Peter Fisher, Partner
Places lived: United States (New York City, Chicago, Boston, Michigan, and North Dakota)
Education: Harvard University (PhD Business Economics), Northwestern University (BA, Economics)
Experience: Abundant Venture Partners (business development), Fidelity Investments (SVP), Pyramis Global Advisors (managing director), Fidelity Research Institute (managing director), Bain and Co. (case team leader), National Economic Research Associates
Focus: Innovation and its diffusion. New business development and economic growth. Collaboration to solve industry-wide problems. Optimal design and long-term solvency of benefits systems and healthcare structures.
Intellectual influences: Milton Friedman, Daniel Kahneman, Glenn Hubbard, Thomas Kuhn, Steve Jobs, and Ernest Shackleton
Turning points: College. "My father was a minister and we lived in several small Midwestern towns when I was a child. And then I got to Northwestern and Chicago. The intellectual learning environment and independence was a breath of fresh air." A second turning point came at Harvard. "My dissertation topic addressed how industries can move from a current equilibrium to a superior equilibrium through cooperative effort.The choice I made after completing my PhD was pivotal. Was I more interested in producing additional economic research on these types of topics or being directly engaged in the leadership of industries and organizations making fundamental transitions? It was the latter. I have also over time become much more of an extrovert. I like putting people and disciplines together. That's the way to get things done."
For most of his life Peter has operated at the crossroads between first class scholarship and the commercial development of new financial products that respond to major shifts in demand. For example, at Fidelity, where he was responsible for growth strategy and innovation, Peter developed a portfolio approach that helps people in retirement, a growing percentage of the US population, draw down their assets in a way that best fits their needs. “Drawing down your retirement funds is probably more complicated than accumulating them,” he says. For several years Peter co-managed Fidelity’s internal strategic planning unit. “We needed to relate to all parts of Fidelity in all parts of the world – the asset managers, private equity, non-financial business units, and others. I liked the challenge. And I personally liked the management experience, it stretched me.”
Peter is particularly proud of the work he did designing and launching the Fidelity Research Institute. The approach he took to building the Institute, which became known for its thought leadership and new product ideas, shows how Peter thinks as well as manages. From the start the Institute took a collaborative approach, teaming with outside experts, research institutions, and business partners. Peter also established an advisory board of leaders in a variety of disciplines – behavioral economics, psychology, public policy, investment theory, benefits design, etc. He established a prize that is awarded to a researcher who best advances the concept of lifelong financial security. He also organized a summit in Washington that brought together asset managers, insurance companies, think tanks, employers, and others to grapple with the future of healthcare financing and policy. “I really believe in the power of collaboration. Of course, you can’t take collaboration for granted. But if you design it right and get the right people in the room, you have a much better chance of finding new ideas and making progress than if you try to go it alone.”
Peter's PhD, a joint degree awarded by the economics department and Harvard Business School, is also reflective of someone who doesn’t mind crossing borders and blending perspectives. “Glenn Hubbard, who was then a professor at Northwestern, sponsored me. I knew about the program for several years and when the time came I was ready – ready to do serious research but also to get my hands dirty. I was a teaching fellow, lecturer, and researcher.”
“Tapestry is a continuation of this thinking for me. Complex problems need multiple perspectives. The power is in bringing together concepts from psychology, systems dynamics, economics, and other disciplines. People need to share their ideas and fight for what they believe, but when you are working on tough issues like financial well being and healthcare, you also need to find new things to believe in.”
Peter is currently serving a five year term as a member of the advisory board of the Wharton Pension Research Council, which develops collaborative research on retirement systems in both the public and private sectors.
Peter and his wife have traveled extensively but they and their three children have lived in Boston for the last 20 years.
Download Peter Fisher's Formal Biography
