Denise Wernly

Manager, Office of Applied Complexity




Denise manages the Santa Fe Institute’s Office of Applied Complexity, which helps non-academic organizations and individuals access actionable insights from SFI’s scientific work. She also serves as the Product Owner for Project ARCH and is in charge of the operations of new network launches. She joined SFI in 2021, working directly with Will Tracy, Vice President for Applied Complexity, and is a touchpoint for SFI’s generous donor community. Previously, she held positions in finance at PIMCO and Thornburg Investments, prior to which she performed as an opera singer throughout the United States and Europe. She holds an MBA from UNM, a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and a bachelor’s from Northwestern University.