Distinguished Alumnus, School of Social Sciences
Investment leader, trusted market strategist and longtime champion of UC Irvine, Jerry Braakman ’95, EMBA ’08, is this year’s recipient of the School of Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award.
As an economics major at UC Irvine in the 1990s, Jerry imagined a future on Wall Street. An early job at a brokerage firm quickly challenged that vision when he realized the company’s practices did not align with his values. He made a decision that would shape the rest of his career: Success would never come at the expense of integrity.
“I realized quickly that ethics matter to me,” Jerry recalls.
Jerry earned his bachelor’s degree in economics in 1995 and his executive MBA from The Paul Merage School of Business in 2008. He has built a nearly three-decade career at First American Trust, where he now serves as president and chief investment officer, leading trust and wealth management, investment strategy and portfolio construction.
Throughout that career, Jerry has approached investment leadership as stewardship – earning trust through his discipline, judgment, intellectual curiosity and commitment to putting clients first. National media, including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and Bloomberg, regularly seek his perspectives on global financial markets.
That same sense of stewardship defines his relationship with UC Irvine. Jerry serves on the School of Social Sciences Board of Councilors and the executive committee advisory board of the Todd and Lisa Halbrook Center for Investment and Wealth Management at the Merage School. He and his wife, Monica, support scholarships, faculty research and programming. Jerry and First American Trust have also supported initiatives including the School of Social Sciences Economic Forum.
For Jerry, being connected to UC Irvine is also a way to keep learning by encountering new ideas, industries and perspectives, just as he did as a student.
His career demonstrates that principled leadership and professional excellence are not competing ambitions.
For Jerry, the trust required to manage other people’s futures begins with knowing what you stand for.
“Jerry Braakman’s career, character and continued engagement with UC Irvine exemplify the ideals of this award. Jerry represents the very best of UC Irvine through his distinguished professional achievement, principled leadership and long-standing commitment to the university.”
Join us as we honor this year’s distinguished recipients and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Anteater community.
