James Walsh, chief investment officer in Cornell's Investment Office, has announced he will be leaving the university to return to England at the end of this academic year.

"After three-and-a-half interesting and enjoyable years at Cornell and in Ithaca, my family and I have decided to return home to the United Kingdom," said Walsh. "Cornell is a wonderful place. I have had the honor to work with a great group of talented and dedicated people, and I've learned a lot during my time here that I will apply to new endeavors in the U.K. I also feel proud to be leaving a stronger and more professional investment office than the one I found when I arrived."

So far in fiscal year 2010, Cornell's endowment performance is up 10 percent, after losing more than a quarter of its value in fiscal year 2009, as was the case with many of the university's peers in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Under Walsh's tenure, Cornell's endowment successfully avoided many of the liquidity problems that affected those of its peers last year.

Walsh reports jointly to President David Skorton and Board of Trustees Investment Committee Chair Paul Gould, who said, "James has managed our endowment office professionally during a very difficult economic period, and we have appreciated his leadership."

Skorton added, "Working with the Investment Committee, James helped the university weather the downturn and begin to regain much needed equilibrium in its investment performance. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

The Investment Office's well-established senior leadership team will manage the office in the interim until a new chief investment officer is named. A national search firm will lead that effort, and Mary Opperman, vice president for human resources, will coordinate the search and the transition for the university.

Walsh has been responsible for managing the university's investments since 2006 and directing an office that grew to 25 people from 17 during his tenure. Prior to Cornell, Walsh spent 11 years at Hermes Investment Management in London, where he became head of strategy and alternatives, after being the firm's chief economist.