Susan Byrne's the founder, chairman of the board and chief investment officer at Crescent Court-based Westwood Holdings Group, which manages major corporations' pension funds and big-money players' mutual funds; she's also a member of the Dallas Citizens Council, fancy that. And this week, she's one of four "star performers" rounded up by Fortune for a sneak peek into the fiscal future of 2008.

She's got a couple of suggestions for those looking to invest their piggy-bank savings -- "big technology," for starters -- but also some brilliant fortune-cookie one-liners. A favorite: "Losing opportunity can be embarrassing, but losing capital is permanent." That's why she manages $6 billion in assets, and some of us edit blogs. Also, she takes a nice photo. --Robert Wilonsky

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