Kirk Sims

Head, Emerging Manager Program
Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)

Kirk Sims leads the Emerging Manager Program at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), one of the largest and most respected institutional emerging manager programs in the United States. Since its inception in 2005, the program has committed more than $5.9 billion to emerging investment managers, with an additional $4.6 billion invested directly with program graduates who demonstrated exceptional performance among more than 218 emerging managers.

Since joining TRS in 2019, Kirk has overseen initiatives focused on identifying and investing in high-performing emerging investment managers across multiple asset classes, helping expand access to institutional capital and foster the next generation of investment firms.

Before joining TRS, Kirk served as Senior Investment Officer for the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois, where he managed the organization’s $750 million evergreen Emerging Manager Program. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Prudential Retirement, overseeing manager-of-managers and open-architecture investment platforms, and built extensive experience in asset management through positions with both large and boutique investment firms.

Kirk is a CFA Charterholder and earned his MBA from Columbia Business School and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University.

Kirk is a recognized leader in institutional investing and emerging manager programs, with a career dedicated to expanding access to capital, identifying exceptional investment talent, and supporting the growth of high-performing firms.