ACERS appoints its first female executive director as Zito steps down

The Arlington County Employees’ Retirement System (ACERS) has appointed Susie Ardeshir as executive director and chief investment officer.

She will be the first woman to lead ACERS when she takes up her post on July 6, 2021, succeeding Daniel Zito, who is retiring after 13 years with the group.

Ardeshir has more than 15 years of investment management experience and was previously the investments director at a public university system in California, responsible for management and oversight of more than $100 billion in assets across captive insurance products, defined benefit and contribution, endowment and working capital.

Before joining the university system Ardeshir was a senior associate with Mercer, consulting with asset owners.

Jon Kinney, president of ACERS board of trustees, praised Ardeshir’s “depth of experience and passion for investing,” which he said makes her an ideal choice to lead the ACERS team.

ACERS manages a $3 billion fully funded pension plan, investing across various assets to support the retirement benefits of more than 8,000 members.