Charles F. Pohl, AB ’80, MBA ’81, who died this June, was a proud Booth alumnus and supporter.
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- October 29, 2025
- News
A Legacy of Learning
Charles F. Pohl, AB ’80, MBA ’81, investment leader, died June 2 in San Francisco. He was 67.
Pohl was the former chair and chief investment officer at Dodge & Cox, a global investment-management firm based in San Francisco. He retired in 2022 after nearly four decades with the firm.
During his years in leadership, Pohl instituted a more effective approach to group decision-making, says David Hoeft, AB ’89, the firm’s current chief investment officer, who worked alongside Pohl for nearly 30 years and considered him a mentor.
“He had a deep understanding of behavioral finance and was aware of cognitive bias, and he brought that background to Dodge & Cox,” he says. “He was a quiet leader, and he had tremendous insight—it was something that was contagious.” For investment decisions, Pohl insisted on anonymous electronic voting to preserve anonymity and avoid bias. He believed it was important to let go of prior opinions, Hoeft says. “I remember he’d say, ‘When the facts change, I change my mind.’ He had a mental flexibility that was remarkable, even late in his career.”
As a proud graduate of the University of Chicago and Booth, Pohl supported the school through volunteer work and monetary contributions, including an endowed professorship. Christian Leuz was named the inaugural Charles F. Pohl Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting and Finance in 2022.
“Charles was about the most ‘Chicago’ alum I have met in my eight years in this role. He had a firm commitment to scholarly rigor and analysis and loved discussing the latest research,” says Madhav Rajan, dean and the George Shultz Professor of Accounting, who developed a close friendship with Pohl over the years.
“I remember he’d say, ‘When the facts change, I change my mind.’ He had a mental flexibility that was remarkable, even late in his career.”
— David Hoeft
Pohl was so invested in his work and the pursuit of learning that he hoped to inspire others down the same path. His book of investment advice, The Professional’s Guide to Long-Term Investing, came out this year. When Booth students and staff gathered for a reading in October 2024 in advance of its publication, they were in for an emotional event. Two years earlier, Pohl had been diagnosed with ALS, and the degenerative disease had taken its toll.
Pohl attended the reading with his family, including his wife, Eve, and their daughters, Geneva, Charlotte, and Sophira. Wearing a T-shirt that read “Harvard—the University of Chicago of the East” was Pohl’s way of adding some levity to the situation. “We were trying to figure out something fun to wear, because he was already unable to speak,” Charlotte says.
“I was very impressed how he engaged with us and the students despite that,” says Leuz. “It was deeply inspiring and courageous that he came to Booth with his family to present his book when he was already ill.”
Leuz plans to use Pohl’s book in his Advanced Financial Analysis and Valuation for Global Firms course. He says it’s fitting for the class, and that future generations of students will benefit from Pohl’s insights. It’s a testament to the larger legacy that Pohl will leave as a man who was dedicated to learning and who achieved great professional and personal success.
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