Jeb Burns

Jeb Burns is the Chief Investment Officer at MERS of Michigan, where he is responsible for directing the $18 billion investment program for the pension fund serving more than 900 municipalities across Michigan. He leads a ten-member professional investment team, sets strategic asset allocation, oversees all investment programs, and serves on the fund’s Investment Committee, providing leadership on organization-wide business strategy and public policy initiatives.

Burns’ investment oversight spans a diversified, multi-asset class portfolio that includes significant allocations to public equities, fixed income, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), real assets, direct and co-investments in infrastructure and private markets, and diversifying strategies such as niche alternative investments. Under his leadership, MERS has gained industry recognition for its innovative approach to in-house asset management and customized portfolio construction.

Before joining MERS in 2002, Burns held public sector roles in policy, communications, and legislative affairs for the State of Michigan and worked as a financial advisor at Prudential Securities. He holds an MPA in Public Administration and Public Policy from Wayne State University and a BA in History and Political Science from Western Michigan University, contributing expertise in strategic fund management, industry advocacy, and leadership within prominent investment and pension organizations.