Dana Hensel

Dana is a first-generation Colorado native who was born and raised in Fort Collins.  She grew up immersed in Colorado life – playing competitive soccer, skiing, hiking, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.  Dana’s love for this state and its communities has shaped both her personal values and her professional path. 

Dana is a Managing Principal and institutional investment consultant with Morgan Stanley’s Fiduciary Consulting Group (formerly Cook Street Consulting).  She serves as a co-fiduciary and trusted advisor to investment committees overseeing foundations, nonprofit organizations, and corporate retirement programs across the United States and Canada.  Her work focuses on fiduciary governance, investment policy design, asset allocation, and investment manager selection for institutional portfolios and corporate retirement plans.  Dana is especially passionate about helping organizations build strong investment governance structures that support long-term purpose and impact.

Dana has served as a member of the firm’s Investment Committee since 2015 and as Chair from 2022-2025, helping guide investment strategy and oversight processes.  She works closely with executives and board members, leading discussions that support thoughtful, data-driven financial decisions.

Before joining Morgan Stanley, Dana held senior finance roles at Janus Capital Group (now Janus Henderson Investors), where she led corporate financial planning and analysis and partnered with executive leadership on strategy, budgeting, and capital allocation.  Earlier in her career, she worked in private equity at Consumer Capital Partners and in investment banking at Wachovia Securities (now Wells Fargo Securities), supporting business development, growth initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, and capital raise strategies for companies.

A member of the Boettcher Scholar Class of 2000, she attended the University of Colorado Boulder where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration (with emphases in both finance and accounting).  Dana graduated from CU with High Distinction and was a recipient of the Chancellor’s Recognition Award.  She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2017.

Dana lives in Denver with her husband, Erik, and their two children, Ethan and Finley, who keep life full of purpose, perspective, and fun.  She still loves being outdoors – especially skiing, hiking, sailing, and cheering on her kids from the sidelines.

Community Involvement:  Giving back has always been central to Dana’s life.  She is deeply involved in her local community through Denver Public Schools, and can often be found in and around Cory Elementary School (leading PTA-driven events, volunteering in the classroom, and doing whatever she can to embarrass her children).  She also coaches youth soccer in Denver and supports several local nonprofits focused on education, health, and opportunity (including Invest In Kids, Food Bank of the Rockies, and Reading Partners Colorado).  Dana believes strongly in service, mentorship, and helping young people build confidence through both academics and teamwork.