Emma Rodriguez-Ayala serves as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based asset management firm with $13.8 billion in assets under management. She oversees legal, compliance, governance, investment operations, technology, and risk oversight for all Ariel entities.

A native of Puerto Rico, Emma graduated summa cum laude with a BA in International Business from Saint Louis University and earned her JD from the University of Chicago Law School. She began her career at Sidley Austin LLP and held senior roles at Mesirow Advanced Strategies and LGIM America, where she was General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer.

Emma co-founded Angeles Investors, a Latino-focused angel investing group supporting Hispanic and Latinx entrepreneurs. She leads day-to-day operations for Ariel's Project Level fund, which raised $500 million to invest in women's sports, including the NWSL Denver expansion team and League One Volleyball.

Emma was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Ariel in 2024 after joining from LGIM America in 2023. She previously served as president of ALPFA Chicago from 2017 to 2020 and is an independent director at First Bank Chicago.

Emma has been recognized as one of the Most Powerful Latinas in Business by ALPFA and named a Top Latino Leader by the U.S. National Diversity Council. She was featured in TIME's Latino Leaders 2025 list and serves on the boards of WTTW, WFMT, and the Latino Corporate Directors Association.