Leita Advisory Opens 2026 OCIO Due Diligence Cycle

Leita Advisory’s 2026 due diligence questionnaire is now available to outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) firms, with submissions requested by December 17, 2026.

Last year, seventy OCIO firms completed Leita’s inaugural questionnaire, and several new participants have already committed to the 2026 cycle. This broad participation provides a strong research foundation for our client work. In our first year, Leita completed 22 projects nationwide, representing $13 billion in assets.

With the second annual cycle underway, we’re expanding our research framework to enable more informed, institution-specific evaluations.

Why our research begins before a search

Selecting an OCIO requires an understanding of both the institution making the decision and the firms that might serve it. Each organization brings its own governance structure, investment objectives, operational needs, and expectations for the relationship. Identifying suitable candidates requires understanding how OCIO firms actually operate.

Our annual due diligence questionnaire (DDQ) maintains a consistent, up-to-date understanding of OCIO providers, enabling more meaningful evaluation and targeted follow-up.

This work begins before we send invitations for individual searches. By gathering and reviewing information in advance, we can make better-informed decisions about which firms to consider and what to explore with them.

Open to every firm, every year

Leita does not work from a fixed list of preferred providers. The DDQ is open to any OCIO firm, and new firms join each cycle. When a client asks us to consider a firm, including a local or regional provider we haven’t evaluated before, we welcome it into the same process. Every firm that participates in a search completes the same questionnaire, so each is evaluated on the same basis.

We appreciate the participation of the 70 firms in our first DDQ and look forward to welcoming new firms this year.

Why a DDQ instead of repeating a standard long-form RFP?

A traditional request for proposal often asks firms to provide extensive background information during each client search. Much of that information concerns the firm itself and changes relatively little from one opportunity to the next.

Leita collects that foundational information through our annual DDQ. For returning participants, we emphasize reviewing existing responses and updating them as the business evolves. This reduces repeat work and allows client-specific requests to focus more closely on the institution’s circumstances.

For clients, this approach enables more purposeful evaluation. We use our research to assess how a firm would approach a client’s portfolio, collaborate with committees and staff, and address unique needs. These questions distinguish a capable provider from the right partner.

The DDQ is a foundation for that judgment. Written responses inform our analysis, follow-up questions, and conversations with firms. Their value comes from how we interpret them in the context of each client’s decision.

An ongoing investment in understanding the OCIO landscape

OCIO due diligence requires attention between searches as well as during them. Teams, capabilities, service models, and business priorities can change. An annual update provides a structured opportunity to revisit our understanding and identify developments that warrant closer examination.

We appreciate the participation of the 70 firms in our first DDQ and encourage additional firms to join as we expand our research and client solutions.

Participating in the 2026 cycle

For returning firms, we’ve limited changes to preserve prior work. Those who completed the questionnaire last year should review and update their responses as needed. This year’s questionnaire consolidates required and supplemental questions, adds a short quantitative section to the questionnaire itself, and streamlines the separate quantitative worksheet.

Keeping responses current helps us recognize where a firm may be a strong fit as we develop candidate lists for client opportunities. Firms new to Leita are welcome to arrange an introductory conversation before beginning.

To request the 2026 DDQ link or discuss participation, please contact Anna Dunn Tabke at anna@goleita.com.

Submissions are requested by December 17, 2026.