advisor to top global companies and institutions across the Americas and is a passionate advocate for and supporter of education and culture.

Spirit of Giving

Hilda has served in multiple public company and nonprofit boards, and she is the founder and chairman of the Orchestra of the Americas.

Awards

Hilda is the recipient of a Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2012 aiCIO Lifetime Achievement Award.