James Andrus
Board Member
James Andrus, Investment Manager, CalPERS
James Andrus draws on past experience as a corporate partner at a global law firm (K&L Gates) and his deep industry and regulatory experience to effectively coordinate the development and execution of financial market strategic priorities for CalPERS. He uses this expertise to identify, shape, and respond to policy and regulatory developments that impact investors. In his role as Investment Manager in the Board Governance & Sustainability team, he is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of financial market policy and regulation making impactful contributions on financial market issues of vital importance to the investor community.
Beyond CalPERS, he provides an expert voice for institutional asset owners in a number of national and international forums. James Co-Chairs the Financial Capital Committee of the International Corporate Governance Network, which serves investors representing assets under management in excess of $54 trillion. He also covers financial reporting around the globe through service on the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council (FASAC), including as a member of its Steering Committee, and the International Financial Reporting Standards Advisory Council. He has also served as Co-Chair of the International Committee of the Council of Institutional Investors and has provided testimony at Congressional hearings on financial market regulations and developments.
James is a former U.S. Army officer and a West Point graduate. He was the first African American to serve as President of the King County Bar Association representing more than 14,000 lawyers in Seattle/King County, Washington. He served as a Board Member to the Seattle-based Academy of Finance, which is a mentoring organization leading high school students in high-need communities to careers in finance. He also devoted nine years of service as a board member and finance committee chair of Pioneer Human Services. Pioneer is a $100 million social entrepreneurship organization with 1,000 employees that runs manufacturing, distribution and services businesses to assist people with criminal or alcohol and drug histories to become productive citizens.
James graduated from West Point and the University of Texas School of Law.