Thirty-seven years in the investment world is no short time.

Randy Brown's longevity has given him an incredible familiarity with the ups and downs of the financial markets. So surviving another volatile year as seen in 2023 was a cinch. Well not exactly a cinch but, says Brown, he and his team were able to get through the challenging headwinds of last year, at a time when many may have slipped.

"We successfully anticipated rapidly rising rates and sticky inflation, so we continued to de-risk and reposition the portfolio with an intense focus on commercial real estate debt and equity."

Brown has worked the full gamut of roles in his incredibly versatile career. Sell-side trader, buy-side portfolio manager, profit and loss business leader, and now as asset owner.

Sun Life came calling in 2016. Seven years on and he maintains his conviction in anticipating problems and being ready to strike when the iron is hot. Certainly, there have been enough opportunities for this during the last few years.

But being ready is a team effort. He modestly credits his greatest success to the "incredible teams" he has had the privilege of building throughout his career. He also brings a huge amount of self-awareness to the role.

"I have always brought a lot of conviction to my various roles and I think the key to success is to always be learning – I'm not afraid to be wrong."

This Socratic refrain is perhaps the best quality for any investor these days. For all of this, Brown merits this year's CIO of the year award.