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Samara Epstein Cohen
Chief Investment Officer of ETFs and Index Investments at BlackRock
Samara Epstein Cohen is a prominent figure in the financial industry, currently serving as the Chief Investment Officer of ETF and Index Investments at BlackRock, a position she has held since January 2022.1 As a Senior Managing Director, she plays a crucial role in shaping BlackRock's ETF and index investment strategies.
Career Highlights
Cohen's career at BlackRock spans several decades, with her first joining the company in 1993 as an analyst in the Institutional Client Business group.1 Her career path includes:
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BlackRock Leadership: Prior to her current role, Cohen held various senior positions at BlackRock, including Head of Global ETF Markets and Co-Head of ETF Markets and Investments.1
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Goldman Sachs Experience: Between her stints at BlackRock, Cohen spent nearly 16 years at Goldman Sachs, where she rose to the position of Managing Director in the Securities Division.1
Education and Expertise
Cohen's educational background combines finance and arts:
- University of Pennsylvania: She earned a dual degree - a BS in Economics from the Wharton School and a BA in Theatre Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences.1
- Harvard Business School: Cohen holds an MBA from this prestigious institution.1
Industry Recognition
Her contributions to the financial sector have been widely recognized:
- Named to Barron's 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024).1
- Included in American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Finance (2023).1
Leadership and Influence
In her role at BlackRock, Cohen:
- Leads teams responsible for maintaining the market quality and investment integrity of BlackRock's index funds and iShares ETFs.1
- Focuses on modernizing the indexing industry and ETF markets to promote financial well-being.1
- Serves on several important committees within BlackRock, including the GEC Investment Subcommittee and the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee.1
Cohen is passionate about the transformative power of ETFs, viewing them as an example of market modernization that brings market access and transparency to millions of investors worldwide.2
Highlights
LinkedIn colleagues and friends,
There has been a spike in investment-related financial crime, including directing users toward crypto investment-related websites and/or social media platforms such as LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), WhatsApp and Telegram. Please be aware that any investment based communication you may receive on these platforms purporting to be from me is fraudulent and should be disregarded.
We urge caution in dealing with individuals, websites or social media platforms using our brand and offering training or investments. We are taking steps to address the accounts being used, please remain vigilant, if you suspect fraudulent activity, follow these steps: https://lnkd.in/eDwDFeT5
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
The launch of the iShares Ethereum Trust ETF marks another milestone, as the digital world and traditional finance become more closely linked. While Bitcoin is the first form of internet-native money to gain broad global adoption, Ethereum is the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and has generated widespread global adoption through its ability to support a diverse range of decentralized blockchain applications. BlackRock is proud to extend its iShares digital assets offering to Ethereum. Through ETHA, we are providing investors access to the Ethereum network's native token, ether -- all within the transparency and convenience of an exchange-traded product. BlackRock continues to be focused on education for investors, so I encourage you to learn more about Ethereum and ETHA here: https://ishars.com/3YeOlly. This is another pivotal moment for the markets and I’m looking forward to the journey ahead! The iShares Ethereum Trust ETF and iShares Bitcoin Trust are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“the 1940 Act”), and therefore not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds or ETFs registered under the 1940 Act.
For an ETHA prospectus: https://ishars.com/3LxcYma For an IBIT prospectus: https://ishars.com/4fgGaeH
