Gregory Lai, CFA

Greg is Head of Institutional Portfolio Management and a Lead Portfolio Manager at Rayliant Global Advisors, joining the firm as Affinity Investment Advisors combined with Rayliant in December 2024. Leveraging over 30 years of investment experience, Greg has been instrumental in developing Rayliant’s quantitative stock selection, risk management, and portfolio construction models. His leadership underscores Rayliant’s commitment to delivering exceptional performance and service to its clients.

Greg’s founding role with Affinity dates back to its inception in 1992. The firm was acquired by Morgan Stanley Investment Management in 2007, and later transitioned to Invesco in June 2010 when Invesco purchased Morgan Stanley and Van Kampen’s asset management business. At the end of 2010, Greg and his team re-established Affinity as an independent firm, capitalizing on the growing demand for boutique management firms.

Greg’s extensive career includes serving as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Van Kampen, and Invesco, Ltd., where he led the U.S. Active Equity team. Earlier in his career, he was a Quantitative Specialist and co-portfolio manager of co-managed portfolios at Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO). His pragmatic quantitative approach to investments, combined with decades of experience navigating economic cycles, provides significant value to clients.

Greg earned an M.B.A. from the Paul Merage School at the University of California, Irvine, and a B.S. in Chemistry from UCLA. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
In his free time, Greg is a rehabbing helicopter dad who enjoys fly fishing, tennis, and the quiet solitude of Kauai—when he’s not taking on wind mills…