Her Story
About Eryn
Eryn Bacewich has spent over 14 years building expertise in insurance investments. She began her career at Northwestern Mutual, gaining insight into spread-based insurance businesses, then joined a Portland-based investment consulting firm to deepen her knowledge of institutional investing for pensions, endowments, foundations, and 401(k) plans. At Mercer, now rebranded as Marsh Investments, she joined approximately four years ago and built the firm's insurance OCIO platform from the ground up, growing assets under management to over $1.2 billion. Eryn earned a finance degree from Portland State University, passed the CFA Level One exam, and completed Harvard certifications focused on disruptive innovation. She is a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of Portland, Women in Private Credit, and the Insurance Women Investment Network. Eryn attributes her success to relentless hard work, surrounding herself with talented colleagues, and a commitment to continuous learning and asking difficult questions.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Eryn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I am a very hard worker. If there's something I want to achieve, I essentially do not stop. I know I can't do it all alone and am surrounded by brilliant people who I respect deeply. Education has always been incredibly important to me. I'm a continuous learner, very curious, and not afraid to ask hard questions and step in to work toward solutions.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best opportunities come when preparation meets opportunity. If you want another job, start doing the job. Make sure your main responsibilities are taken care of, but if you aspire to do something else or get promoted, start expanding what you do proactively.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Work hard, ask questions, be proactive, and try to develop strong relationships with everyone around them.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The current environment with high political outlook, geopolitical tensions leading to high input costs, inflation, high Fed rates putting pressure on risk assets is the biggest challenge. Opportunities are to understand the complexities of these nuances, help clients understand what it means for them, prioritize investment objectives, and remain patient in uncertain times.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Show up for the people you love and people at work. Do what you say you're going to do and be a person of your word. Work hard and don't ask anyone to do anything that I wouldn't be willing to do. Be a mentor and use a team-based approach so no one feels alone.
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