Charles H. Brandes, CFA

Charles Brandes is recognized as a pioneer in global value investing. He founded and served as Chairman of Brandes Investment Partners, an investment advisory and management firm dedicated to institutional and private clients worldwide. Early in his career, Mr. Brandes became a student of the value investment philosophy and was an acquaintance of Benjamin Graham, widely considered the father of value investing. When the bear market of 1973 to 1974 created unusually large, long-term opportunities for disciplined, patient investors, Mr. Brandes decided it was time to launch his own firm. He founded Brandes Investment Partners in 1974. In a letter to Mr. Brandes, Mr. Graham wrote that he was “complimented” that the firm would be guided by “Graham principles.”  

Reflecting his success and prominence in the industry, Mr. Brandes has presented at the Tiburon CEO Summit XX and the London Value Investor Conference. He has authored multiple books on value investing, including Brandes on Value: The Independent Investor (published in 2014) and Value Investing Today (published in 2003). Through his philanthropy as a founding donor to UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management, Brandes established the Brandes Fellowship endowment to provide critical financial support for exceptional MBA students. In addition, he is an Advisory Board Member at the Ben Graham Centre for Value Investing at the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School. He has also served as trustee for the Salk Institute, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and the Whittier Institute for Diabetes. Mr. Brandes earned his BA in economics from Bucknell University. His relevant industry experience began in 1968. In 2015, he received lifetime achievement awards from Bucknell University and the London Value Investor Conference. Mr. Brandes is a frequent lecturer at graduate business schools, CFA Society meetings and industry conferences worldwide.

In 2018, Mr. Brandes retired from Brandes Investment Partners. In 2022, Mr. Brandes and his wife Renée extended their vision and generosity for the Rady School by founding The Brandes Center, a dedicated investment research center focused on value investing, behavioral finance and long-term thinking. He and Renée are members of The Center’s Executive Committee. Mr. Brandes serves as the Chairman.