A familiar leaders is preparing to take over a $168.4-billion-AUM (as of January 31), 31-year-old, 584-person asset manager in the Midwest. Yet the prior chief won't be saying goodbye just yet.

On Tuesday (March 4), Eric Colson, CEO and managing director at Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. [profile], and Jason Gottlieb, president and managing director, revealed that this spring Gottlieb will succeed San Francisco-based Colson as CEO of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based fund firm. Gottlieb and Colson also confirmed that Colson, who already serves on Artisan Partners' board of director, will take over as executive chairman, succeeding Stephanie DiMarco, who will stay on as lead independent director.

The handoffs are scheduled for Artisan Partners' 2025 annual stockholders meeting on June 4.

"Appointing Jason as CEO is the culmination of our long-term leadership succession plan and the natural evolution of his current responsibilities. Given his proven track record of leadership and management along with his strategic contributions to the Company over time, our Board of Directors and I have tremendous confidence in Jason's ability to lead Artisan," Colson states. "I look forward to my continued partnership with Jason and the senior management team in my new role as an active and engaged Executive Chair."

Gottlieb describes Artisan as a "world-class investment organization" and hints at further expansion of the firm's "multi-asset investment platform."

"We believe we are well positioned to seize the right opportunities to grow our business and continue to deliver successful outcomes for our clients, employees and shareholders," Gottlieb states.

DiMarco joined Artisan's board as independent director in 2013, the same year that the firm IPOed. She rose to chair in 2021. She is the founder and former board chair of Advent Software, and she is an alumna of the University of California at Berkeley.

Colson joined Artisan in 2005 as managing director of institutional business. He took over as CEO from Artisan co-founder Andy Ziegler in 2010, and he also previously took over as chairman once, too. Earlier, he worked with Callan Associates, and he is an alumnus of the University of California at Irvine.

Gottlieb joined Artisan in 2016 as managing director of investment operations. He rose to chief operating officer of investments in 2017, then to president in 2021. Earlier, he led the public equity and fixed income investment team for Goldman Sachs Asset Management's alternative investments and manager selections (AIMS) group. He is an alumnus of Fordham University and of Siene College. 

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