Jim Barry, Managing Director, is the Chief Investment Officer of BlackRock Alternatives Investors (BAI). BAI currently manages c. $300 billion in total assets and client commitments with a team of over 1,100. As CIO, Mr. Barry has accountability for all investment activities across the platform, which is comprised of the firm’s investment capabilities across Real Estate, Infrastructure, Hedge Funds, Private Equity and Credit.

As CIO, Mr. Barry oversees four strategic business pillars within BAI that focus on investment performance and process; implementing a fully integrated ESG investing strategy and framework; a pan-alts strategy and research function; and BlackRock Capital Markets (BCM), BlackRock’s firmwide Capital Markets business.

Prior to his role as CIO, he was Global Head of BlackRock Real Assets. In 2016, he took responsibility for BlackRock’s Global Real Estate Investment business by integrating both Infrastructure and Real Estate to create one cohesive, scalable Real Asset operating platform with a range of client orientated strategies defined by their risk positioning. Under his leadership this business grew from c. $30 billion to c. $65 billion in assets in under 5 years.

Mr. Barry founded BlackRock’s Infrastructure business in 2011 upon joining the firm. Prior to which he spent 11 years as the CEO of NTR plc. He led the transformation of NTR from its origins as an Irish toll road developer into a leading international developer, owner and operator of a portfolio of diverse infrastructure businesses. Prior to joining NTR, Mr. Barry worked at Bain and Company and in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Barry earned a BComm from University College Cork in 1989 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1994.