Charles F. Pohl, AB ’80, MBA ’81, investment leader, died June 2 in San Francisco. He was 67.
Pohl was the former chair and chief investment officer at Dodge & Cox, a global investment-management firm based in San Francisco. He retired in 2022 after nearly four decades with the firm.
During his years in leadership, Pohl instituted a more effective approach to group decision-making, says David Hoeft, AB ’89, the firm’s current chief investment officer, who worked alongside Pohl for nearly 30 years and considered him a mentor.
“He had a deep understanding of behavioral finance and was aware of cognitive bias, and he brought that background to Dodge & Cox,” he says. “He was a quiet leader, and he had tremendous insight—it was something that was contagious.” For investment decisions, Pohl insisted on anonymous electronic voting to preserve anonymity and avoid bias. He believed it was important to let go of prior opinions, Hoeft says. “I remember he’d say, ‘When the facts change, I change my mind.’ He had a mental flexibility that was remarkable, even late in his career.”
As a proud graduate of the University of Chicago and Booth, Pohl supported the school through volunteer work and monetary contributions, including an endowed professorship. Christian Leuz was named the inaugural Charles F. Pohl Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting and Finance in 2022.
“Charles was about the most ‘Chicago’ alum I have met in my eight years in this role. He had a firm commitment to scholarly rigor and analysis and loved discussing the latest research,” says Madhav Rajan, dean and the George Shultz Professor of Accounting, who developed a close friendship with Pohl over the years.
