Wayne Baker

Questioner
DISC Type : c

Senior Managing Director and CIO, TIAA Ventures at TIAA

New York, New York, United States

Overview

Wayne Baker is the Chief Investment Officer of TIAA Ventures, where he spearheads early-stage investments in fintech and insurtech. His career spans over two decades in investment banking and technology sales at institutions like Credit Suisse and Citi. He holds Masters degrees from the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics.

Outside of his finance career, Wayne has a notable background in competitive sports. He was a member of the Great Britain Crew for the Junior World Rowing Championships, showcasing a high level of dedication and teamwork from a young age.

He is focused on investing in innovative companies and technologies that can help secure the financial future for TIAAs clients.

Personality Overview

Price-Sensitive

Cautious & Analytical

Value Seeker

They generally do not appreciate an overfriendly approach and prefer to stay to-the-point.  While they don't hesitate to ask questions, they are generally risk-averse and tend to be late adopters. It is quite likely of them to ask for pricing or other concessions.

Topics They Care About

Fintech & Insurtech
As CIO of TIAA Ventures, his primary focus is identifying and investing in innovative, early-stage fintech and insurtech startups that align with TIAA's strategic goals.
AI in Financial Services
He actively discusses how AI is reshaping innovation and has led investments in companies using AI for regulatory compliance and vendor contract negotiation.
Retirement Security
His investment thesis is driven by finding companies and technologies that can provide more secure and innovative retirement income solutions for clients.

Media Appearances

Pru, TIAA, State Street Put $5M in 401(k) Plan Annuity Tech Firm. Featured in ThinkAdvisor

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TIAA Ventures Pursues Strategic Investments to Secure and .... Featured in TIAA Press Release

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Work History

9-2023
Senior Managing Director and CIO, TIAA Ventures at TIAA
6-2023 - 9-2023
Growth Equity & Venture Capital Coverage, Financial Sponsors at Credit Suisse
11-2021 - 9-2023
Venture Capital Coverage, Equity Capital Markets at Credit Suisse
9-2017 - 11-2021
Technology Sales, Head of US Specialist Sales at Citi
8-2011 - 8-2017
Director, US Equity Sales at Citi

Education

Master's degree from University of Cambridge
Master's degree from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 26 Location : New York, New York, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Senior Managing Director and CIO, TIAA Ventures at TIAA
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Insights For Selling To Wayne

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Share as much information as possible regarding your product
  • If you have a lower priced product compared to the competition, call out the same
  • Keep some extra margin in hand as they will likely negotiate the pricing

DONT's

  • Don’t try to be too friendly or informal with them
  • Don’t overhype the product/pitch, keep it measured
  • Don’t depend too much on anecdotal evidence, it reduces their confidence

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Wayne is

  • Ensuring that the product delivers ROI, cost-effective pricing and process compliance are very important for them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Wayne

  • It doesn’t come naturally to them but they can say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Wayne move?

  • If they have the information that they need, they can move fast at making their decisions.
  • Can Wayne take some risk or not?

  • If they believe that they have analyzed the situation well, they can take a little risk.

You And Wayne

Personality Compatibility


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