Joe Dawson

Joe Dawson is the director of private equity for the New York Common Retirement Fund (CRF). He is responsible for facilitating the management as well as strategic planning and development of the private equity portfolio across all sub-asset classes, including primary funds and co-investments. He has been instrumental in growing and expanding the private equity portfolio to become one of the largest in the industry, equating to approximately $35 billion in total value. Dawson has overseen the introduction of new initiatives across the organization, including strategic partnerships and economic participation transactions. He held several roles within the CRF prior to being elevated to director in 2021 and serves on the limited partner advisory boards for a number of private equity fund relationships.

Prior to joining the CRF, Dawson was a senior consultant for a startup entity that provided advisory services to small business enterprises throughout metropolitan New York. His prior experience also includes corporate finance and fixed income roles at Ernst & Young and Lehman Brothers, respectively. Dawson received a B.S. in business administration from Florida A&M University, and he holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.