International Finance Expert

Philanthropist

Hodge Hall at IU was named after him

James R. Hodge, Marion High School Class of 1970, is an international finance expert and president of Permal Asset Management, part of the Permal Group, and has left an invaluable legacy that will impact generations of students at Indiana University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He was a driving force and lead donor for Hodge Hall Undergraduate Center, a $60 million upgrade that will help propel the Kelley School of Business into the future.
Hodge Hall, which was to open to students in 2014, was an expansion that dramatically transformed the school's learning environment for undergraduate students. The new facility added vital classroom space and a student commons; improved technology to allow real-time interaction with business leaders and other students around the globe; a room to host large gatherings and conferences; and a home for the Indiana Business Research Center.
At the naming ceremony in spring 2012, Dan Smith, then dean of the Kelley School, had high praise for Hodge: "Jim, you embody all of the values that we hold dear at the Kelley School. Your story is a story about an amazing work ethic. Our students will learn that success never comes easy and demands focused commitment. Your story is about integrity. Our students will learn that there are no short cuts and that success can be achieved without compromising sound values."
Hodge graduated with highest distinction from the IU Kelley School of Business in 1974. He went on to earn a master’s of business administration from Harvard Business School in 1979.
He joined the Permal Group, one of the oldest and largest alternative asset management firms in the world, in 1987. He is now president of Permal Asset Management LLC, and as chairman of its investment committee, he is responsible for asset allocation as well as performance monitoring, research and analysis of fund managers. In addition, he serves as director, alternate director, or member of the advisory board for a number of independent offshore investment funds.
Prior to joining the Permal Group, he spent four years with the New York Stock Exchange, where he held a number of positions culminating in director of cost accounting, and four years as controller of Biolectron Inc., a privately held medical products company. He is a licensed certified public accountant in the state of New Jersey.
Hodge is on the board of directors of the IU Foundation, which oversees fundraising for all IU campuses and manages the university’s endowment of more than $1 billion. He also serves on the Kelley School of
Business Dean’s Council. He is a lifetime member of the IU Alumni Foundation, a member of the IU Foundation President’s Circle, and the 1820 Society. He also has been a frequent guest speaker in Kelley School classes, and has funded an endowed chair at the school.
In 2013, IU and the IU Foundation named him one of their Partners in Philanthropy, presenting him with the Cornerstone Award, which recognizes individuals whose partnership and volunteer involvement have been instrumental in the success of a single IU philanthropic initiative for a campus, program, or school. In that same year, he was named to the IU Kelley School’s Academy of Alumni Fellows.
He is also a member of the advisory council of the National Executive Service Corps of New York, which offers a broad array of consulting services to nonprofit organizations, schools and government agencies.