The Atlantic Council's Millennium Fellowship brings together rising leaders from business, government, and civil society to tackle some of the world's toughest challenges, reflecting Bridgewater's commitment to developing leaders who use their expertise as a tool for impact beyond markets.
This year, Bridgewater's Eka Zhao, Senior Investment Associate, and Yusuf Jailani, Co-Head of Macro Equities and Head of Corporate Credit, have been named to the 2026–27 cohort, bringing Bridgewater's total to 15 Atlantic Council Millennium Fellows—many of whom have been with us since they were interns.
Through the Fellowship, Eka and Yusuf will build on their work alongside leaders from across sectors, applying investment insights to broader economic and societal challenges.
Eka is a senior member of Bridgewater’s investment team, where she focuses on developing Bridgewater’s deep, fundamental and systematic understanding of China's markets and economy. She is a frequent author of Bridgewater’s Daily Observations, contributing to the firm’s understanding of global markets and economies, and was named to INvolve’s EMpower Future Leaders Role Model List.
She has also contributed to research with the World Bank on how policy, capital, and institutions shape sub-Saharan Africa’s growth trajectory—work that supported a record-breaking replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA21). As she puts it, “I’ve seen firsthand that finance can serve as a powerful lever for change.”
Yusuf Jailani, Co-Head of Macro Equities and Head of Corporate Credit, focuses on building Bridgewater’s systematic understanding of equity and corporate debt markets. “In my role, I focus on how capital, incentives, and institutions interact—and how they can be structured to build resilience rather than amplify instability,” Yusuf shares. “This includes contributing to investment and policy-oriented thinking that prioritizes durability, risk-sharing, and long-term outcomes.”
Yusuf first joined Bridgewater as an intern in 2018. Less than four years after joining full-time, he became Head of Corporate Credit—one of the firm's youngest leaders to reach that level—and today, he also heads the internship program he experienced himself.
Learn more about the Millennium Fellowship and the 2026-27 cohort here.