John’s passion for investing began at age 12 when his father began buying him stocks as Christmas and birthday gifts. His interest in equities grew at Princeton University, where he majored in economics, and over the two-plus years he worked as a stockbroker for William Blair & Company, LLC. In 1983, John founded Ariel to focus on patient, value investing within small- and medium-sized companies. While our research capabilities have expanded across the globe, patience is still the disciplined approach that drives the firm today. Early in his career, John’s investment acumen brought him to the forefront of media attention and culminated in him being selected as Co-Mutual Fund Manager of the Year by Sylvia Porter’s Personal Finance magazine as well as an All-Star Mutual Fund Manager by USA TODAY. Furthermore, John has been highlighted alongside legendary investors Warren Buffett, Sir John Templeton and Ben Graham in the distinguished book: The World’s 99 Greatest Investors by Magnus Angenfelt. His professional accomplishments extend to the boardroom where he is a member of the board of directors of McDonald’s, NIKE, The New York Times Company, and Ryan Specialty Group Holdings. John also serves as vice chair of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago. Additionally, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. In 2008, John was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented each year to the alumnus or alumna whose career embodies a commitment to national service. Following the election of President Barack Obama, John served as co-chair for the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009, and more recently, he joined the Barack Obama Foundation’s Board of Directors. John received an AB in economics from Princeton University, where he was also captain of the varsity basketball team.

As Co-CEO, Mellody is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of Ariel Investments outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ariel Investment Trust—the company’s publicly traded mutual funds. Prior to being named Co-CEO, Mellody spent nearly two decades as the firm’s President. Outside of Ariel, Mellody is a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy. Her leadership has also been invaluable to corporate boardrooms across the nation. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation. She is also a director of JPMorgan Chase. She previously served as Chairman of the Board of DreamWorks Animation until the company’s sale and was also a long-standing board member of the Estée Lauder Companies. Mellody’s community outreach includes her role as Chairman of After School Matters, a Chicago non-profit that provides area teens with high-quality after school and summer programs. Additionally, she is vice chair of World Business Chicago; co-chair of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art; and a board member of the George Lucas Education Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Mellody is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees, and serves on the executive committee of the Investment Company Institute. Mellody earned her AB from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy. In 2019, she was awarded the University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented annually to a Princeton graduate whose career embodies a commitment to national service. She has also received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College, and the University of Southern California. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the “100 Most Influential People” in the world.

Rupal Bhansali is chief investment officer and portfolio manager of Ariel’s global equity strategies. In this capacity, she oversees our global research effort and manages multi-billion dollar portfolios. She also co-manages our global concentrated strategy. Rupal joined Ariel in 2011 after 10 years with MacKay Shields where she was senior managing director, portfolio manager and head of international equities. Previously, she spent 5 years at Oppenheimer Capital, where she was responsible for international and global equity portfolios and was promoted to co-head of international equities. Additionally, Rupal has held various roles at other financial services firms since she began her career in 1989, including Soros Fund Management. In 2009, Forbes International Investment Report named her a “Global Guru,” in 2015, Barron’s recognized her as a “Global Contrarian,” and in 2017 PBS’s Consuelo Mack referred to her as an “unconventional thinker.” In 2019, Rupal became the newest member of the prestigious Barron’s Investment Roundtable, which showcases “10 of Wall Street’s smartest investors.” She was also awarded the North American Industry Leadership Award by 100 Women in Finance. In 2020, Rupal obtained the FSA credential, awarded by the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) for professionals who understand the link between sustainability and financial performance. She is a frequent guest on Bloomberg, CNBC and Fox Business News, and authored the book, Non-Consensus Investing: Being Right When Everyone Else Is Wrong. Rupal was also featured on the Barron's Top 100 Women in US Finance in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Rupal serves on the Advisory Board of Directors of the Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership at Columbia Law School, and the Board of Directors of the 100 Women in Finance Global Association. Fluent in several Indian languages including Hindi, Rupal earned a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and finance, as well as a Master of Commerce in international finance and banking from the University of Mumbai. She later earned an MBA in finance from the University of Rochester, where she was a Rotary Foundation Scholar.

Charlie manages our focused value strategy—an all-cap, concentrated portfolio of U.S. stocks. He also spearheads Ariel’s thought leadership efforts and takes an active role in representing Ariel’s investment strategies with prospective investors, clients and major media. Prior to joining Ariel in 2004, Charlie spent 21 years as an investment banker at Salomon Brothers and its successor company Citigroup, where he rose to managing director and head of North American investment banking branch offices. Charlie actively serves the Chicago community, sitting on the corporate board of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, as well as the boards of the Big Shoulders Fund, La Rabida Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and the Chicago Club. He is a frequent guest on CNBC. Charlie also teaches monthly investing classes at two Chicago inner-city schools. He graduated with an AB in economics from Duke University and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago.

As Ariel’s director of research, Tim is responsible for overseeing all our domestic equity team’s research output, including chairing our investment committee meetings. He also serves as co-portfolio manager for our mid cap value strategy. As a research analyst, he currently covers financial services and special situations companies. Prior to joining Ariel in 1999, Tim was a research analyst and portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley asset management in U.S. value equity. In 2007, he graduated from the Fellowship Program of Leadership Greater Chicago, an initiative to educate and connect emerging leaders in Chicago. In 2008, Institutional Investor magazine recognized him as one of 20 rising stars in the industry. Tim graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University with a BA with honors in economics and earned his MBA with high honors from the University of Chicago.