Entrepreneur, Innovator & Benefactor
Andrew T. Rudd, an entrepreneur and stalwart supporter of Haas and UC Berkeley, died April 2, 2024, in Berkeley, Calif. Rudd, 74, maintained deep connections to UC Berkeley from 1972 until his death. He earned an M.S. in operations research in 1972, an MBA in 1976, and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering and operations research in 1978, all from UC Berkeley. Rudd also graduated with a B.Sc. in mathematics from the University of Sussex in England. He was a UC Berkeley Foundation Trustee and a Builder of Berkeley.
After graduating from Berkeley, Rudd taught finance and operations research at Cornell University and became a leading authority on modern portfolio theory. In 1975, he co-founded Barra Inc., a financial software company headquartered in Berkeley with offices located around the world. Under his leadership, the company developed risk-management and investment tools, most notably the Barra Models, which forecast risks for equity, fixed income, and derivatives. Barra Inc., now MSCI Barra, was acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2004.
Rudd’s desire to enhance the financial ecosystem persisted after Barra’s sale. He launched Advisor Software, which developed wealth management products for investors. He also acquired and ran Advisor Partners, an investment advisor with sophisticated quantitative products. Rudd and his businesses left an indelible mark on Wall Street.
He will be remembered dearly for the impact he had on others as well. Rudd’s time at Berkeley profoundly shaped him and helped harness his drive, curiosity, keen intellect, and optimism. He and his wife, Virginia, founded the Rudd Family Foundation, which focuses its efforts on education and providing opportunity to others. At UC Berkeley, the Foundation endowed faculty chairs at the Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Blum Center for Developing Economies, which has transformed the Rudd Family Big Ideas Program into one of UC Berkeley’s most esteemed accelerators. The Foundation also supported the V&A Cafe located in the College of Engineering.
Chancellor Rich Lyons, former dean of Berkeley Haas, fondly remembers working with Rudd and Virginia to transform the student experience for generations to come. “The things that Andrew and Virginia connected to—the Chair in Behavioral Finance, the need for more courses in financial literacy, more support for campus social entrepreneurs in Big Ideas—these were all things that helped point the way to Haas’ and Berkeley’s future,” Lyons said.
To his family and his friends, Rudd was much more than an entrepreneur and visionary. He is remembered by many for his optimistic outlook on life, sharp wit, and sense of humor. He was an extensive traveler with many tales to tell, hiked mountains across various continents with his son Chris and daughter Natalie, authored two books, had an amateur sailing career, was a patient math tutor to his kids, and loved games of skill. He lived what felt like many lives in his 74 years.
More than anything, Rudd loved his wife and kids, all of whom miss him dearly. He is survived by his wife, Virginia (Jinny); son Chris; daughter Alexi; son Nick and daughter-in-law, Emilianne, and their three children: Jagger, Spencer, and Cooper; and daughter Natalie, MBA 14. He is also survived by his brother, Peter, and sister-in-law, Kate, and their family.
IN MEMORIAM
Evelyn Knop, BS 48
Jean Blois, BS 49
Gordon Crowell, BS 53
Charles Gianola, BS 54
Edward Mayeda, BS 57
Eugene Brigham, MBA 57, PhD 62
Frederick Ebey, BS 58
Gilbert Esparza, BS 58
Joe Stine, BS 58
James Snell, BS 59
Oliver Hook, MBA 59
Neal Miura, BS 60
Harry Dingman, MBA 61
Alfred Cuthbert, BS 62
Walter Baker, BS 64
Darryl Marshall, BS 64
Kent Newmark, MBA 64
Wayne Batavia, BS 76
Michael Russell, MBA 80
Marilyn Bolognesi, MBA 86
Alexander Hiam, MBA 86
Brett Estes, BS 87, MBA 90
Colleen Stratton, MBA 91
John Barela, MBA 93
Karen Brown, MBA 07
Elfriede Robinson, Friend