Zach Buchwald

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Russell Investments

Zach Buchwald is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Russell Investments, the global investment firm founded in 1936. Zach is responsible for driving the firm’s global business strategy, fostering a culture of integrity and excellence, and championing an investment framework to help more people achieve financial security.

Since becoming CEO in 2023, Zach has driven a period of growth and revitalization at Russell Investments. He oversaw Russell Investments’ comprehensive product and platform transformation and focused the company on next-generation model portfolios and scalable investment solutions. Under Zach’s leadership, Russell Investments gained greater recognition for its portfolio expertise, expanded its global reach and grew assets under management by more than 20% annually. Zach also led the firm through a financial transformation that reduced corporate leverage and improved profitability, contributing to multiple credit rating upgrades and greater financial stability. And in 2026, he spearheaded the sale process that concluded with the announcement of Russell Investments’ acquisition by B Capital and CalPERS.

Zach is one of the foremost voices on financial markets and retirement security. His writing has been published in The Washington Post, Barron's, MarketWatch, Morningstar, Newsweek and Fortune, and he frequently shares his perspectives on LinkedIn. In 2026, he was named Investment Manager CEO of the Year by the Financial Times.

Before joining Russell Investments, Zach spent 15 years at BlackRock, most recently as head of its $2 trillion institutional business. Earlier, he led BlackRock’s Financial Institutions Group and helped establish its Retirement Solutions and Financial Markets Advisory businesses. Before joining BlackRock, Zach was a managing director at Morgan Stanley, where he led the CLO business.

Zach volunteers with Challenge Seattle, the Washington Roundtable, and serves on the advisory board of the University of Washington Foster School of Business. He is a graduate of Harvard College and lives with his family in Seattle.

Follow Zach Buchwald on LinkedIn.

Guest commentary

Barron's

The Bold Move That Would Give Americans the Retirement Security They Crave.

Read Zach's commentary

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