Governance: Board of Directors

John Townsend is an investor and philanthropist with over 30 years experience in investment banking as General Partner and Managing Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and in investment management where he served as Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Tiger Management LLC. He also serves or has served as a director of International Paper Co. (NYSE – IP), Belk, Inc., the largest privately owned department store retailer in the U.S., the Riverstone Group, a private investment fund headquartered in Richmond, VA and The Heritage Group, a privately owned industrial conglomerate headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. He also served as a Senior Advisor of Stone Point Capital, a private equity firm. John retired in 2002 as an Advisory Director of Goldman, Sachs & Co., having previously served as a Managing Director and General Partner. During his career at Goldman Sachs John was responsible for a variety of businesses within the Investment Banking Division including serving as co-head of the South Region, co-head of the Latin America Region, co-head of Leveraged Finance and head of Venture Capital Firm relationships. In addition, he served on the Commitments Committee which reviews the Firm’s underwriting and credit commitments on a global basis. Prior to joining Goldman, Sachs, John spent five years at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc. Following his graduation from Episcopal High School in 1973 John received his undergraduate degree with honors in 1977 and his MBA (Deans Scholar) in 1982 from the University of North Carolina.

John is currently chair of the University of North Carolina Investment Fund, past chair of UNC Management Co., the Board of Visitors of the Kenan-Flagler Business School of UNC, the Ackland Art Museum of UNC, and the Institute of the Arts and Humanities. He is a Trustee Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of Episcopal High School which he served as Chair for 10 years and on the board for 15 years, on the Board of Trustees of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, the Board of Trustees of the US Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Greenwich Hospital, a former Trustee of the Greenwich Historical Society and previously served as senior warden of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.

Michael Andreasen is the University’s senior development officer and oversees the Office of University Development staff, which works closely with campus fundraising offices and affiliated foundations that support schools, the College of Arts and Sciences and other units. Andreasen also is chief executive of the UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation Inc., a nonprofit corporation that receives gifts on behalf of the University, its schools and units.

Prior to joining Carolina in 2023, Andreasen served as senior vice president for university advancement at the University of Oregon, overseeing all aspects of advancement including development; state, community and federal affairs; advancement operations; stewardship and public events and alumni relations. During his tenure, he consistently increased annual fundraising totals and secured some of the largest donations to any public flagship university.

Andreasen began his time at UO as the vice president for development, leading efforts to establish campaign priorities, setting a working goal of $1.2 billion and developing a communications plan for the public launch in collaboration with the president, executive leadership and deans. Over 12 years, he served as a member of the University of Oregon Foundation Board, the Alumni Association Board, the Portland Business Alliance Board and the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to joining UO, Andreasen was at the University of Michigan for seven years — first as executive director and assistant dean for advancement for development and alumni relations and then as executive director and assistant dean for advancement at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. His more than 32 years of fundraising experience include roles in major gifts and campaign leadership at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the American Film Institute. He began his career as the director of the annual fund for the University of California, Irvine, where he also earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

David Boliek is an attorney and partner with Williford, Boliek and Frangakis LLP in Fayetteville. His practice focuses on litigation and consults on healthcare issues, specifically those in the allied health field. Previously, he spent several years as an award-winning journalist, political consultant and public relations professional. Boliek also previously served as CEO of a government contracting firm and as a prosecutor in Cumberland County. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill and J.D. with honors and MBA from Campbell University. His community leadership roles have included serving on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, Boy Scouts of America and youth sports. He currently serves as chair of the Southeast Regional Area Health Education Center and as an elder at Highland Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville.

Anne Brennan joined Neuberger Berman in 2019. Anne is Chief Risk Officer and is a member of the firm’s Operating Committee, as well as the Investment Risk and Operational Risk Committees. Before joining the firm, she was a Partner at Goldman Sachs. During her 24 years there, she held various leadership positions in the firm’s credit business, with experience in origination, trading, sales, and research. She was most recently co-head of Client Solutions at Shenkman Capital. Anne graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a BA in Economics and International Studies.

JK Brown joined Coatue Management in the beginning of 2018 as a Senior Managing Director. Brown joined from Och-Ziff where he was an Executive Managing Director, Member of Och-Ziff’s Partner Management Committee, Member of Executive Operating Committee, Member of Business Risk Committee and Global Head of Investor Relations. Brown was in senior management at Och Ziff for the transition from a private firm to a listed public company.

Prior to joining Och-Ziff in 2003, Brown spent more than four years at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he was a Managing Director and Head of U.S. Institutional Sales and Relationship Management. He began his career at J.P. Morgan, followed by a position at Dartmouth College. Brown then moved to Bankers Trust, where he was a Managing Director of Asset Management. Brown has served on several Executive Advisory boards for Institutional Investor.

Brown and his partner Eric Diefenbach are avid contemporary art collectors and have been named by Art News as one of the top 200 global art collectors, in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. In the early 90s, they helped establish the Young Collector’s Council at the Guggenheim Museum, which was later responsible for building the institution’s diverse collection of photographs. Eric and JK were recognized for a Distinguished Service award by BOMB Magazine in 2018.

Brown is President of the Board of Trustees of the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and also serves on the following boards: Head of Executive Committee, investment committee, nominating committee and former Head of the Development committee of Lincoln Center Theater; Board Member of the New School for Public Engagement where Brown received the New School University Distinguished Service award (2018);Chair of Vera List Center for Art and Politics at the New School and former Executive Board Member and Head of the Investment Committee of the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts (2007-2015), and still serves as an Investment Advisor to foundation. Brown is on the following Boards/Acquisition Committees at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Painting and Sculpture,Prints and Drawings,New Media, Library Council and Conservation. Brown is also on the Collections committee at North Carolina Museum of Art. Brown was formerly Chair of the Stephen Petronio Dance Company, a former Board Member of Dance Theater Workshop in New York and a former Stieglitz Photography Committee Member at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, each for over ten years.

Brown is actively involved with his alma mater – the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. He serves as Chair Emeritus of the Ackland Art Museum’s National Advisory Board, after being Chair of the Ackland board from 2006 to 2016, and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Institute of the Arts and Humanities at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is an Advisory Board member at the Kenan Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts (2018-present). He also serves on the UNC Investment Board and UNC Foundation Board (2018 to present). Brown was on the Visitors Board of Overseers and has been active with the UNC-Chapel Hill Campus, receiving the Distinguished Service award in the early 2000s. He is also Chair of the campus wide Arts Everywhere Campaign at UNC-Chapel Hill (2016-present).

Brown holds a B.A. with honors in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill.

David Carroll led Wealth and Investment Management (WIM) at Wells Fargo from January 2009 until his retirement in July 2017. Approximately 34,000 team members in this unit provided a full range of personalized wealth management, private banking, retail brokerage, asset management, fiduciary services, institutional custody, and retirement products and services to clients across U.S.-based businesses. At his retirement WIM recorded approximately $16.5BN in annual revenue, $2.7BN in net income, and managed and administered $1.8 trillion in client assets.

Currently Mr. Carroll is the Managing Principal in his family’s private equity and venture capital fund, principally focused on healthcare and technology. A financial services veteran with more than 38 years in the industry, David joined Wachovia Bank & Trust Company in 1979 and then First Union National Bank (Wachovia’s predecessor) in 1981. From 2005 until the merger with Wells Fargo, Mr. Carroll served as senior executive vice president and head of Wachovia’s Capital Management Group, which included retail brokerage (Wachovia Securities), asset management (Evergreen Investments), and Retirement and Investment Products. Previously, he was head of corporate services and merger integration, chief of eCommerce and technology, and was CEO of First Union’s banks in Florida and earlier in Georgia.

Mr. Carroll earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a board member the UNC Chapel Hill Foundation, the Chapel Hill Investment Fund, and the UNC Management Company. He also serves and on the Board of Visitors at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, the Board of Advisors for Charlotte Latin School, the Board of Advisors for the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, the Board of Directors of Infoselective, S.A. de C.V., and the Advisory Board for The Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C.

Dave is a Managing Director, Co-Chief Investment Officer and Member of the Management Committee at Lone Pine Capital LLC, a global long/short and long-only equity money manager which he joined in 1998. Prior to Lone Pine, Dave was an Equity Analyst at Chilton Investment Partners (1997-1998) and Tiger Management Corporation (1992-1995). Dave graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BS 1992) and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (MBA 1997). He is a Board Member of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Foundation Investment Fund, Inc. and the Lone Pine Foundation.

Steph Jackson is the Head of T. Rowe Price Investment Management. He is a member of the Management Committee, a member of the Black Leadership Council, and is the Executive Sponsor of Moonshot, a T. Rowe Price Foundation sponsored program supporting for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs of color. Steph also is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

Steph’s investment experience began in 1986, and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2007, beginning as a portfolio specialist, supporting several U.S. small-cap and mid-cap strategies, in the U.S. Equity Division. After that, he was a director of Equity Research, leading the U.S. Associate Analyst team and the European Equity Research team in London. Most recently, Steph was the associate head of the U.S. Equity Division. Steph is a former member of the Equity Steering Committee, International Steering, Equity Research, and Risk Management Oversight Committees. He also is the former chair of MOSAIC, a business resource group that identifies issues and opportunities relevant to talent, business practices, and culture in support of the firm’s diversity and inclusion strategy. Prior to T. Rowe Price, he was a senior portfolio manager and a managing director with Brown Capital Management, where he managed mid-cap and large-cap growth portfolios. Prior to that, he was a growth portfolio manager and director of equity research with NCM Capital Management.

Steph earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar, and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School. Steph also has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Steph serves on the UNC Management Company UNC Endowment Board of Directors. He is a former member of the Investment Committee of the France-Merrick Foundation, a former executive Board member of the Baltimore Community Foundation, and a former Board member of the Abell Foundation. He also was the chairman of the Investment Committee of the Gilman School and a member of the Advisory Board of Bridges.

Michael Kennedy is a Senior Client Partner in the Atlanta office of Korn Ferry and a member of the firm’s Global Asset Management Practice. He leads the firm’s efforts in conducting Chief Investment Officer and senior investment professional assignments for endowments and foundations, pension plans, Taft-Hartley plans and asset management organizations. He is also a member of the firm’s Board Practice.

Prior to joining Korn Ferry, Mr. Kennedy worked in senior roles at General Electric Capital Corporation and Wachovia where he was involved in leveraged finance and debt transactions. He started his financial services career as an Equity Research Analyst at JP Morgan Asset Management Group.

In 2010, Mr. Kennedy received a Presidential appointment to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the largest retirement plan in the country. In 2011, he was elevated to Chairman and served in that position under two Presidential administrations. With assets exceeding $600 billion, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board oversees the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the retirement plan for federal employees.

Prior to joining the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, Mr. Kennedy served as a Trustee at the Employees Retirement System of Georgia. During part of his tenure, he served as the Board Chair and Chairman of the Investment Committee.

Mr. Kennedy currently sits on the Board of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Foundation Investment Fund and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Foundation.  He previously served as Chairman of the UNC Board of Visitors. In addition to his involvement with the University of North Carolina, Mr. Kennedy has served on the Board of Trustees of the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Mr. Kennedy earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He received a Bachelor’s degree with highest honors in History and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Nathan “Nate” Knuffman became the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations and chief financial officer March 22, 2021, after serving as interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations since August 2020.

As Vice Chancellor, Knuffman’s responsibilities include oversight of campuswide financial planning and budgeting; treasury and risk management; facilities planning, construction and operations; real estate development; purchasing; auxiliary services; transportation and parking; and energy services.

An expert in financial and administrative management, Knuffman joined Carolina in October 2018 as senior associate (deputy) vice chancellor for Finance and Operations, overseeing the division’s strategic planning and data analysis functions to align Finance and Operations’ priorities with the University’s strategic plan. He also served as an adviser to the vice chancellor and managed various operational and administrative components of Finance and Operations, including the Service Center of Excellence.

Prior to joining Carolina, Knuffman served as vice president for financial planning and analysis at the UNC System Office, where he was a member of the senior team advising the UNC System President and supporting the UNC Board of Governors in finance and business matters. Previously, he served as the deputy director of the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management. In that role, he was responsible for the strategic management of daily operations, change and organizational management, and preparation and oversight of the governor’s budget.

Knuffman earned his Master of Public Management at the University of Maryland and his Bachelor of Economics and Political Science from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Lee Lesley currently serves as the Head of Investor Relations at IPI Partners, a global investment platform focused exclusively on data centers and other technology and connectivity-related real assets. Ms. Lesley was previously a partner and founder at Timpson Cove Partners, LLC (“Timpson Cove”), a strategic advisory firm providing outsourced investor relations to alternative investment managers. Prior to Timpson Cove, she was the Head of Investor Relations & Marketing at JMI Equity (“JMI”), a growth equity firm focused on investment in enterprise software companies. Prior to JMI, Ms. Lesley was a Principal and investment professional at Allied Capital, where she primarily focused on private equity and debt investments in the business services sector.

Ms. Lesley earned an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA in English and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mr. Charles A. Maimone serves as the executive vice chancellor for finance and administration for NC State University, responsible for administering the university’s $2.0 billion annual budget and strategic oversight of the university’s major business operations units: Budget and Resource Management, Campus Enterprises, Environmental Health and Public Safety, Facilities, Finance, Human Resources and University Real Estate and Development. The Finance and Administration unit comprises more than 1,600 university personnel.

Mr. Maimone came to NC State in September 2019, after serving as vice chancellor for business affairs at UNC-Greensboro for the past five years. His more than thirty-five years of service to the public higher education sector include serving as vice chancellor for business affairs and CFO with UNC-Wilmington, and similar leadership roles with the College of William and Mary.

Maimone holds an undergraduate degree and Master of Education degree from Kent State University, and he earned his MBA from the College of William and Mary. He has held executive leadership roles with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Educational Advisory Board. Maimone is also a Certified Public Manager.

Lee H. Roberts became interim chancellor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Jan. 12, 2024. A dedicated public servant and a strong believer in the importance of a liberal arts education, Interim Chancellor Roberts is focused on initiatives that set graduates up for success and provide support to researchers, faculty and staff.

Roberts is a longtime advocate for higher education and for the state of North Carolina. He served as a member of the UNC System Board of Governors and as the chair of its budget committee. He has held positions on the State Board of Community Colleges, North Carolina’s Banking Commission and the Board of Visitors at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, where, for the last five years, he has taught public budgeting to graduate students. Roberts has also served as a board member at the Golden LEAF Foundation, which invests in educational and economic opportunities for North Carolina’s rural communities. He was honored to serve as state budget director under Gov. Pat McCrory from 2014 to 2016.

Before serving as interim chancellor, he was the co-founder and managing partner of SharpVue Capital, a North Carolina investment firm that specializes in stewarding institutional funds and growing local economies.

Kristen Tongberg has more than 25 years of investment experience and is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer within Cambridge Associates’ discretionary OCIO Endowment and Foundation Practice. Kristen serves as CIO for eleven non-profit clients with approximately $4 billion in aggregate assets. She also serves on Cambridge Associates’ Hedge Fund Research and Tactical Asset Allocation Investment Committees. Prior to joining Cambridge Associates in 2004, Kristen was an equity research analyst at MFS Investment Management. In this role, she directed $4 billion invested in stocks under her coverage across MFS funds. Prior to MFS, Kristen worked within Investment Banking at Wheat First Butcher Singer.

Kristen holds an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and a BA in History and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a CFA Charterholder.

Brien is a partner, a member of the Executive Team and serves as Chief Operating Officer for Brown Advisory. Brien joined the firm as a portfolio manager and head of the Carolinas office before moving to head of the Washington office and eventually Chief Operating Officer of the private client endowment & foundation business. Prior to joining Brown Advisory, Brien worked as an investment advisor for Franklin Street Partners. He began his career as an investment banking analyst with Morgan Stanley.

Brien is a member of the board of directors for the Chapel Hill Investment Fund and the UNC Chapel Hill Endowment Fund. He is the past President of the Kenan-Flagler Business School Foundation. Brien serves as a trustee of Federal City Council and the Landon School. He is a member of the Investment Committee for Holton-Arms School.

Brien is a graduate of the University of North Carolina where he was a Morehead Scholar.

Spence has more than 32 years investing experience and is currently a Managing Director at Stephens Inc., one of the largest privately owned investment banks in the United States.  Prior to Stephens, Spence worked in the institutional equity and high net worth divisions of UBS and its predecessor firms.  Spence is a past board member of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Arts and Sciences Foundation, Educational Foundation, and its Board of Visitors.  Spence graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Political Science.