Department leadership

Marie N. Berggren, MS
Chief Investment Officer and Vice President–Investments, Office of the President and Acting Treasurer
39 years experience, 11 years with UC

As chief investment officer, Ms. Berggren is responsible for overseeing the University of California investment portfolio. Before joining the Treasurer’s Office in 2002, Ms. Berggren was executive vice president/department head of Venture Capital Investments for Bank One Corporation. While employed at Bank One and its predecessor organization, First Chicago Corporation, she was the senior vice president and department head of the Corporation’s mergers and acquisitions activity. Prior to that she was the managing director of public equities and director of research for First Chicago Investment Advisors (the predecessor to Brinson Partners). Ms. Berggren earned her MS in management from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and a BA in economics from the College of New Rochelle.

Melvin L. Stanton, MBA
Associate Chief Investment Officer 
36 years experience, 23 years with UC

Mr. Stanton, along with the treasurer, is responsible for the overall management of the Treasurer’s Office.  Before joining the Treasurer’s Office in 1989, Mr. Stanton had more than 13 years experience as a financial executive in portfolio management and securities trading, including director of sales for Midland Montagu Securities, Inc., San Francisco; first vice president and manager with Crocker National Bank, San Francisco; and vice president and regional sales manager with Bankers Trust Company, Los Angeles. He received his MBA and BS degrees from California State University, Northridge.

Jesse L. Phillips, CFA, MBA, MA
Senior Managing Director – Investment Risk Management
21 years experience, 11 years with UC

Mr. Phillips is responsible for integrating risk monitoring, measurement, and management into all aspects of the investment process. Before joining the Treasurer’s Office in 2002, Mr. Phillips worked at Northrop Grumman for 11 years, first as corporate M&A analyst and then as manager, risk analysis and research in the Treasury Department. Mr. Phillips also worked as corporate planning analyst with Florida Power & Light Company and as senior financial analyst with Storer Communications, Inc., both in Miami, Florida. He earned his BA degree in mathematics/economics and MA in applied mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his MBA in finance from the University of Miami. Mr. Phillips is a CPA (Florida) and holds the CFA designation.

Randolph E. Wedding, MBA
Senior Managing Director – Fixed Income Investments
34 years experience, 14 years with UC

Mr. Wedding is responsible for the strategic focus and management of the long- and short-term fixed-income portfolios. Before joining the Treasurer’s Office in 1998, he was manager of currency options and derivatives trading for Bank of America, NT&SA, New York; managing director, commodities and derivative sales for Bear Stearns & Co., New York; and principal, manager of fixed-income derivative sales for Morgan Stanley & Co., New York. Mr. Wedding began his career with Wells Fargo Bank, responsible for the Bank’s Fixed Income Portfolio. He earned his MBA in Finance from the University of California, Berkeley, and BA in mathematics from the University of California, San Diego.

William J. Coaker, CFA, MBA
Senior Managing Director – Public Equity
20 years experience, 5 years with UC

Mr. Coaker is responsible for overseeing all externally managed public equity funds and activities with overall responsibility for executing an investment strategy that generates optimal total return relative to risk taken. Before joining the Treasurer’s Office in 2008, he was a senior investment officer for San Francisco City-County Employees Retirement System. Mr. Coaker has also served as CIO, controller at Bishop Clinch Endowment and the Diocese of Monterey. He earned his BS degree in accounting from Loyola Marymount University and his MBA from Golden Gate University. Mr. Coaker holds the CFA, CFP, and CIMA designations.