Samantha Foster is a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager with responsibilities across private markets.

Sam leads the firm's efforts in developing and delivering strategic advice and investment management solutions in private markets. She manages the private equity portfolios, ensuring alignment with investment objectives and strategies including performance, operations, and risk management. Sam is critical in establishing investment management relationships and supporting client needs on an ongoing basis.

Because of her experience as an asset owner, Sam works with boards, committees, and staff to develop customized investment strategies, and help solve unique problems for each client. This work includes direction on investment strategy and implementation, risk management, asset allocation, operations, and culture.

Sam joined Russell Investments in 2022 from the University of Southern California (USC) endowment, where she spent 10 years as Managing Director in the Investment Office investing across public, hedge fund and private asset classes and had purview over asset allocation, operations, and risk management. Prior to USC, she was an Associate Director at Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company (PAAMCO), where she served as Chair of the Risk Management Committee and invested in hedge fund strategies. She began her investment career as a research analyst with Bailard, Biehl & Kaiser.

Sam is on the North American Committee of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI) and the Programming Committee of the Women in Institutional Investments Network.