Horatio H. Sparkes
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Quick Facts
Name: Horatio H. Sparkes
Current Title:
- Senior Director of Capital Formation at Athena Capital
- Trustee, New York State Secure Choice Savings Program Board
Industries: Financial Service/ Investment Management
Education:
- B.A. in Accounting & Information Systems From Queens College (CUNY)
- Pension Funds & Investment Management Certificate From Wharton
- Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM)
Previous Roles:
- NYC Deputy Comptroller for Pensions
- Executive Director, NYC Board of Education Retirement System (BERS)
- Senior Investor Relations / Capital Formation roles at:
- APEX
- Geronimo Investment Management
- CapSource Productions
Press Mentions
Horatio H. Sparkes began his career in public pensions and went on to lead multibillion-dollar retirement systems in New York City, establishing himself as a respected leader in institutional asset management and capital formation.
Professional Life
Horatio H. Sparkes, is Senior Director of Capital Formation at Athena Capital. He is a distinguished figure in the Pension Plan and Financial Services industries, boasting a remarkable career spanning over three decades. His professional journey is marked by strategic leadership, fiduciary responsibility, and a deep commitment to both member service and institutional integrity.
Mr. Sparkes brings over 30 years of senior leadership in public pensions and institutional asset management. At Athena Capital, he leads business development and investor relations, working directly with public pension plans, Taft-Hartley funds, endowments, foundations, family offices, and consultants.
Previously, Mr. Sparkes served as NYC Deputy Comptroller for Pensions, where he oversaw the fifth largest U.S. public pension portfolio ($120B+ AUM), chaired the Actuarial Audit and Investment Committees, and served as trustee across multiple NYC retirement systems. Earlier, as Executive Director of the NYC Board of Education Retirement System (BERS), he doubled assets under management from $900M to $2B and became the first Black executive to lead a NYC retirement system.
Beyond public service, he has held senior investor relations and capital formation roles at APEX, Geronimo Investment Management, an at CapSource Productions, he connected institutional allocators with alternative investment managers through leading platforms and conferences.
Mr. Sparkes currently serves as a trustee on the New York State Secure Choice Savings Program Board, appointed by the NYS State Senate, where he provides fiduciary oversight of a statewide retirement savings program. He is a Wall Street Hall of Fame inductee and a lifelong advocate for member-first pension stewardship.
Education
Mr. Horatio holds a B.A. in Accounting & Information Systems from Queens College (CUNY), a Pension Funds & Investment Management certificate from Wharton, and is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).