Barbara is responsible for supporting and advising the firm on all aspects of people, culture and organizational change. She oversees talent acquisition and retention, employee onboarding and professional development, compensation and benefits, culture-building initiatives, diversity and inclusion, and community relations efforts, among others.

Throughout her time with Magnetar, Barbara has focused on creating a firm-wide culture where employees feel empowered to grow both personally and professionally. Today, approximately 60 percent of Magnetar employees have been with the firm for five years or more.

In 2011, Barbara helped establish the Magnetar Foundation’s philanthropic mission – to educate students in making smart financial decisions – and curriculum, Magnetar Academy. In 2016, she played a lead role in initiating the Foundation’s partnership with the University of Chicago and oversaw the development of the finEDge curriculum, which dedicated tools and resources to scale quality financial education for high school students across the U.S. To date, the initiative has taught more than 30,000 students across 13 states.

Prior to joining Magnetar in 2008, Barbara served in a number of senior human resources roles at JPMorgan Chase and its predecessor firm, Bank One.

Barbara earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Syracuse University.