Heather Davis is a subject matter expert in the Alternative Investments field, with a 30-year track record investing across a wide range of alternative asset classes, including commercial real estate, agriculture, timber, energy and infrastructure, and the private debt asset classes. Currently, Heather Davis serves as Owner of Whynot Farm, a farming venture that raises grass-fed beef and hydroponic vegetables.
Prior to this, Heather served as President and Chief Investment Officer for Nuveen Private Markets, where she held P&L and investment responsibilities for the private markets and alternatives investment subsidiary of Nuveen (the asset management subsidiary of TIAA) with the inclusion of sectors such as Private Equity (funds and direct), Private Debt, Energy, Infrastructure and Impact Investing/ESG. Additionally, she managed a $50B portfolio in these sectors for Nuveen, TIAA and third-party institutional investors.
Previously, Heather was Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer for TIAA Global Real Assets, where she was responsible for TIAA’s Real Assets investment portfolios and origination programs. In this role, she managed $140B in AUM across sectors such as Commercial Real Estate debt and equity, Agriculture, Timber, Energy, Infrastructure, Private Equity Fund investments, Distressed Investments and Credit, including mezzanine finance, private placements and senior leveraged loans.
Heather’s prior investment experience includes investment roles at PGIM, the investment arm of Prudential. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1982 and Master of Business Administration degree from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University in 1987. She and her family reside in Asheville, NC, and they farm in Eastern Tennessee.
