LASERS Restructures Investments Staff

Darren Founerat

Laney Sanders

A restructure of the LASERS investments staff was approved by the LASERS Board of Trustees at its July 25 meeting. Darren Fournerat and Laney Sanders were internally promoted to Assistant Chief Investment Officers, two new positions created to fill the Deputy Chief Investment Officer vacancy.

LASERS Chief Investment Officer Bobby Beale said, “Both Darren and Laney have been an important part of LASERS Investment Division for quite some time. They are excellent investment professionals and have earned this promotion.”

Fournerat was previously LASERS Director of Alternatives. He has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Finance from LSU. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

Sanders was previously LASERS Manager of Private Equity. She has a Master of Science in Finance from LSU. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Treasury Professional (CTP).

The Investments Division at LASERS manages approximately one-third of the retirement fund internally, saving millions of dollars a year in fees, and continues to be highly ranked nationally among public pension fund peer comparisons.

“We are fortunate to have the expertise of Darren Fournerat and Laney Sanders,” said LASERS Executive Director Cindy Rougeou, “and with their skills, we will continue to meet our objectives to assure the financial soundness of the System.” LASERS provides a defined benefit pension plan that covers approximately 150,000 members. LASERS pays over $1 billion in annual benefits to retirees and their beneficiaries, providing a strong and reliable economic stimulus for Louisiana.

For more information, please contact LASERS Public Information Director Tonja Normand at tnormand@lasersonline.org or 225.922.1131.