John D. Lawrence is the Chief Investment Officer and President of Rice Management Company, where he leads the organization’s investment strategy and oversees the endowment’s long-term investment pool of $7.5bn. Rice University’s endowment ranks in the top 20 of U.S. private research universities. The annual distribution from the endowment is the single largest revenue source of Rice’s operating budget, supporting ~40% of the University’s operating expenses. Over the 5- and 10-year periods ending on June 30, 2024, the endowment generated annualized returns of 9.6% and 8.6%, respectively. Rice Management Company employs an active management strategy and partners with leading third-party investment managers to drive long-term growth.

Mr. Lawrence joined Rice Management Company in 2012 and served as Managing Director until September 2022. He then served as Deputy Chief Investment Officer until being named CIO in March 2025. Prior to Rice, Mr. Lawrence spent 12 years in public equity investments, most recently at Tudor Pickering & Holt where he covered energy securities. Earlier in his career, Mr. Lawrence was a Principal & Portfolio Manager at Transamerica Investment Management in Los Angeles.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Managerial Studies from Rice University and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is also a CFA® charterholder.