Since joining Bridgewater in 2015, Nir Bar Dea has steadily taken on increasing responsibility and influence at the firm. As Co-Head of the Investment Engine, Nir now manages a team of over 500 investment professionals — directing the integration and development of investment research, technology, and business strategy under CEO David McCormick. Under his leadership, the team performs fundamental quantitative research into the thousands of cause-effect relationships that drive the global economy, underpinning the insights that fuel the firm’s strategic partnerships with institutional investors around the world.
Nir’s propensity to deliver courageous, creative solutions to complex organizational challenges can be traced to his background in the Israeli military. After finishing first in his class in officer’s academy, Nir served as a Major in a classified unit in the Israeli Defense Forces where he not only oversaw a platoon of hundreds of soldiers, but also worked with those in his unit to develop new military applications for sophisticated technologies. Nir retired from the military as a highly decorated officer after serving in the 2006 Lebanon War. He continued in public service by joining Israel's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, working as a speech writer and an advisor to the Israeli Ambassador to the UN during the 2014 General Assembly.
Nir’s experience in public service, the military, and as an entrepreneur has also shaped his approach to leadership, management, and mentorship at Bridgewater and beyond, instilling a deep appreciation for people as the edge for any organization and the importance of building strong and diverse teams as the way to bring that to bear. Nir has a deep understanding of people and what makes them tick, giving him the unique ability to shape the ethos of Bridgewater’s more junior generations and also unlock employees who have been at the firm for over twenty years.
Nir holds an MBA in Finance from Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the Interdisciplinary Center at IDC Herzliya, where he graduated first in his class.
This month, Nir was recognized alongside other influential industry leaders as one of Fortune’s “40 Under 40” — read more here: https://fortune.com/40-under-40/2020/nir-bar-dea/