Laura Sterner, the Global Head of Capital Development and Investor Relations at Steve Cohen’s hedge fund, Point72 Asset Management, is leaving the firm after nearly a decade of service, according to a report by Business Insider.
Sterner has played a pivotal role in the firm’s fundraising efforts, including raising billions for Point72’s relaunch to outside investors in 2018.
The report cites unnamed sources familiar with the matter as revealing that Sterner, described as Point72’s “primary point of contact with external investors,” is set to take on a senior role at a healthcare venture.
Since joining Cohen in 2015, when Point72 exclusively managed his personal wealth, Sterner has been integral to the firm’s growth. Her efforts were particularly critical in 2018, when the hedge fund reopened to external investors after a two-year ban, stemming from insider trading charges against the firm’s predecessor, SAC Capital. While SAC pleaded guilty to the charges, Cohen was not personally charged and did not admit liability.
Under Sterner’s leadership in investor relations, Point72’s assets under management surged, more than doubling since 2020 to reach $37bn. The firm reported a 19% return in 2024, outpacing major competitors like Citadel and Millennium, and trailing only Schonfeld among its peer group. Following this strong performance, Point72 plans to return up to $5bn in capital to investors this year.
Sterner’s deputy, Elena Bukowski, which has been with Point72 since 2018 and previously worked at Tourbillon Capital, a hedge fund run by former SAC portfolio manager Jason Karp, will no assume Sterner’s responsibilities, according to a person close to the firm.
Sterner began her career at Lehman Brothers before moving to UBS, where she served as head of liquid alternative research. She also worked as a consultant prior to joining Point72. Her departure marks a significant change for the firm as it navigates its next phase of growth under Cohen’s leadership.
