Ronald J. Smolenski, Jr., CAIA®, CIMA®

As Pitcairn’s Managing Director of Investment Research, R.J. is responsible for managing all aspects of the investment manager research process and open architecture investment platform. 

With over two decades of industry experience and a twenty-year tenure at Pitcairn, R.J. has held a multitude of investment roles. Prior to Pitcairn’s move to open architecture in 2008, R.J. supported the firm’s proprietary investment program as an analyst, developing keen insight into investment management styles, portfolio analysis, and client service.

In 2008, R.J. was a key member of the firm leadership responsible for the collaborative, multi-disciplinary build of Pitcairn's open architecture investment program, including a pioneering tax overlay program, a program he built and managed for its first five years and now provides oversight to. In 2011, he was named Director of Research and was named Managing Director in 2019 for his contributions to the firm. R.J’s research expertise is in equities and, under his leadership, Pitcairn domestic equity portfolios have significantly outperformed the market, since inception, while also tallying a double digit annualized total return over the first decade of the open architecture program. He also led the development of Pitcairn’s sustainable investment offering, which launched in 2016, and currently represents an area of significant growth for the firm.

R.J. is a critical, hands-on resource for Pitcairn's ultra-high-net worth families, designing custom portfolio solutions and educating clients on wide ranging topics from investment management and market commentary, asset allocation, tax management, and manager selection. R.J. is a frequent speaker at industry conferences on an array of topics such as the use of alternative investments in high net worth portfolios, the use of sustainable investment solutions in family offices, and the state of the global equity market.

In 2019 R.J., was the featured cover-story by industry publication Citywire, highlighting the value and importance of building strong relationships in the investment manager due diligence process. Most recently, R.J. was named to Institutional Investor's Advisory Board for its 2020 Washington Roundtable, helping to set the agenda of topics for the multi-day event and participating in the program content as a panelist.

R.J. has a BBA from James Madison University, with a concentration in Finance. He is a member of the Investments and Wealth Institute and holds the designation of Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA). R.J. has completed the Chartered Alternative Investment Association’s Fundamentals of Alternative Investments certificate program, as well as California Institute of Technology's (CalTech) Innovation Through Education certificate program.

Passionate about high-functioning teams in and out of the office, R.J. enjoys following baseball, basketball, and football and analyzing each sport’s finer points. He particularly enjoys those of his alma mater, James Madison, and those flying the banner for the City of Brotherly Love.