OCIO Growth is Shifting Toward Family Offices: Key Governance Considerations

The OCIO market continues to evolve. Historically, defined benefit pension plans were a primary driver of OCIO growth. Today, many of those plans are well along the path to termination. As a result, growth in that segment has slowed significantly.

Over the past five years, endowments and foundations have become a major focus of OCIOs, large and small, making that market increasingly competitive. Most institutions already have established governance structures, including Boards, Investment Committees, and traditional consultants or OCIOs. Mandates are clear: build and oversee a diversified institutional portfolio, leveraging a mix of internal and external resources to make decisions and execute.

At the same time, OCIO providers are expanding into family offices. This segment looks very different from that of institutional investors such as endowments, foundations, and pensions.

Family offices often begin with disparate internal processes and multiple advisors, but no clear central investment role. Often, assets include a mix of direct, concentrated assets alongside more traditional investment securities. Governance structures can be less formal, and starting points vary widely. In that environment, an OCIO may fill capability gaps, consolidate fragmented oversight, or assume broader execution responsibility than is the norm for endowments and foundations. OCIO responsibilities go far beyond portfolio construction; they often define and shape governance structures themselves. One theme is consistent across segments: clarity around roles and responsibilities matters.

A true OCIO relationship involves legal fiduciary responsibility, delegated authority for investment decisions (most often investment manager selection), and execution authority. This is distinct from advisory relationships, which carry fiduciary responsibility but lack decision-making authority. It is important that institutional investors are comfortable with delegating certain functions before moving to an OCIO model.

As the market matures, competition across market segments will continue to intensify. We believe that OCIOs will differentiate less on investment philosophy and more on governance alignment, clarity of mandate, and structural fit.

The OCIO model is not one-size-fits-all. Understanding your starting point, the desired governance structure, and how much authority you are willing to delegate is essential before forming what is meant to be a long-term OCIO partnership.

Want to read more? Check out our piece on standardization vs. customization.