Melissa Brown

Melissa Brown is global head of applied research at Axioma, which is now part of Qontigo. Melissa’s perspectives help both clients and prospects to better understand and adapt to the constantly changing risk environment. As an author of Axioma Insight: Quarterly Risk Review, Melissa reports on the state of risk in publicly traded equity markets around the globe. In addition, she produces periodic special reports on a broad range of topics of interest to investors and asset owners, is a frequent speaker on the subject of market risk and is often quoted by the financial media. 

Prior to joining Axioma in 2011, Melissa was managing director and head of the institutional business at Wintrust Capital Management. Before that, she spent 10 years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, most recently as a partner in the Quantitative Investment Strategies (QIS) Group. At Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Melissa worked closely with clients as the senior portfolio manager for GSAM’s US Equity Strategy, before becoming co-head of client portfolio management in the QIS Group. 

She was previously director of quantitative research at Prudential Securities, where among other things she popularized the idea of the “cockroach theory” of earnings surprise and appeared on Institutional Investor’s “All-Star” list for 10 straight years. Melissa is a Chartered Financial Analyst. She holds a BA in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in finance from New York University.