Cynthia recently established Perfect World Capital Group, which was formed to address a perceived need for Impact Investment funds to better understand and address institutional investment standards and requirements in order to help significantly grow the value of impact assets under management. Perfect World Capital is a financial consulting firm exclusively focused on managing and advising Impact and Sustainable Investment funds.
She is an enthusiastic economics professor at Pepperdine University. As a guest instructor and lecturer, she also helps students to analyze questions arising in connection with culture and arts, through an economics or business lens.
She is also the Co-Founder of Lasso Education, a social enterprise which was founded on the principle of helping students and entry-level employees more efficiently and effectively communicate who they are, and the value they can bring to potential employers. Essentially, to align their education, interests and passions with not just gainful, but meaningful employment.
Cynthia has over 25 years of experience in the investment banking and investment management sectors. Previously, she spent 16 years in London working for MetLife Investments, Washington Square Investment Management and the Bank of Scotland. At MetLife, she was a member of the European Investment Approval Committee, and managed an investment portfolio totaling $2 billion on behalf of the general account of the insurance company. At Washington Square, a hedge fund, she was a member of the investment committee overseeing Carador Plc, a London Stock Exchange listed alternative investment fund. Cynthia also headed up business development, fundraising and investor relations. She held a similar position at the Bank of Scotland.
During her career in London, Cynthia made significant capital investments on behalf of MetLife, and raised capital and provided financial advisory services to Western European corporates in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Holland. Having been responsible for a Central European portfolio of investments, she also worked with companies in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. She holds both American and British citizenship
Cynthia began her career in New York where she held positions with Prudential Capital in the investment management group, and Barclays Capital in the capital markets group. Having repatriated to Los Angeles in 2010, she also undertook a short-term engagement with the Milken Institute.
Given her extensive experience in the financial world, Cynthia also provides financial consulting services for developing and small businesses, as well as women in transition. As a woman in transition herself, she is passionate about helping other women steer their financial futures to safe waters, and above all, not to be victims of unethical or naïve practices of financial advisors.
Cynthia earned an MBA from USC, and a BA in Economics from UCLA. She also completed an MA in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute in London. Cynthia is currently on the Board of Directors of the Ford Theatre Foundation, and is a member of the UCLA Hammer Museum KAMP Kids Committee. She was also recently asked to join the Advisory Board of the Honolulu Biennial, a biyearly international art exhibition.
Her previous Board memberships include, member of the Board of Visitors of Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management; Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of Richardson House, a London based mother and baby hostel; Chairman of the Board of 17 Cadogan Square Management, a property management company listed in Companies House UK; and member of the Steering Committee of the Lobby Gallery Associates of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. She is an avid patron of the arts and collector.