Rutendo has long explored how both capital and opportunity flow across communities, markets, and economies. As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, she wrote her thesis on China’s role in global investment and its influence in Africa. In her native Zimbabwe, she founded a business incubator, and has served as an advisor to founders and entrepreneurs.
As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Rutendo pursued the study of the structures which influence and direct the deployment of capital — in particular, the role of government in creating enabling conditions for businesses to thrive and drive economic growth. As president of the Africa Society, she also pushed both the university and the Rhodes Trust to be more inclusive and accessible, advocating for expanded scholarships and establishing a mentorship program for aspiring undergrads in Africa. She also spent time in McKinsey’s public sector practice and in the Government of Rwanda, where she worked on investment and trade development initiatives in Rwanda and South America.
Today, she plays a key role in Bridgewater’s investment engine and client service department. She is a Team Lead on our Client Services Strategies team, where she drives the creation of investment content and helps our global client base tackle some of their most challenging portfolio questions. Over her career, she has built expertise in emerging markets and China; leading investment research projects for our onshore Chinese clients. She is involved in efforts to diversify our investment talent pipelines, championing efforts to recruit, advance, and mentor underrepresented minorities, especially early on in their careers.
In recognition of all that she has achieved, Rutendo was named to the 2022 EMpower Ethnic Minority Future Leaders List, supported by Yahoo Finance, for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes emerging leaders who are making significant contributions to the advancement of others, especially people of color, within their companies and beyond. Learn more about her award: https://empower.involverolemodels.org/poll/2022-top-100-future-leaders/