Jerry Albright is chief investment officer of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) and chairman of its internal investment committee. He previously served as the TRS investment division's chief operating officer and director of investment operations. Albright oversees one of the largest pools of capital in the world at TRS, which provides retirement benefits to more than 1.3 million members and invests in 15,000 businesses. Over $7.3 billion in benefits were paid to Texas residents in 2012. Institutional Investor magazine ranks Albright as one of the 100 most powerful asset owners in the world. Prior to joining TRS, he was executive vice president and board member of a multibank holding company in Texas. He earned a B.A. from Texas A&M University and is on the advisory board of the Reliant Trading Center at the Mays Business School there.