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Latest episodes from Alt Goes Mainstream

Ardian's Ava Mallin - “managing money is managing emotion”

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 15:30


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We were live from iCapital Connect's conference in Phoenix, where we sat down with some of the industry's leaders across asset management and wealth management.We spoke with Ava Mallin, Managing Director, US Private Wealth Solutions at Ardian.Ava brings a distinctive approach to how she works with the wealth channel. She emphasized that asset managers should treat capital as a client's legacy rather than “just dollars.” Speaking of legacy, Ardian is a firm with a rich legacy. The firm was born in 1996, when AXA's Chairman, Claude Bébéar, chairman of AXA, asked Dominique Senequier to create a private equity arm for the insurer. And so AXA Private Equity was born. The firm's first fund launched with a $100M French Buyout fund and two external clients.Today, Ardian stands tall as a giant in private markets, spanning asset classes and managing over $200B AUM.As a firm that provides investment solutions and customized strategies, Ardian thinks deeply about the breadth and depth of its relationships with LPs. Ava brings this perspective to bear in the wealth channel, which was evident in our conversation.Ava shared how she brings a uniquely human perspective to fundraising and partnering with the wealth channel. She believes managing money is managing emotion, which is critical for GPs to understand how wealth advisors manage their relationships with clients.We had a fascinating conversation, covering: The importance of understanding the human and emotional side that it takes to build enduring partnerships with LPs.Why US LPs have a growing interest in diversification and want exposure to Europe.Why secondaries is a partnership business with LPs and GPs.The importance of educating the wealth channel on private markets.Why Ardian prefers the term “evergreen” over “semi-liquid.” Why GPs should work with the wealth channel only if they have true commitment to the channel and top-down support from senior leadership.BioAva Mallin joined Ardian in 2022. She is responsible for Private Wealth relationships in the US. Prior to joining Ardian, she spent seven years at Carlyle in their Private Wealth group. She is based in New York.Thanks, Ava, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion for how you approach working with the wealth channel and your focus on EQ as part of building relationships with advisors that enable them to treat their clients' capital as legacy. Show Notes00:00 Live From iCapital Connect00:23 A Message From Ultimus Fund Solutions01:21 Meet Ardian's Ava Mallin01:48 Money And Emotion03:11 Ardian Culture And Fit03:45 Secondaries Partnership Model04:45 Building US Wealth Business05:59 Evergreen Liquidity Mindset07:26 Educating Advisors And Clients09:02 Brand And Leadership Support10:13 Authenticity In Sales11:28 Listening And Curiosity12:29 Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should13:31 Getting Firmwide Buy In14:11 Wealth Channel Challenges14:47 Closing ThoughtsA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Franklin Templeton's Dave Donahoo - “start with the end client” - live from AGM's RIA Field Trip

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2026 32:06


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We were live from AGM's RIA Field Trip at Franklin Templeton's New York office in Madison Square Park with Franklin Templeton's Head of Private Markets - Americas Wealth Management Dave Donahoo to discuss the nuances of serving the wealth channel.Dave brings the perspective of someone who has seen the wealth channel handle multiple market cycles and an understanding of both traditional and alternative asset management, while always keeping the outcome for the end investor in mind.Dave started his career in the depths of the 2008 financial crisis at T. Rowe Price, where he worked with individual investors. He rose up the ranks of T. Rowe Price and then joined Blackstone as a Principal in the firm's Private Wealth Solutions business before moving to Franklin Templeton as Head of Private Markets - Americas Wealth Management.Unpacking nuances in private markets, Dave discussed why he believes a “family of specialists” with a “narrow scope” is critical for a private markets investment platform and how a traditional asset manager can approach building brand in private markets. We had a fascinating discussion, covering:How Dave's background starting his career working with individual investors has informed how he approaches creating solutions for the wealth channel.Why LPs want to do more with fewer partners and what this means for GPs.Specialists vs. generalists.Why RIAs have “cold call fatigue.”What RIAs want from a product perspective and why differentiation, trust, and proactive client service are top of the list.How asset managers can approach brand-building.The product innovation roadmap and what the path to 401(k) and DC products might look like.Thanks, Dave, for sharing a fascinating window into the wealth channel and for your passion, expertise, and dedication to providing private markets solutions to the wealth channel.Show Notes00:04 Live from Franklin Templeton RIA Field Trip00:07 Meet Dave Donahoo02:31 Lehman Day One Story03:15 Thrown Into the Phone Queues03:37 Teacher Call and Investor Fear04:53 Start With the End Client05:26 From T Rowe to Blackstone05:53 Blackstone Wealth Playbook07:18 Why Franklin Was the Fit08:09 Traditional Manager Advantages09:09 Platform Synergies in Wealth10:16 Challenges of Going Private10:36 Brand Transformation Story11:44 Internal Alignment and Change12:16 What the Brand Should Signal12:50 Specialist Managers Philosophy13:44 Building Perpetuals the Right Way14:13 Defining the Right Structure15:44 Evergreen Structure Depends16:09 Secondaries Structure Choice18:10 Infrastructure Partnership Model20:02 Preserving Investment Cultures21:50 Data and AI Cross Collaboration24:17 Macro Insights Across Platforms25:47 Product Innovation Roadmap27:06 Private Markets in 401k Plans27:53 What Model Portfolios Mean29:06 What RIAs Want Most30:21 Client Service and HonestyA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

RIT Capital Partners' Maggie Fanari - why permanent capital is a privilege

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2026 57:06


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's podcast takes us to the heart of London, where we sat down with Maggie Fanari, the CEO of J Rothschild Capital Management Limited, manager of RIT Capital Partners plc. RIT blends a rich heritage with a modern approach to both asset allocation and private markets. Lord Jacob Rothschild founded Rothschild Investment Trust in 1971. RIT listed on the London Stock Exchange with total assets of £280M. Today, the firm stands tall as one of the UK's largest investment trusts with over £4.7B of total assets.The firm's permanent capital and family office heritage have enabled the firm to think long-term, according to Maggie. “Permanent capital is a privilege,” she said.Maggie has brought an institutional allocator's background to RIT. She joined as CEO of RIT from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in 2024, where she was Senior Managing Director, Global Group Head of High Conviction Equities at OTPP, which has a global mandate to invest in public and private companies.Maggie and I had a fascinating discussion about how the firm invests across public and private markets, balancing both top-down portfolio construction and bottom-up asset selection. We covered:How RIT has aimed to compound wealth over time.Why top-down portfolio construction and bottom-up asset allocation are equally important.How can investors capture as much growth, limit market volatility, and compound growth over a long period of time?How RIT finds unique and different managers in private markets, which includes some of the top investors in the world.What market structure changes mean for investing across public and private markets?How to invest when the world order has changed.Taking a family office mindset and applying that investment mindset for investors in RIT.Why permanent capital is a privilege.How to be early to a theme rather than chase the trend.Why RIT decided to invest in SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI, Databricks, and Epic Systems.Where do investors bucket RIT into their asset allocation?What is a manager's edge and how can they apply that edge with consistency?Why depth of network matters for private markets managers.Why RIT invested in firms like Thrive, Greenoaks, and Ribbit.BioMaggie Fanari is the CEO of J. Rothschild Capital Management Limited (JRCM) , investment manager for RIT Capital Partners plc. She is Chair of JRCM's Investment Committee.Maggie was previously Senior Managing Director, Global Group Head of High Conviction Equities at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which has a global mandate to invest in public and private companies.At Ontario Teachers', she served as a member of many of the pension plan's investment committees. She was involved in the execution of investments across a variety of asset classes (private and public), including supporting the development and execution of the venture and growth business.Before joining Ontario Teachers', Maggie worked at KPMG and Scotia Capital. Maggie is a chartered accountant and a CFA charter holder. She also holds a BBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors.Maggie served as a non-executive director on the Board of RIT Capital Partners plc from April 2019 to February 2024.Thanks, Maggie, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion across public and private markets and your thoughtful perspectives from your experiences as an institutional investor.This podcast was recorded on 15 June 2026, and therefore all RIT data is provided as at 31/05/2026. Show Notes00:42 Meet Maggie Fanari03:44 Teachers' Pension Roots04:51 Top Down Meets Bottom Up05:50 Allocating In New Paradigm06:15 Diversification Returns07:02 Volatility Creates Opportunity07:22 What Makes RIT Unique08:08 Compounding With Downside09:41 Brand Opens Doors10:05 Backing Emerging Managers11:57 Co-Invest Importance12:36 Returns And Realizations13:22 Great Co-Investor Playbook15:02 Building AI Theme Exposure16:06 Sourcing Deals Like SpaceX16:37 Public Private Value Split20:09 Public Themes And Sovereignty20:58 Moats And Terminal Value24:06 Permanent Capital Edge25:07 Oversubscribed Fund Access26:46 Underwriting And Discipline27:17 Why AI Needs Capital27:49 Anthropic Growth Math28:15 Databricks Scale Comparison28:41 Can Funds Get Bigger30:22 FOMO And Chasing30:47 Portfolio Allocation Guardrails31:47 Permanent Capital Advantage32:13 Right Sized Private Exposure32:51 Liquidity And Realizations33:28 Owning Winners At Scale34:11 Private To Public Hold34:41 Re Underwriting Post IPO35:38 Retail Investor Impact36:20 Public Market Liquidity Needs37:57 Why Investment Trusts Work38:56 Discounts As Margin Safety40:08 How Shareholders Allocate41:03 Sentiment Shifts In Cycles42:02 What Makes Great Managers43:14 Manager Edge Examples45:02 AI And Finding Leaders46:56 Consolidation And Differentiation47:51 Being A Great LP Partner48:50 Macro Lens As Edge49:42 Private Signals Inform Public50:48 Culture One Team One NAV51:28 Risk And Scenario Analysis52:59 Multipolar World Investing54:14 Geopolitics In Diligence55:10 Permanent Capital Best Of BothA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Wellington Management's Mike Trihy - going long on evergreen funds: AGM Live from SuperReturn

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2026 24:41


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We sat down with Mike Trihy, Head of Portfolio Management for the Venture Growth Evergreen strategy at Wellington Management.We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as private equity industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.Wellington Management has a rich heritage as an independently owned asset manager. The firm, which has taken a research-driven approach and long-term thinking to active management in public markets and, increasingly, in private markets, is nearing its 100-year anniversary. Wellington has grown to over $1.3T in AUM and is the largest sub-advisor in the world.Mike joined from Bow River Capital to run Wellington's Venture Growth Evergreen strategy, which will focus on direct growth and venture investments, secondaries, and select fund investments. Mike brings deep expertise in the evergreen fund management space, co-founding and scaling Bow River's evergreen private markets platform and working as a portfolio manager at evergreen pioneer Partners Group.Mike and I had a fascinating discussion about the current state of evergreen funds and the venture and growth investing market. We covered:The evolution of evergreen private markets funds.The convergence of public and private investing.Lessons learned from building and managing evergreen funds at Partners Group and Bow River.The importance of portfolio construction, liquidity planning, and evergreen fund operations.Which firms are well-positioned to run and manage evergreen funds?Partnerships in asset management.How the market may shake out and why structure must match the asset, the client, and the liquidity terms. LP composition, evergreens vs. drawdowns across wealth and institutions, and the role of partnerships. What the potential wave of mega IPOs could mean for DPI, exits, and private market fundraising.BioAs lead portfolio manager for the Venture Growth Evergreen (“VGE”) strategy, Mike is responsible for overall portfolio construction and allocation of capital across direct growth and venture investments, secondaries, and select fund investments. He also oversees risk management, liquidity management, and cash flow forecasting for the evergreen fund.Prior to joining Wellington Management in 2025 Mike was a portfolio manager at Bow River Capital, where he co-founded and scaled their evergreen private markets platform while overseeing the fund's investment activity across multiple private markets asset classes. Prior to Bow River, he was a portfolio manager at Partners Group where he was responsible for portfolio construction and asset allocation for evergreen products and custom separate account mandates. He started his investment career at wealth-focused listed private equity firm Red Rocks Capital.Mike graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in finance, and he is a CFA and CAIA charterholder.Thanks, Mike, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and perspectives on private markets and evergreen funds.Show Notes00:00 Live from SuperReturn Berlin00:12 Meet Mike Trihy02:06 Defining the Perfect Evergreen02:27 Evergreen vs Drawdown DNA02:42 Deal Flow Isn't Everything03:01 Portfolio Construction Focus03:20 Cashflow Planning Mindset03:33 Operations and Valuations03:47 Sales and Flow Forecasting04:03 Regulation and Complexity04:11 Fiduciary Growth Discipline04:46 Do Firms Have the Toolkit05:20 Scale vs Boutique Nuances05:42 When Bottom Up Fails06:18 The Deal Flow Constraint06:44 Should There Be More07:00 Shakeout and Quality Wins08:07 No One Best Wrapper08:28 Matching Assets and Clients09:43 LP Mix and Herding Risk11:34 Evergreens Future in Wealth13:21 Public Markets DNA Advantage14:56 Partnerships and Mega IPOs17:07 Private Markets Stay Private18:52 DPI and Exit Wave Impact20:17 Public vs Private Valuations22:21 What Happens Faster Slower24:08 Closing

Investcorp Strategic Capital Group's Anthony Maniscalco - the evolution of GP stakes

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2026 41:47


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We sat down with Anthony Maniscalco, the Managing Partner and Business Head of Investcorp Strategic Capital Group (ISCG).We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as private equity industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.Investcorp has been a pioneer in private equity. Since its founding in 1982, the firm has grown from a “boutique Gulf firm” into a global and diversified alternative asset manager. Investcorp launched its Strategic Capital Group (SCG) (GP stakes) business long after its founding in 1982. But the firm brought in a pioneer to launch and build SCG into a leading GP stakes firm, which now has over $2.2B of AUM. Anthony has been involved in GP stakes from the industry's early days. He was a founding member of Blackstone Strategic Capital Holdings, a $3.3B private, permanent capital vehicle focused on acquiring minority interests in alternative asset manager GPs. He was also a Managing Director of the Hedge Fund Solutions business at The Blackstone Group. Prior to joining Investcorp, Anthony was a Managing Director and Co-Head of Credit Suisse Anteil Capital Partners. Launched in 2019, Investcorp's SCG acquires minority interests in alternative asset managers, particularly GPs that manage longer-duration private capital strategies. SCG has completed 12 investments since inception.Anthony and I had a fascinating conversation about the evolution of GP stakes and the benefits of GP stakes for investors. We covered:Why have stakes shifted from hedge funds to alternative asset managers?Why the features of the alternative asset management business model (contracted management fees, locked-up capital, less key-person risk) can make for a good GP stake investment.Why a GP would sell an equity stake in its firm to finance its growth.Unpacking the middle-market GP landscape and where middle-market GPs need help growing their firm.The evolution from fund to firm and what's next for GP stakes.BioAnthony Maniscalco is the Managing Partner and Business Head of Investcorp Strategic Capital Group (ISCG), based in New York. ISCG is focused on providing capital solutions to the GPs of mid-sized private market alternative asset managers. ISCG closed its inaugural fund in the Spring of 2022 and currently manages over $2.2 billion of AUM. In his current role, Mr. Maniscalco is focused on managing the overall business, sourcing new investment opportunities, advising portfolio GPs and is the chairperson of the Investment Committee.Prior to his current role, Mr. Maniscalco was a Managing Director and Co-Head of Credit Suisse Anteil Capital Partners. Prior to this, he was Managing Director of the Hedge Fund Solutions business at The Blackstone Group. At Blackstone, he was a founding member and on the investment committee of Blackstone Strategic Capital Holdings, a USD 3.3 billion private, permanent capital vehicle focused on acquiring minority interests in alternative asset manager GPs.Prior to Blackstone, Mr. Maniscalco was Head of Alternative Asset Management Banking at Barclays (and its predecessor Lehman Brothers) within its Financial Institutions Group. Prior to this role, Mr. Maniscalco was head of the Media and Telecom vertical within Lehman Brothers' Leveraged Finance Group.Early in his career, he worked at Bank of America and its predecessor Continental Bank in Chicago, focused on high-yield, mezzanine, syndicated bank loans, and interim financing products.Anthony holds a B.S. from Indiana University (2026 College Football National Champions!) and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.Thanks, Anthony, for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion about GP stakes and the business of alternative asset management.Show Notes00:00 Live From Berlin00:15 Meet Anthony Maniscalco02:56 Early Staking Was Hedge Funds03:05 Banks And Prime Brokerage03:40 Private Equity Hits A Wall03:53 Shift To Private Equity Stakes04:30 Why Stakes Are Attractive04:54 Locked In Fee Streams05:31 Carry And Diversification06:06 How LPs Classify Stakes06:59 Three Allocation Buckets07:55 Strategic Access Flywheel09:05 Tougher Fundraising Today09:19 Why Middle Market09:05 Fundraising Help For GPs10:55 Underwriting Growth Readiness12:15 Primary Capital Use Of Proceeds12:49 Why Equity Is Worth It14:46 Talent Retention And Next Gen15:46 Wealth Channel Fit18:23 Portfolio Construction Framework19:36 Why Venture Is Harder23:23 From Fund To Firm24:34 Liquidity And Exit Paths27:35 Prefs, Debt, And New Solutions38:41 Continuation Vehicles Flywheel41:02 Closing Thoughts

Coller Capital's Jake Elmhirst - secondaries coming in first: AGM Live at SuperReturn

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2026 29:32


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We sat down with Jake Elmhirst, Partner, Head of Private Wealth Secondaries Solutions and Head of Capital Formation at Coller Capital.We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as private equity industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.Coller Capital has been a pioneer in the rapidly growing secondaries market. Coller's tagline? “First in secondaries.” Coller might be “first in secondaries.” The industry they focus on has moved to the forefront of private markets. Secondaries are coming in first for many LPs, in part because secondaries are now an active portfolio management solution for LPs (LP-led secondaries) and a way for LPs and GPs to continue to invest in the growth and value appreciation of some of their funds' best assets (GP-led secondaries). The firm completed its first secondaries transaction in 1990 and its first GP-led investment in 1996. Today, Coller has $55B in AUM (as of 3/31/26). Jake joined Coller after a long career at UBS, where he partnered with Coller from a few different vantage points co-founding and co-leading the Private Funds Group within UBS Investment Bank and leading the Private Markets effort within UBS Global Wealth Management. His perspective on Coller was very much a reason why he decided to leave his farm in Yorkshire (as a 23rd generation farmer!) to join Coller as they build out their wealth efforts.Jake and I had a fascinating conversation about the evolution of secondaries and how they are increasingly “solutions” for LPs and GPs. We covered:Jake's experience witnessing the rise of the early days of private markets and how that's shaped how he thinks about secondaries today.Why secondaries are becoming “solutions” for LPs and GPs.Why secondaries can be a core portfolio holding.The features of secondaries. The drivers of the increase in LP-led sales.Why have GP-led continuation vehicles become a popular solution?Why secondaries make sense for private wealth investors.BioJake is a Partner and Head of Private Wealth Secondaries Solutions and Head of Capital Formation. He is based in the firm's London office.Prior to joining Coller Capital in April 2022, Jake spent 25 years at UBS where he led the Private Markets effort within UBS Global Wealth Management, based in London. Prior to that, Jake co-founded and co-led the Private Funds Group within UBS Investment Bank, based in New York.He previously worked at Freshfields in London, where he qualified as a solicitor working in the Tax Team with a focus on collective investment schemes.Jake has a degree in Law (LLB) from the University of Bristol.Jake Elmhirst is a registered representative of Parallel Distributors LLC.Thanks, Jake, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion in private markets, private wealth, and secondaries. Show Notes 00:00 Live in Berlin Intro00:39 Jake Elmhirst's Career Journey02:08 Wealth Channel Lessons05:06 Farming Roots Detour07:34 Secondaries Liquidity Fix09:26 Continuation Vehicles Impact11:21 Wealth Channel and Scale13:21 Why Secondaries Work15:15 Core Holding for Wealth16:31 Discount Versus Quality18:43 Underwriting in CV Era20:56 Evergreen Portfolio Mix21:56 Future of Solutions23:02 Toolbox Expansion Ideas24:55 Why Scale Matters25:53 Discount Nuance Explained27:30 Active Portfolio Management28:45 Closing Thoughts

Goldman Sachs' Kyle Kniffen - the arc of alternatives at Goldman Sachs

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2026 23:36


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We sat down with Kyle Kniffen, Managing Director, Global Head of Alternatives, Third Party Wealth at Goldman Sachs. We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as private equity industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.A little over two years ago, I wrote on AGM about how, at $456B in AUM in alternatives, Goldman Sachs was a “sleeping giant” in private markets. In reality, Goldman is anything but a sleeping giant in private markets, having started its private equity business in 1984 and earning the distinction of being a top-5 alternatives manager by AUM across both traditional and alternative asset managers.Today, Goldman has grown its alternatives business to over $625B in AUM.The firm has expanded its platform with the acquisition of Industry Ventures and a partnership with T. Rowe Price to deliver public and private markets solutions to the wealth channel, and, most recently, the creation of its Alternative Investment Platform to provide HNW clients with direct access to private companies.The evolution of Goldman's Alternatives business reflects a thoughtful, measured approach to understanding the needs of wealth channel investors and finding the utility and purpose of strategy, product, and product structure.That was much of the focus of the conversation Kyle and I had in Berlin. We discussed the objective and utility of private markets in a portfolio. We covered:The growth of evergreen funds.Why evergreens are the product structure of choice.Why are evergreens also appealing to institutional allocators, insurance companies, and UHNW investors?How GPs and LPs are approaching LP composition to evergreen vehicles.The next wave of product innovation.The build, buy, partner framework Why Goldman is so excited about the GeoWealth partnership and what the future of model portfolios look like.What is not known but should be known about the Goldman Alternatives franchise.BioKyle Kniffen is a managing director in the Client Solutions Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He serves as global head of Alternatives for Third Party Wealth (TPW), overseeing client strategy for the firm's TPW clients globally, delivering the power of the Alternatives investing platform to a broad set of individual investors through our partnerships with financial intermediary clients and their advisors, including Private Banks, Broker-Dealers, RIAs and other distribution platforms. Kyle partners closely with leadership across our Alternatives franchise to develop products that meet our clients' evolving needs. He is also co-chair of the AWM Global Distribution Working Group.Prior to this role, Kyle was in Alternative Capital Markets (ACM), serving as head of ACM for Goldman Sachs Ayco and leading coverage for One Goldman Sachs financial sponsors globally. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2018 as a vice president in ACM and was named managing director in 2021.Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Kyle led a variety of distribution and product management teams for Bank of America's Alternative Investment Group within their Global Wealth and Investment Management division.Kyle is a board member for the Institute of Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), and a member of The Economic Club of New York. Kyle earned a BA from Gettysburg College.Thanks, Kyle, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private markets and serving the wealth channel.Show Notes00:00 AGM Live from SuperReturn Berlin00:22 Meet Kyle Kniffin01:10 Wealth Meets Private Markets01:37 Big Pools Little Allocation02:24 Alt Strategies Explosion03:04 Lessons from Hedge Funds03:34 Start with Client Goals03:53 Risk Liquidity Tradeoffs04:10 Portfolio Utility First04:25 Holistic Private Markets04:44 Fit and Terms Matter05:07 Setting Expectations05:32 Product Innovation Shift05:52 Evergreens and Flexibility06:10 Monthly Access and Tactics06:39 Evergreen Growth Rates06:45 Education and Dispersion07:15 Why Evergreens Exist07:41 Diversification Lower Minimums08:04 Operational Simplicity08:21 Evergreen Nuance Phase One08:47 Goldman in Third Party Wealth09:26 Institutions Buying Evergreens10:31 LP Mix and Liquidity Caps11:36 Institutionalizing Wealth Platforms13:29 Goldman Platform Advantage14:46 Feeding the Evergreen Engine15:13 GeoWealth and Model Portfolios15:45 T Rowe Price Collaboration16:12 Build vs Buy Partner Balance16:42 Industry Ventures Acquisition17:33 Goldman Alts Heritage18:35 Pioneering GP Stakes19:45 Secondaries Since 199820:12 Apex of Private Markets21:08 Will Secondaries Be Core21:48 Max Flexibility for Wealth22:42 Customization vs Scale23:16 Flagships Then Bespoke23:49 Lessons from Private Wealth25:10 Broader Menu of Privates25:34 Closing Thoughts 

Sagard's Paul Desmarais III - building the next generation alternative asset manager: AGM Live at SuperReturn

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2026 25:13


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We sat down with Paul Desmarais III, the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Sagard, the fast-growing $46B global multi-strategy alternative asset manager.We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as private equity industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.Sagard combines a rich history and heritage of building asset management businesses with a modern approach to building a global alternative asset manager.Paul's deep understanding of the industry comes from being part of a family of multiple generations of asset management pioneers in Canada who have built some of the industry's largest financial services businesses. Paul is the “next first generation” of asset management pioneers to come out of the Desmarais family. He started Sagard with $400M in seed capital in 2016 and, in ten short years, has grown the platform into a global multi-strategy alternative asset manager with over $46B. Sagard's mission to empower founders by being a business that builds businesses shines through in the approach Paul and the team have taken in building Sagard. The firm has incubated, built, and acquired asset management talent and firms to scale across strategy and geography into the global platform that it is today.Paul and I had a fascinating conversation about the business of asset management and why Sagard exists to serve entrepreneurs around the world. We covered:Sagard's entrepreneurial DNA.What does it mean to build a business that builds businesses?Being the “next first generation.”How Sagard approaches the buy, build, partner framework of asset management businesses.How Sagard has expanded its platform across asset classes and strategies.How to build a global, multi-strategy asset management brand.Why specialization matters in asset management.How to approach the wealth channel.The decentralized pod shop model.The future of private markets.BioPaul Desmarais III is the Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset management firm active in venture capital, private equity, credit, and real estate.Paul has led Sagard since 2016, along with a handful of close partners bound by a common vision: partnering with entrepreneurs to catalyze transformation in our investments and communities. Sagard has experienced outstanding growth, with assets under management increasing to over $46B.Under Paul, Sagard has built a global network of expertise that helps companies lead, embrace, and stay ahead of disruptive trends, expanding activity in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Paul engages actively in growing Sagard companies. Within the Sagard ecosystem, Paul is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Portage (fintech & financial services investing) and the Chairman and Co-Founder of Diagram (venture builder). Within the investment portfolios, he is the Chairman of Wealthsimple, Novisto, and Sagard Wealth, and a director of Nesto and Midas. Paul also sits on the board of Empower, the number two 401(k) business in the U.S.Show Notes00:00 Live From SuperReturn00:10 Meet Paul Desmarais III01:06 Family Business Roots01:23 G1 Entrepreneur Mindset01:35 Launching Sagard 201601:51 Generational Reinvention02:02 Early Spark To Build03:40 Learning From Mistakes04:33 By Entrepreneurs For Entrepreneurs04:45 Sagard Origin Story04:58 Power Corp Alternatives Gap05:43 Starting With Credit06:10 Serving Beyond The Family06:46 Alignment With Family Capital07:19 Customer First Performance07:44 Team Money Invested07:53 Generational Time Horizon08:47 Patience Builds Partnerships09:22 Innovation In The DNA09:39 Regional To Global Champions09:53 Why Reinvention Matters10:26 Platform Strategy Mix11:02 Pillars Of The Firm11:25 Fintech Ecosystem Flywheel11:35 Building The Competitive Moat12:07 Emerging Managers Advantage12:41 Synergies At Scale13:08 Designing Collaboration13:47 Incentives And Shared Carry15:07 Values Drive Culture23:25 Legacy And Entrepreneur Impact24:39 Closing Thanks

Brookfield's Anuj Ranjan - "own the boring that makes exciting possible": AGM Live at SuperReturn

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2026 31:24


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We sat down with Brookfield Private Equity CEO Anuj Ranjan. We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as private equity industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.Brookfield has a rich legacy as an asset owner and operator of some of the “businesses that drive the global economy.” Brookfield is a firm where skin in the game (~25% of every fund includes an investment from Brookfield's balance sheet) meets scale and synergies across its investment platform, which spans private equity, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and energy.Now, they are looking to own what's next.What will the next era of private equity require? A different approach, according to Brookfield Private Equity CEO Anuj Ranjan. The conversation that Anuj and I had in the Tiny Space cabin covered big themes.Brookfield is investing in the megatrends that are driving the world's economy across its platform, from digitalization to decarbonization to deglobalization. The firm's focus on industrials in its private equity business makes it well equipped to invest in essential companies, as Brookfield aptly describes their investment focus as “own[ing] the boring that makes exciting possible.”Anuj and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of private equity and what it will take to drive value in a new era for the industry where “12 is the new 5.” We covered:Brookfield's history as an owner-operator.How the firm's long-term perspective informs its investments in and ownership of private equity-backed companies.Anuj's experience investing in India was an exercise in patience.Why is today the era of “roll up your sleeves private equity?”How Brookfield is approaching value creation in industrial companies.Where Brookfield believes it can leverage AI to create post-deal operational value.Why Brookfield partnered with OpenAI to create DeployCo in order to scale enterprise AI deployment.Where are we in the adoption curve of physical AI and robotics?BioAnuj Ranjan is Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield's Private Equity Group and Brookfield Business Corporation. In this role, Mr. Ranjan is responsible for the investments, operations, and expansion of the Private Equity business, in addition to managing Brookfield's external strategic partnerships. He is a member of Brookfield's Executive Committee.Mr. Ranjan joined Brookfield in 2006 and has held various positions within the company and its affiliates. He established and previously led Brookfield's India and Middle East operations.Mr. Ranjan holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Ivey Business School at Western University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta.Thanks, Anuj, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private markets and how to create value through operating companies better.Show Notes00:00 Welcome to SuperReturn00:07 Meet Anuj Ranjan00:55 From Software to Finance02:03 Building India and Mideast02:48 India Deal Frenzy03:17 Five Years of Patience03:22 Learning Before Buying03:28 First True Buyouts04:06 Profits and Team Growth04:16 Taking Model Global04:32 Growth Amid Headwinds04:58 Roll Up Sleeves Private Equity Era05:06 Operational Value Creation05:12 Brookfield Platform DNA05:33 Balance Sheet Advantage05:54 Long-Term Investing06:12 Patience Gets Rewarded07:14 Testing Tech on Balance Sheet07:32 Owning What's Next07:41 AI Needs Hard Assets07:58 Brookfield at the Center09:09 One Firm Collaboration09:51 Platform Informs Deals11:27 Westinghouse Nuclear Bet15:19 Picking the Right Carve Outs16:34 Pricing Power Example17:51 From Five to Twelve18:59 Why Carve Outs Win Now20:05 AI for Industrial Ops20:53 Data Before AI22:12 Predictive Maintenance Story23:31 Physical AI and Robotics24:52 Digitizing the Physical World25:33 Humanoid Robotics Timeline26:28 Deploying AI at Scale26:56 Execution Beats Innovation27:52 Best AI Investment Thesis28:00 Buying Boring Businesses28:52 AI Ready Leadership Team29:30 Hiring Real Tech Leaders30:00 Blockbuster vs Netflix30:43 Closing Reflections

Vista Equity Partners' Monti Saroya - "harnessing" the power of AI in the enterprise: AGM Live at SuperReturn

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2026 25:02


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We sat down with Vista Equity Partners' Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Flagship Fund, Monti Saroya. We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as private equity industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.Vista Equity Partners has been a pioneer in enterprise software investing. They have been at the forefront of every major technology platform shift, whether it was on-prem to cloud, the adoption of enterprise software, and now the agentification of the enterprise with AI.The $103B AUM scaled specialist software investor has dedicated its efforts to building “mission critical” enterprise software companies that organizations can't live without.Monti has had a front-row seat in building and developing both infrastructure and software that the technology industry can't live without. He brings to bear the perspective of someone who lived through the early days of the internet from his time at Cisco Systems and Siebel Systems. Through this lens, and drawing on his experience investing in enterprise software companies since joining Vista in 2008, Monti is able to make sense of where, how, and why AI will be adopted within the enterprise, and what it means for both operators and investors.This conversation with Monti was one of the most illuminating conversations I've had on AI recently. He pieced together so much of what is happening in AI today, covering:The different layers of AI adoption.Why “harness” companies can be valuable.Where AI agents are having the most impact on a business.Why open source is the next wave of the AI buildout.The Linux lesson for AI.Why Monti is so excited about the firm's investment in SambaNova.Do “harness” companies have a moat?Why the moats for many AI companies might surprise you.Why sovereign AI is the next big thing.BioMonti Saroya joined Vista Equity Partners in 2008 and is Co-Head of the Vista Flagship Fund and sits on its Investment Committee.Additionally, Monti serves as a member of Vista's Executive Committee, the firm's governing and decision- making body for matters affecting its overall management and strategic direction, and Vista's Private Equity Management Committee, the firm's decision-making body for matters affecting Vista's overall private equity platform.Monti is also the Co-Chief Executive Officer of VistaOne, Vista's evergreen private equity vehicle, and serves on the Investment Committee. Monti helps lead Vista's artificial intelligence initiatives, driving the firm's approach to AI adoption through strategic partnerships and the deployment of AI-enabled infrastructure and capabilities across the platform and portfolio ecosystem.He currently sits on the boards of Acumatica, Allvue Systems, Avalara, Cloud Software Group, Duck Creek, Finastra, Infoblox, Playlist, Smartsheet, Solera, among others. Monti was actively involved in the firm's investments in Apptio, Cvent (NASDAQ: CVT), Datto (formerly NYSE: MSP), Marketo, PowerSchool (formerly NYSE: PWSC), SumTotal, The ACTIVENetwork, and Transfirst, among others.Prior to Vista, Monti worked as a Senior Research Analyst for JMP Securities, where he provided research for buy-side clients on public on-demand (SaaS) companies. Monti previously worked as an Associate on the enterprise software/applications team. Before JMP, Monti worked at Siebel Systems in a sales capacity for the CRM On Demand division. Prior to Siebel, Monti worked for Cisco Systems in various operations roles.Thanks, Monti, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about AI, enterprise software, and technology transformations.Show Notes00:00 Intro: Live from SuperReturn00:10 Meet Monti Saroya00:20 Why AI Matters Now00:41 Career Origins Cisco00:57 Building Internet 1.0 01:21 Infrastructure Before Apps01:25 From Compute to Giants01:38 AI as New Buildout01:56 Internet 1.0 Lessons02:17 Change Slower Then Bigger02:48 Consumer Adoption First03:08 What We Underestimate03:26 AI Like Electricity03:41 Three Layer AI Stack04:03 Cloud Providers Layer04:15 App Layer Value Capture04:26 What Is the App Layer04:41 Software Needs Humans05:25 Agents System of Action05:53 Where Agents Impact Today06:20 Engineering Productivity Gains07:29 Augment Not Replace07:51 Rearchitecting With AI08:16 Harnesses Around Intelligence09:17 Routing Cuts Compute Cost09:26 Model Choice and Governance10:55 Enterprise Goals Drive AI11:51 Workflow Context Is Key12:47 SambaNova Compute Economics14:27 Token Subsidies Ending15:39 Open Source Next Wave16:02 Linux Lesson for AI17:03 Deploying Is the Hard Part17:40 Vista Agentic Factory18:42 Avoiding Services Trap19:05 Where Value Gets Created19:32 NeoCloud Inference Centers20:21 Harness Companies and Moats21:05 Enterprise Software Reality Check21:51 CFOs Demand ROI Metrics22:44 Word Association Game23:15 Workflow Specific Future23:48 Sovereign AI Is Coming24:24 Wrap Up and Thanks

Apax's Andrew Sillitoe and Mitch Truwit - buying complexity for value in the middle market: AGM Live from SuperReturn

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2026 28:30


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We were live from Berlin, which becomes the “capital of private capital” in June as the private equity's industry leaders make the annual pilgrimage to the city for one of the marquee private equity conferences, SuperReturn Berlin.Much of the SuperReturn conference is centered on fundraising. GPs take up every available space — from hotel rooms to Tiny Space cabins that line the parking spots on Budapester Strasse outside of the InterContinental conference venue — to conduct meetings with LPs.With Prosek Partners and former Bloomberg TV journalist Deirdre Bolton as my producer, along with her team, we took over a Tiny Space cabin to hold big conversations with some of the industry's leading alternative asset managers.Our first conversation was with Apax Co-CEOs Andrew Sillitoe and Mitch Truwit.Apax is one of the pioneers in the private equity industry. The firm's rich history dates back to the 1970s, when its founders, Alan Patricof (US), Sir Ronald Cohen (UK), and Maurice Tchénio (France), came together to establish the first US-UK partnership firm in private equity. During that time period, the firm backed Steve Jobs and the first iteration of Apple. The UK and US firms merged in 1981, laying the foundation for Apax.Today, Apax stands at over $80B in aggregate funds raised. The firm underwent its second leadership transition in 2014, when Andrew and Mitch were elected as Co-CEOs, succeeding Martin Halusa, who became Chairman.Apax sits in a unique position. They are a scaled platform that focuses on the middle market. They operate across three sectors, Tech, Services, and Digital / Consumer, infusing a digital DNA and value creation team into everything they do. Their platform spans “a mile wide and a mile deep,” which is what much of the conversation between Andrew, Mitch, and me unpacked.We had a fascinating discussion about the current state of private equity and the middle market, why Apax focuses on “density-driven business models,” why the firm focuses on carveouts in the middle market, what's underappreciated about the middle market, why it's important to “buy in the right neighborhood and fix it up,” and how the firm's core values of “having impact through insight and tenacity” drive every decision they make.BiosAndrew Sillitoe has been Co-CEO of Apax since 2014. He is Chairman of the Apax Global Investment Committee and the Digital Investment Committee, amongst others. He is also a member of the Apax Executive Committee. He has been based in London since joining the Firm in 1998, focusing on Tech & Telco investments.Andrew has been involved in a number of investments including Inmarsat, Intelsat, King, Orange Switzerland, TIVIT, TDC and Unilabs.Prior to joining Apax, Andrew was a consultant at LEK. Andrew holds an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford and an MBA from INSEAD.BoardsAndrew has previously served on the boards of Inmarsat, King, Intelsat, Orange Switzerland and TDC.Mitch Truwit is Co-CEO of Apax, based in New York.Prior to joining Apax in 2006, Mitch was the President and CEO of Orbitz Worldwide between 2005 and 2006 and was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of priceline.com between 2001 and 2005.Mitch is a graduate of Vassar College where he received a BA in Political Science. He also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School.BoardsMitch serves as a Board member of Openlane and Trade Me. Prior boards include Advantage Sales & Marketing, Assured Partners, Dealer.com, Bankrate, Garda World, Hub International, Trader Canada, Boats Group and Quality Distribution Inc.Mitch serves on the charitable boards of the Apax Foundation, the John McEnroe Tennis Project, Posse and StreetSquash.Thanks, Andrew and Mitch, for a fascinating conversation and for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion at the intersection of investing and operating in private equity.Show Notes00:00 Meet Apax co-CEOs, Andrew Sillitoe and Mitch Truwit00:26 Andrew's Origins at Apax00:47 Private Equity Then vs Now01:25 Apax Growth and Values01:45 Curiosity as a Differentiator02:04 Mitch's Operator Background02:56 Why Mitch Joined Apax03:40 Defining the Middle Market04:14 Why Sub-Billion EV Works04:59 Middle Market Talent Gap05:20 Carve Outs as a Strategy05:29 TRADER Corporation - Canada App Turnaround06:12 Scaled Platform Advantage07:14 Digital DNA and AI Wave07:50 Top Line Growth Lever08:36 Add-ons and TAM Expansion09:33 ECI Case Study Roll Up10:07 Integration Over Collection10:28 Exit Options in a Bigger PE World10:59 Building for Multiple Buyers11:45 Fund Size Discipline12:34 Choosing Returns Over AUM13:16 Understanding Firm DNA14:01 Global Micro Investing14:49 Making Global Pods Work15:50 Scale Specialization Flexibility17:08 Where to Invest Now19:23 Buying Complexity for Value20:15 Moats and Investment Committee22:13 Why Middle Market Excites Them23:19 Future of PE and AI at Scale24:50 Impact Insight Tenacity Culture25:54 Obligation to Dissent Story26:55 Aspirational Brand Analogy27:48 Wrap Up and Thanks

Blackstone's Farhad Karim - a "relentless" focus on serving private wealth

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2026 38:58


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's podcast takes us to the heart of Mayfair in London, where Blackstone Private Wealth COO Farhad Karim shared the firm's history and evolution in Europe. He took a walk down memory lane to discuss the firm's 25th anniversary in Europe as we walked through Berkeley Square from Blackstone's current office to their new office at the other end of the square, highlighting how the firm has become the largest owner of commercial real estate in Europe and the importance of building a local presence in the region.Farhad took on the role of Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone Private Wealth in 2024 after a career at Blackstone that included serving as Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone Europe and holding a senior leadership role in the firm's Real Estate business.Farhad and I had a fascinating discussion about the evolution of Blackstone's business in Europe and the firm's Private Wealth business globally. We covered:Why it's important to “meet people where they are at.”What Farhad learned from his experience as chairman of Blackstone Europe.Building and expanding Blackstone's Private Wealth business.How Blackstone will continue to be a pioneer in private wealth.The next phase of product innovation in the wealth channel.How an international perspective has shaped Farhad's approach to building the Private Wealth business.Harmonizing the institutional and private wealth businesses when delivering solutions to LPs.The human element of working with wealth.What it means to be “relentless.”Perspectives on evergreen funds.The scale of opportunity, information, and access.Thanks, Farhad, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private markets and private wealth.Show Notes00:33 A Message from Our Sponsor, Ultimus Fund Solutions02:14 Farhad's Blackstone Journey03:37 Speed and Certainty Culture04:07 Real Estate to Wealth Channel Parallels05:04 Building for Local Markets06:16 On-the-Ground Coverage Worldwide07:45 Education at Scale08:52 How Well Advisors Understand Private Markets10:45 Early Innings Adoption12:09 Packaging Private Markets Products13:46 Simplicity vs Customization14:39 Consolidation and Institutionalization19:14 Global Trends Localization19:33 Scale and Deal Competition20:11 AI Advantage in Investing20:53 Portfolio Ops AI Playbook21:42 Private Markets Risk Setup22:17 Noise Versus Facts22:57 Fighting False Narratives23:42 Wealth Channel Narrative24:18 Why Private Markets Matter25:10 Investing Through Geopolitics26:25 Evergreen Versus Drawdown27:21 Discipline Over Structure28:28 Semi-liquid as a Feature29:17 Evergreen for Founders30:39 Evergreen Mindset and Compounding32:01 Owning the Narrative Direct35:22 Fiduciary Seriousness Balance36:15 Relentless Culture Explained38:39 Closing Footnotes(Timestamp 02:46.7): Largest owners of commercial real estate in Europe.(Timestamp 31:33.0): Reference to Class I annualized, inception-to-date return from January 2017.A Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Hightower's Larry Restieri - building a $1T RIA and operating at the intersection of private markets and private wealth

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2026 50:39


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives deep into the world of wealth management with someone whose career is emblematic of the intersection of private markets and private wealth.We sat down with Larry Restieri, the CEO of Hightower.Larry is the CEO and a member of the Board of Directors at Hightower, a national wealth management firm that empowers financial advisors to deliver sophisticated investment and financial services to clients.Larry joined the firm in June 2025 from Goldman Sachs, where he was a Partner. Larry served as the CEO of Goldman's AYCO business, which specializes in workplace financial planning and private wealth advisory services.He held a variety of leadership roles at Goldman across its wealth and asset management divisions, including heading up the Alternative Capital Markets business.Larry and I had a fascinating conversation about the continuing convergence of private markets and private wealth from someone who was at the forefront of this industry transformation. We covered:The evolution of private markets within the wealth channel.Lessons learned from Larry's time building Goldman's Alternative Capital Markets business and the AYCO business.The path to building Hightower into a $1T RIA. The build-out of Hightower's Signature Wealth brand.What does the continued buildout of private equity-backed platforms mean for the evolution of wealth management?What drives financial advisors?The benefits of the independent RIA model.How and why wealth clients should be thinking about private markets.Thanks, Larry, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.Show Notes00:15 Meet Larry Restieri01:22 Sponsor Message from Ultimus Fund Solutions05:37 Larry Career Journey11:21 Why Hightower12:02 Next Wealth Evolution14:37 Democratizing Alternatives17:08 Education And Expectations18:14 GPs And Distribution19:49 Big Versus Niche Managers22:09 Platform Due Diligence23:20 NEPC And Hightower One26:18 Trillion Dollar RIAs27:42 What Advisors Want28:57 Building Hightower One29:27 Signature Wealth Brand30:41 Acquiring The Bahnsen Group31:57 Why Brand Matters32:22 The Volkswagen Brand Analogy34:15 Culture and Community36:34 Hightower 3.0 Strategy37:59 Open Architecture Explained41:04 Private Equity Exits43:06 Multiples and Deal Discipline44:49 Markets and Cash Flow46:20 Private Markets Adoption49:10 GPs Serving RIAs52:33 Closing ReflectionsA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Oak Hill Advisors' Eric Muller - operating at the intersection of public and private credit: live from iCapital Connect

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2026 31:04


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We were live from iCapital Connect's conference in Phoenix, where we sat down with some of the industry's leaders across asset management and wealth management.Eric Muller is Portfolio Manager & Partner, CEO - BDCs for Oak Hill Advisors (OHA). Oak Hill, which was acquired by T. Rowe Price in December 2021, has $112B AUM across performing and distressed credit-related investments in North America, Europe and other geographies.Eric shares responsibility for leading OHA's private credit business and has primary management responsibility for OHA's BDCs. Prior to joining OHA in 2018, Mr. Muller worked in Goldman Sachs' Merchant Banking Division, where he was a Partner in the Private Credit Group, responsible for leading its private senior lending business in North America and managing vehicles that invested across the spectrum of the credit market. With credit on the minds of many, Eric provided a nuanced perspective on the current state of the credit markets and where to uncover both opportunity and risk in the market.Eric and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of private credit. We discussed:How his experience in private equity has informed how he approaches credit investing.What are the risk / reward trade-offs in private credit?Why credit investors need to be pessimists.How LPs should evaluate private credit firms and why the ability to do workouts matters.How do private equity sponsors pick their credit partners?Why private credit firms might have higher recovery rates than liquid credit markets.How OHA's combination with T. Rowe Price has helped the firm productize for the wealth channel.What are misconceptions about private credit risk and liquidity?Where are the opportunities in liquid credit versus illiquid credit?Thanks, Eric, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion for private credit and private markets.Show Notes00:00 Relative Value Lens00:11 A Message from Ultimus Fund Solutions01:08 Live at iCapital Connect01:46 Early Career at Goldman01:59 Mezzanine Fund Era02:23 GFC Timing Advantage02:51 Running Private Credit03:03 Joining Oak Hill04:15 PE Lessons for Credit04:30 Different Investor Questions04:56 Credit Risk Reward Mindset05:45 Optimistic Pessimist06:16 Downside With Right Tail06:47 Workouts and Distressed Skills08:02 Private vs Liquid Recoveries08:19 Aligned Lenders in Private08:54 Sponsor Relationships Matter09:22 Choosing the Right Partners10:46 Volatility Reveals Behavior11:22 Is Capital Commodity12:39 OHA Distressed DNA13:31 Crossroads of Markets14:26 Challenges of Unconstrained15:22 Risk Spectrum for LPs16:19 T Rowe Deal Rationale17:18 Democratizing Alts Access19:10 One Ticker Multi Strategy20:28 Liquidity Wrappers Tradeoffs21:49 Quasi Liquid Reality Check22:35 Liquid vs Illiquid Risk23:27 Diligence Questions for LPs24:33 Origination Edge and Speed26:19 Public-Private Financing Choice26:55 Alts in Target Date Funds28:41 Private Credit Misconceptions30:30 Closing ThoughtsA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.DisclosuresThe views expressed are the interviewee's, are subject to change without notice, and may differ from those of other T. Rowe Price associates.  Information and opinions are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed to be reliable; the accuracy of those sources is not guaranteed. This material does not constitute a distribution, offer, invitation, recommendation, or solicitation to sell or buy any securities.  It does not constitute investment advice and should not be relied upon as such.  Investors should seek independent legal and financial advice, including advice as to tax consequences, before making any investment decision.Some or all alternative investments may not be suitable for certain investors. Alternative investments are typically speculative and involve a substantial degree of risk. Each fund and account may be leveraged and engage in other speculative practices that may increase the risk of investment loss. Investors must realize that they could lose all or a substantial amount of their investment. In addition, the fees and expenses charged may be higher than the fees and expenses of other investment alternatives, which will reduce profits. T. Rowe Price has $1.7T total assets under management and OHA has $112B assets under management as of March 31, 2026.In the United States, securities are offered through T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., a broker dealer, registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a member of FINRA. Securities are offered through T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., and advisory services are offered by Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. OHA is a T. Rowe Price company. T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc. and Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. are affiliated. 5629822

Oaktree's Danielle Poli - private credit: "boring is beautiful" - live from AGM's RIA Field Trip

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2026 32:27


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We were live from AGM's RIA Field Trip at Brookfield's New York office at Brookfield Place with Oaktree Managing Director and Co-Portfolio Manager Danielle Poli to unpack why private credit is at a crossroads and why dispersion is growing. Danielle has a unique perch to form a developed view on the current state of private credit. She sits at the intersection of public and private credit, providing her with perspectives on where opportunities and risks lie across the liquidity spectrum. Danielle is a founding member of Oaktree's Global Credit strategy and its Investment Committee, which was established in 2017. She's been an important contributor to its growth into a scaled multi-asset credit platform. She previously led Oaktree's product specialist group, which she helped build into a global team supporting credit, private equity, and real estate. She joined Oaktree in 201 and has nearly two decades of experience in private markets. She has been named to Barron's list of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance. Danielle and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of private credit, where cracks might be emerging and where to find pockets of opportunity amid the dislocations. We covered:Why is boring beautiful in private credit?Where are we in the credit cycle?Why it's important to have a contrarian mindset.Where, why, and how dispersion is rising in credit.How to underwrite software investments post-AI. Why asset-backed finance can be a diversifier.Why now could be the time to prepare for opportunistic and rescue lending opportunities, as maturities are fast approaching.How to balance public and private credit investing. Thanks, Danielle, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private credit. Show Notes00:00 Live Podcast Intro00:06 Meet Danielle Poli00:17 Contrarian Mindset 00:34 Our Sponsor, Ultimus Fund Solutions01:32 Where Private Credit Stands Today02:22 Bifurcation and ABF Rise02:59 Liquid vs Private Convergence03:36 Danielle's Career Background04:13 Why Liquidity Matters04:39 Dislocation Advantages05:10 Risk Return Tradeoffs05:18 Liquidity Premium Compression05:41 Covenants and Complexity06:01 Not All Private Credit is Equal06:34 Corporate vs Asset-Backed07:05 Why ABF Diversifies07:30 How Allocators Fund ABF07:49 Credit Taking Share from Equities08:49 Tough Direct Lending Vintages09:22 Rates Shock and Leverage09:43 AI Disrupts Software Credit10:41 Oaktree Software Underweight12:01 Underwriting Software Post AI12:57 Inside the Investment Committee13:57 Selling Rallies and Positioning31:30 Closing ThoughtsA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Breaking bread at Franklin Templeton's Private Markets RIA Advisory Council - Franklin Templeton's Dave Donahoo and Summit Wealth Group's Chelsea Ganey

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2026 43:20


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Building community is central to enabling an industry to grow. There are few better ways to build community and foster trusted relationships than to break bread. As the wealth channel continues to expand its adoption of private markets, peer-to-peer learning becomes ever more important. Sharing experiences and perspectives is what will help the wealth channel adopt private market solutions thoughtfully and responsibly.That's what happened at Franklin Templeton's Private Markets RIA Advisory Council event and dinner at BLACKBARN recently. Bread was broken. Relationships were built. We also found time to record a podcast at a dinner table with Franklin Templeton's Head of Private Markets - Americas Wealth Management Dave Donahoo and Summit Wealth Group's CIO Chelsea Ganey. The discussion granted access to a direct, honest, and raw window into perspectives on how asset managers and wealth managers can work together to educate one another and help move the industry forward. And yes, bread was broken before and after the podcast.Please enjoy this fantastic conversation with Dave and Chelsea on the state of private markets and private wealth and how both asset managers and wealth managers can balance customization and differentiation with scale.Thanks, Dave and Chelsea, for such a thoughtful and fascinating conversation.Show Notes00:00 A message from Ultimus, our Sponsor00:57 Meet The Guests01:07 Private Markets Are Eating World01:29 Why Create RIA Council01:49 Franklin Client-First DNA02:09 From Public To Private02:43 Listening Beyond Product03:07 Peer To Peer Insights04:12 Chelsea On The Benefits of Advisory Council04:36 Inbox Overload And Filtering05:10 Serving Diverse RIA Needs06:15 Many RIAs Within One06:30 What CIOs Need Most06:54 Educating Advisors At Scale07:32 GPs Must Listen Better08:26 What Education Really Means09:01 Repeatable Advisor Resources09:54 Avoid Oversimplifying Complexity10:30 Education Shifts To Choice11:50 Balancing Choice And Customization13:13 Centralized Menu For Scale15:10 Sober Selling And Integrity16:30 Franklin Private Markets Platform17:59 Specialist Managers Model18:28 Infrastructure Partnership Play19:22 Do More With Less Managers21:04 Holistic Options For Advisors21:47 Where Product Innovation Goes22:23 Sun Moon Stars Aligning22:53 Future Access 401k Models23:12 Start With Investment Why23:29 Allocator Innovation Lens24:09 Models Versus Customization24:35 Why Innovation Matters24:53 No One Right Way25:18 Whats Still Missing25:33 Scaling And The Middle25:55 Magic Wand Question26:19 Plumbing And Reporting26:32 Perpetual Structure Tradeoffs26:46 Protecting Investment Integrity27:30 Long Term Over Short Term27:42 Need More CIO Mindsets28:03 Strategic Allocation For Alts28:50 Chelsea On Strategic Framing29:34 Making Liquidity Intuitive30:06 Educating On Liquidity Risk30:29 Private Markets Risk Reframe31:32 Dave On Portfolio Construction32:14 Standardizing Industry Terms32:42 Building Trust With Liquidity33:45 A Fun Question38:10 Client Analogies That Stick40:43 Fat Pitch Opportunities Today42:53 Closing Thoughts And ThanksA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini - life lessons in sports and business from a world-class performer on and off the field

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2026 55:43


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We went to a mecca of football to film the latest episode. This conversation takes us to Turin, Italy, where we were in the Juventus Creator Lab with Italian football (I mean soccer for the Americans) legend and one of the best defenders of all time Giorgio Chiellini.Giorgio's career and playing style were defined by Juventus' very motto, fino alla fine (“until the end”). It's also a mentality that he brings to every aspect of life on and off the pitch. After an illustrious playing career at one of the world's biggest clubs, Juventus, and a career that also included two World Cup appearances for Italy and winning the Euro 2020 as the Captain of Italy, Giorgio came back home to Turin rejoin the club where he starred for 17 years: Juventus. Giorgio has gone from the pitch to the boardroom, helping to lead Juventus as the Director of Football Strategy. He has brought the player's perspective to the business side of football, balancing the nuances of sports and business.Despite the demands that Giorgio faced on the field as a player to maintain a standard of play at the highest levels of the game, he found time during his career to pursue his passion for business. He received his MBA while playing for Juventus and also was involved in the player development side in his final years as a player at LAFC. More recently, he became an investor in LAFC and in Mercury13, a multi-club investor in women's football teams, including FC Como. He's also an active investor in the European startup community.Giorgio and I had a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation that covered several dimensions of the business of sport. We discussed:How teams, owners, and investors can balance both the sport and business aspects of the game.What it means for sports now that players can have bigger social followings than their clubs or leagues.How Juventus has built and amplified its brand through initiatives like the Creator Lab.How clubs like Juventus can help players build their off-field brand while maintaining a high-quality on-field product.How Giorgio's work off the field while playing informed how he wanted to spend his time post-career in business.What Giorgio's day-to-day is like as Director of Football Strategy for Juventus.Why Giorgio invested in LAFC and what he thinks about the future of the MLS.What American owners and investors can learn from European soccer clubs and owners, and what European clubs and owners can learn from American owners and investors.Thanks, Giorgio, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and enthusiasm at the intersection of sports and business.Note: this episode was filmed in October 2025 with a plan to publish the conversation around the World Cup.Show Notes00:00 Split Second Decision01:06 A Message from Our Sponsor, Ultimus02:10 Meet Giorgio Chiellini04:17 What Is the Juventus Creator Lab04:36 Building Fans Through Content05:27 Football Brand Goes Global06:15 Revenue From Winning06:43 Two Hearts One Club07:52 Winning Versus Storytelling08:40 Fans Everywhere Now09:27 Too Many Games Problem09:51 Stakeholders and Calendar11:00 Owner Advice Communication11:28 From Kid to Club 14:12 Film Study for Matches15:02 The Saka Tactical Foul17:26 Social Media and Mental Health29:32 US World Cup Reality29:45 Grassroots Long Game30:09 MLS and USL Momentum30:14 Stadiums and Growth30:20 MLS Season vs Playoffs30:46 Supporters Shield Incentives31:11 Travel and Rest Mentality31:33 Europe Stakes Comparison31:54 Highlights Era Question32:24 Bite-Sized Sports Culture33:40 Choosing What to Watch33:55 Sports Must Adapt34:33 Owners Business View35:15 TV Rights and Strategy36:05 Institutional Money Trend36:42 Why Funds Love Sports37:04 Balancing Profit and Emotion38:12 Fiduciary Duty vs Winning39:15 Permanent Capital Advantage40:42 Mission Values Legacy41:54 Juventus DNA and Family44:31 Leadership Lessons Learned45:38 From Captain to Executive47:05 Humanity and Energy48:21 Player to Business Challenges50:00 Investing in Italian Startups51:47 How He Picks Investments52:43 Innovation and AI in Sport53:16 Favorite Alternative Investment54:34 Profitability and Winning55:21 ClosingA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Bank of America's Mark Sutterlin - why being a good investor in private markets is table stakes

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 51:43


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's conversation provides a fascinating window into the world of how one of the industry's largest wealth managers approaches private markets.We sat down with the man who holds the keys to the kingdom.Mark Sutterlin is the Head of Alternative Investments within the Investment Solutions Group at Bank of America. He leads the firm's strategy and platform development across hedge funds, private credit, private equity, physical precious metals, and real estate, delivering a broad spectrum of institutional-grade investment solutions to advisors and their clients.Mark brings the advisor's perspective to bear as he builds the alternative investments menu for Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank and helps educate advisors and clients on how and where to thoughtfully and appropriately include private markets in portfolios.Mark and I had a fascinating discussion. We covered:How GPs can work with private banks.What one of the largest private wealth allocators looks for in GPs.How Merrill approaches different product structures to deliver solutions across the wealth client spectrum.What constitutes a manager's edge.I loved this conversation with Mark, who takes such a thoughtful approach and brings a true passion to helping clients and advisors build and protect wealth.Thanks Mark for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion on private markets and private wealth.Show Notes00:00 Investor Edge Beyond Returns00:32 Sponsor Message from Ultimus01:41 Meet Mark Sutterlin04:15 Advisor Trust and Responsibility04:24 Penetration Across Wealth Tiers04:38 Scaling Alts Across Books04:49 Evergreen to Drawdown Spectrum05:12 Building the Shelf Challenge05:32 Evergreen Role in Portfolios05:42 Serving Broad Client Needs06:06 Optionality Not One Product06:20 Diligence as Core Identity06:48 Nuance in Private Credit07:27 Long-Term Themes Overlay07:56 Core and Satellite Question08:28 Drawdown vs Evergreen Tradeoffs08:48 Advisor Client Feedback Loop09:25 Evergreens Now Dominate Flows09:49 Evergreen Growing Pains10:14 Education and Expectations10:42 Rotation Within Evergreens11:11 Who Can Run Evergreens Well11:35 Scale Deal Flow Allocation Policy12:29 Post Sale Servicing Matters12:52 How Managers Should Service13:23 Transparency Builds Loyalty14:03 Vetting Managers for Private Banks14:45 Investor Skill Is Table Stakes15:22 Thousand Funds Deep Diligence16:07 Unpacking Firm DNA16:23 Private Wealth Is High Touch16:53 Eyes Wide Open Expectations17:14 Best GPs Listen and Adapt18:12 Customization Versus Scale19:13 Specialists and Custom Funds19:57 Proposal Tools for Advisors20:43 Menu Design From Client Needs21:25 Differentiation in UHNW22:31 Co-Invest and Capacity Access24:43 Tech DLT and Streamlining25:38 Biggest Blocker Education Gap26:45 Misconception Complexity27:52 Alts Invitationals Bootcamp29:45 Where Advisors Are Today30:16 What Why How Framework31:32 Implementation Needs Support31:51 Scaling the Alts Business32:45 Open Architecture Platform33:01 Lifecycle Ops Risk Controls33:40 Where to Invest Next33:53 Infrastructure and DLT Readiness34:42 Future Growth Sources35:37 Advisors Yet to Adopt36:00 Balanced Growth Outlook36:58 Client Sentiment Today38:11 Patience and Long-Term Adoption38:51 Next Gen Investor Mindset40:43 Defining a Manager's Edge41:23 Specialization and Storytelling42:31 Building a Menu of Edges42:47 Business Plan Plus Open Mind43:44 Advice for GPs Pitching Merrill44:39 Platform Differentiation and Exclusivity46:47 What Worries Mark Today48:19 Excited About AI and Infrastructure50:42 Wrap Up and ThanksA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

iCapital's Kunal Shah - the private markets mindset wealth managers need: live from iCapital Connect

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 17:31


Welcome to the 20th episode of the Alts Pulse, a collaboration between iCapital x Alt Goes Mainstream. In the latest episode of the Alts Pulse, we were live from iCapital Connect. iCapital Managing Director, Head of Private Asset Research & Model Portfolios, Kunal Shah, and I had a conversation about how to marry an institutional allocator's mindset with the nuances of serving wealth clients.Kunal brings an institutional allocator's mindset to the wealth channel. At iCapital, he's focused on the identification, selection, and due diligence of private equity funds offered on the Flagship Platform. Prior to iCapital, Kunal was a Principal in the private markets group at Meketa Investment Group, a leading global investment consultant serving pension funds, endowments and foundations, and family offices. In that role, Kunal was responsible for leading and managing private equity fund investments. He joined Meketa in 2006 and invested globally, covering buyouts, venture capital, private debt, natural resources, and infrastructure investments. He also developed and led Meketa's secondary funds purchase practice. Kunal has also served on various LP advisory boards. Prior to Meketa, Kunal was an analyst at The Vanguard Group. Kunal and I finally turned all those hallway conversations we had at iCapital's old office of 441 Lexington into a podcast! We had a fascinating discussion about how to evaluate alternative asset managers and what makes a great manager. We covered:How should wealth managers approach private markets?Why it's important to “always be committed” rather than try to time vintages.Are evergreen structures a “game changer” for the wealth channel and a foundational piece for model portfolios?What features does a GP need to run an evergreen fund structure?What does the centralization of the CIO function and OCIO consolidation in the wealth channel mean for GPs?Thanks, Kunal, for sharing your passion, wisdom, and expertise at the intersection of private markets and private wealth, and for a great conversation that tied together how private markets and private wealth are changing as new product structures and product innovation take shape.

Benefit Street Partners' Michael Comparato - the opportunity in commercial real estate credit

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2026 53:48


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode brings commercial real estate credit investing to life with someone who has real estate in his blood. Michael Comparato's grandfather started building single-family homes in upstate New York in 1946. He built his first shopping center in 1958. Michael was born into a family where he was on construction sites from a young age. At 13, he was doing landscaping. At 15, he was hanging drywall. Today, Michael is a Senior Managing Director, Head of Real Estate and Portfolio Manager with Benefit Street Partners, as well as Chief Executive Officer of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: FBRT). He also serves on the US Executive Committee.Prior to joining BSP in 2015, Michael was Head of U.S. Equity Investments at Ladder Capital. Before that, he was President at Bank Atlantic Commercial Mortgage Capital.Benefit Street Partners is part of Franklin Templeton's family of specialists in private markets. BSP is a specialized private credit firm with over $92B in AUM. The firm manages a wide range of private credit strategies, including direct lending, special situations, commercial real estate debt, infrastructure debt, asset-backed finance, structured credit, and liquid credit. It also manages a non-traded Business Development Company and publicly-listed mortgage REIT.Since BSP was acquired by Franklin Templeton in 2019, it has partnered with the $1.7T investment manager to expand how it structures various products and funds, enabling more access to the private credit asset class for wealth investors.From his perch as the Head of BSP's Real Estate business, Michael has the perspective of how one of the industry's scaled real estate investment firms is approaching commercial real estate credit and where the firm sees opportunity. Michael and I had a fascinating conversation about the evolution of CRE credit and why now might be an interesting time in the CRE credit space. We covered:Why CRE, why now.What bank retrenchment means for CRE credit investors today.The relative resilience of multi-family.The maturity wall myth.Is the “extend and pretend” activity a reality?How AI impacts commercial real estate.Thanks Michael for sharing your passion, wisdom, and expertise on commercial real estate credit.Show Notes00:00 Meet Michael Comparato01:17 Real Estate Roots03:25 Early Lessons and Purpose03:35 Hurricanes And Tenants05:05 Story Over Spreadsheet06:49 Why Origination Wins08:43 Family Business Ethos10:59 Trust And Transparency11:27 Lending Through Covid13:05 Structuring For Uncertainty13:56 Boom Times Underwriting Shifts16:54 Crowded Class A Trade18:19 Are Values Fair Today21:46 Operator Shakeout23:59 Scale and Market Structure26:16 Banks Pull Back Credit27:59 Private Credit Fills Gap29:24 Who Holds Last Dollar Risk29:29 Returns and Competition30:35 Competition Compresses Yields30:58 Maturity Wall Myth33:05 How Investors Bucket Credit36:04 Wealth Channel Opportunity37:49 Why Credit Beats Equity Now41:58 Megatrends and AI Fears44:40 Shelter and Multifamily Focus46:11 Community and Social Real Estate48:16 Real Estate Constant Evolution51:06 CRE Credit vs Direct Lending53:21 Final Wrap and OutroA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

73 Strings' Yann Magnan - unlocking valuation intelligence in private markets

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2026 44:16


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode is with a founder who is building mission-critical valuation and portfolio monitoring software for alternative asset managers.We are joined by Yann Magnan, the Co-Founder and CEO of 73 Strings, to discuss how valuation work and portfolio monitoring is moving from manual to automated and why that's so important for the industry. 73 Strings has leveraged AI and automation to more seamlessly and cost-effectively extract data, monitor portfolios, and streamline middle-office processes for valuations. 73 Strings works with a number of the industry's top alternative asset managers and has received investment from Blackstone, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Hamilton Lane, Golub, Fidelity International Strategic Ventures, and Broadhaven Ventures, amongst others.Yann has brought his experience as a senior member of the Duff & Phelps team, where he was EMEA Market Leader and member of the Global Operating Committee and as a Partner at EY's Transaction Advisory Services to help bring valuation and portfolio monitoring solutions into the mainstream.Yann and I had a fascinating conversation about how technology innovation and AI are impacting private markets and perspectives on valuation work today. We discussed:The challenges with manual valuation services businesses.How to create uniformity and standardization with private markets fund performance data.How AI is changing private markets post-investment reporting processes.Does automation in private markets help big funds or small funds more?The evolution of post-investment private markets market structure.The biggest technology innovation still missing from private markets.Why the growth of the wealth channel and evergreen funds increases the need for more streamlined reporting and valuation solutions.Thanks Yann for coming on the show to share your expertise, insights, and passion about private markets.Show Notes00:00 AI Since Day One01:06 A Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus02:02 Introduction to Yann Magnan04:11 From Manual To Automated04:44 Excel Google Email04:58 Cloud And Early AI05:07 Governed Auditable Process05:30 Founding 73 Strings05:36 Two Valuation Platforms05:55 Scaling With Alts Growth06:28 Evergreen Acceleration06:54 Retail Investor Expectations07:09 Transactions Need Fresh NAVs07:44 Valuations For Transactions08:14 Continuation Vehicles Context08:42 Reporting To Trading Shift09:07 Illiquid Vs Liquid Compare09:18 Mimicking Public Markets09:43 Valuation Philosophy Changes10:27 Back Office To Front Office11:25 New Stakeholders To Balance11:59 Why Private Must Feel Public12:20 Transparency And Liquidity13:18 Is Liquidity Good15:11 Evergreen Process Differences16:09 Higher Frequency Requirements18:00 Tech Leverage Points18:53 People Plus Technology19:44 Portfolio Data As DNA21:02 No Single Valuation Standard21:47 Consistency Over Time22:20 Human In The Loop22:42 Art And Science Framework24:03 No One Best Method24:55 Wealth Channel Education25:30 What LPs Should Ask26:46 What Top GPs Want27:38 Global Tech Adoption28:49 Fundraising Drives Ops30:23 AI Data Extraction Story31:48 Standardizing Data Labels32:21 Data Model Requirements32:52 Is Data A Moat33:14 Turning Data Into Insights33:54 Scale Versus Specialization35:04 Tech Helps Small Managers36:21 AI Impact On All Funds36:44 Starting Before GenAI Boom37:42 ML And NLP Foundations38:40 Agents Accelerate Valuations39:26 Overnight Valuation Refresh39:57 More Frequent Valuations40:10 Limits Of Daily Data41:03 Explainability And Trust41:42 Next Market Structure Shift42:09 Digital GP LP Data Sharing43:12 Interconnection Needs Trust43:46 Closing ThanksA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Hamilton Lane's Hartley Rogers - pioneering private markets: Live from iCapital Connect

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2026 35:47


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We were live from iCapital Connect's conference in Phoenix, where we sat down with some of the industry's leaders across asset management and wealth management.Hartley Rogers is a pioneer in private markets. He is the Executive Co-Chairman of Hamilton Lane, where he plays a significant role in investing and client relationship activities, as well as in strategic and organizational development. He is a Member of the Investment Committees and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prior to joining Hamilton Lane in 2003, Hartley was a Managing Director in the private equity fund management areas at Morgan Stanley and at Credit Suisse. He started his career on Wall Street in 1981.This was a thoroughly fascinating conversation. Hartley's wealth of knowledge made for a nuanced discussion that married the evolution of the business of asset management with why and how product structure innovation has unfolded as it has in private markets. We also dove into an area that is Hartley's passion: venture and the innovation economy.We covered:Hamilton Lane's evolution scaling from 50 people in a single office to 800 people across 22 offices.The transformation from investment consulting into a solutions provider and asset manager for investors.The importance of data, tools, access, and portfolio construction to manage the increasing complexity of private markets.How will the wealth channel invest in private markets?The misconceptions of evergreens being “ATMs.”What is the “special sauce” in constructing an evergreen portfolio?How secondaries can help feed the evergreen fund engine.What defines a manager's edge.What private markets strategies excite Hartley.I'm really excited to share this conversation with you all, as it's equal parts invigorating and informative.Thanks Hartley for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private markets.Show Notes00:00 Hamilton Lane -Then and Now03:55 Hartley's Origin Story04:39 Hamilton Lane's Consulting Roots04:57 From Consulting to OCIO Partner05:15 Scaling Changed the Job06:53 Why Clients Still Need Help07:15 Trillions in Private Markets07:44 Mega-Managers and Complements08:56 Finding Smaller Manager Alpha09:20 Middle Market Opportunity09:47 Why Companies Stay Private10:56 Churn and New Entrants11:17 GP Skillset Has Expanded11:51 From Leverage to Operations12:02 Data Transforms Underwriting12:43 Hamilton Lane Data Advantage13:33 Secondaries and Evergreen Rise14:04 Evergreen Design and Liquidity14:40 Why The Wealth Channel Prefers Evergreens15:41 Evergreen Diversification Needs16:47 Allocating Core vs Satellite18:44 Evergreens Evolve Like ETFs34:27 ClosingA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Hamilton Lane Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of the speaker as of the date of recording and are subject to change. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or investment product.

Lincoln International's Brian Garfield - how is AI impacting private markets valuations?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2026 47:36


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into the nuances of the numbers to discuss valuations, underwriting, and the state of private markets.We sat down with Brian Garfield, Managing Director and Global Head of the Portfolio Valuations practice within Lincoln International's Valuations and Opinions Group.Brian provides valuation and transaction opinion services to public and private alternative asset managers. He leads a team of over 225 professionals, providing strategic oversight for the Global Portfolio Valuation practice which includes both our Portfolio Valuation and Asset Backed Finance teams situated across North America, EMEA and APAC. Brian's team also produces the Lincoln Private Market Index, Lincoln Senior Debt Index, and Lincoln Default Index. Brian and his team specialize in estimating the fair value for an array of financial instruments, including direct investments in senior, unitranche and subordinated loans, as well as preferred equity, common equity, option and warrants. His expertise also includes valuing secondary fund interests, co-investments, and GP stakes.Prior to joining Lincoln, Brian spent more than six years at Duff & Phelps, LLC, where he advised a wide range of alternative asset managers.Brian and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of valuations and underwriting in private markets. We discussed:How is AI impacting SaaS company valuations?Taking stock of the current fundamentals of private companies.Is the “iceberg of deals” melting?How indices and benchmarks are bringing a “deeper level of transparency than price” to a market.How is continuation vehicle activity impacting private markets?How has the growth of evergreen funds impacted the world of valuations?Thanks Brian for sharing your expertise, insights, and passion about private markets and valuations.Show Notes00:00 AI Hype Reality Check01:01 A Message From Our Sponsor, Ultimus01:57 Introducing Brian Garfield04:12 Art Versus Science in Valuations04:55 Tech Automation Transparency06:07 Valuation For New Investors07:35 Entry Price Anchor08:51 From Entry To Exit10:06 Cycles And The Public Versus Private Gap10:45 Lincoln Private Market Index11:55 AI And Software Bifurcation16:36 Private Market Health Signals17:49 2021 Vintage Leverage Trap19:47 Exit Logjam Continuation Vehicles21:06 Winners Path To Exits22:37 Deal Flow Thawing23:33 Capital Shifts and Yields25:56 Underwriting Discipline Today28:52 AI Winners and Specialists30:38 Energy Shock and Valuations35:11 Public Private Convergence36:17 Indexes and Transparency38:03 Evergreen Cadence Shift41:26 Standardization and Data Tech43:09 AI Querying and Backtesting46:42 Wrap UpA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Bridgepoint's Xavier Robert - building a "middle market global champion"

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2026 41:12


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode unpacks the nuances of the middle market investing landscape with an industry expert who spearheads one of the leading middle market investment platforms.We sat down in Bridgepoint's London office with Partner and Chief Investment Officer Xavier Robert.Xavier is a Partner of Bridgepoint and Chief Investment Officer, where he's been a member of the firm for almost 28 years. He is a member of the Firm's Group Management Committee and Investment Advisory Committee. He currently sits on the boards of MiQ, Kyriba, and Qualitest. He was previously a Board Member and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at eFront, which the firm sold to BlackRock. Prior to joining Bridgepoint, he worked at Total and Ernst & Young.Xavier and I had a fascinating and nuanced discussion about why the middle market is a compelling segment in the market and how Bridgepoint has expanded across asset classes. We discussed:How Bridgepoint's origins as part of NatWest Banking Group helped to shape the firm's early days as an independent investment platform.The “entrepreneurial story” of Bridgepoint.The story of Bridgepoint's IPO and how everyone from the CEO to the receptionist all had shares in the company pre-IPO.The importance of being local in markets across Europe but operating as a single team.The expansion of Bridgepoint's platform across credit, infrastructure, and secondaries.Why Europe, why now.Why the middle market is an attractive segment for investment.Sizing up the middle market investment opportunity and how the size and scale of middle market companies provide investors with more control of exit outcomes.What drives returns in the middle market.Why and how Bridgepoint has approached working with the wealth channel.Thanks Xavier for coming on the show to share your wisdom, expertise, and passion for private markets, investing, and the European mid-market.Show Notes00:00 Welcome and Setting00:36 Bridgepoint Origins02:14 Team Culture Ownership03:33 Platform Full Circle04:06 Partnering With Founders06:06 Why Middle Market08:29 Exits and Market Shifts10:12 Value Creation Playbook12:07 Bridgepoint Competitive Edge14:05 Europe Local Advantage16:15 Europe Returns Misconceptions17:26 US Firms and Competition18:29 Geopolitics and Expansion19:57 Middle East Growth Story20:45 Wealth Channel Strategy21:48 Why Private Markets Win22:25 Responsible Access For Wealth23:11 Building An Evergreen Platform25:40 Why Combine Infra And PE28:35 Evergreen Deal Allocation30:42 Scaling Funds Without Dilution32:41 Kyriba Deal Lessons36:34 What Excites Middle Market37:45 Building Asset Management Today39:27 Global Middle Market Ambition40:49 Full Circle Closing Thoughts* Note: This episode was originally recorded in January 2026.

AlphaCore Wealth Advisory's Dick Pfister - Wealth management with alpha at its core: live from iCapital Connect

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2026 30:00


Welcome to the 19th episode of the Alts Pulse, a collaboration between iCapital x Alt Goes Mainstream. In the latest episode of the Alts Pulse, we were live from iCapital Connect. AlphaCore Wealth Advisory CEO & Founder Dick Pfister and I had a nuanced discussion about the intersection of wealth management, technology, and private markets.Dick is a pioneer of providing the wealth channel with access to private markets. He's also a serial entrepreneur in both wealth management and private markets, bringing 25 years of experience across wealth advisory and financial services to bear as he builds AlphaCore. In 2015, he founded AlphaCore, which has become a leading wealth advisory firm. He serves as AlphaCore's CEO and is a managing member of the Investment Committee. As a partner at Altegris, Dick democratized access to elite asset managers previously not available to the mainstream investor. In 2010, Dick and his partners sold Altegris to a Fortune 500 company.Dick and I had a fascinating discussion about the evolution of wealth management. We covered:How Dick's background in trading and private markets informed the creation of AlphaCore Wealth Advisory.Lessons learned from pioneering alts access with Altegris.What's in a name, AlphaCore edition.Why there's “alpha” beyond investing in wealth management.How AlphaCore leverages technology to enhance the client experience and streamline workflows for advisors.How the trend of increasing centralization of the CIO function is changing how advisors allocate to private markets.Thanks Dick for a great conversation tying together how private markets and private wealth are increasingly interlinked and woven into a wealth client's financial life.Show Notes00:00 Welcome00:47 Dick's Trading Roots and Altegris02:05 AlphaCore Origin Story03:55 Alpha Beyond Investing05:50 Private Markets and Liquidity07:39 Tech Workflows and Proposals09:47 AI and Risk Factor Tools11:03 Risk Buckets in Alternatives12:42 Advisor Education and Holding Power13:56 Growth Through Acquisitions17:18 Differentiating in Private Markets Today20:49 Open Architecture vs Centralization22:15 Scaling Models and Venture Access26:05 Next Frontier of Education and Content27:56 Clients, Social Media, and Human Advice29:05 AI Threats and Opportunities29:39 Closing Thanks

HarbourVest's John Toomey - over 40 years of "earning investors' trust"

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2026 58:55


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into the nuances of private markets with one of the industry's leaders.We sat down with HarbourVest CEO John Toomey, where he leads a firm that has over $160B in AUM and has over 43 years of experience across primary funds, secondary transactions, direct co-investments, and building customized programs for LPs.John has been at HarbourVest for almost 30 years, joining the firm in 1997 as an Analyst in the Direct team. He spent 10 years as one of the leaders of the Secondary business before serving on Global Investment Committees for nearly a decade. He also served as the original CFO for the HarbourVest Global Private Equity vehicle, which went public in 2007 on Euronext Amsterdam.John is also a member of the Firm's Conflicts Committee, Sustainable Investing Council, and DEI Council. He received a BA (cum laude) in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.John and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation about the evolution of private markets as an industry. We covered:The biggest differences between private markets in the 1990s and private markets today.How private markets has evolved over the past 30 years.What LPs are looking for today in their manager relationships.Do LPs want more choice or less?Why LPs, both institutions and wealth investors, might outsource private markets capabilities.How the institutionalization of private wealth platforms is shaping how alternative asset managers partner with the wealth channel.Where scale matters for alternative asset managers.Where allocators should be “narrow and limited” with their GP relationships and where allocators should be diversified.What is required for managers that launch and manage evergreen vehicles.The why and the how behind launching a private wealth solutions business.Thanks John for coming on the show to share your wisdom, expertise, and passion for private markets.Show Notes00:00 Welcome to Alt Goes Mainstream01:16 Sponsor Message Ultimus02:11 Meet John Toomey04:44 HarbourVest Then vs Now05:32 LP Demands Transparency07:21 Why Outsource Private Markets09:02 Programmatic Portfolio Building10:35 Earning Trust at Scale12:17 Building Blocks for Clients14:50 GP Needs and Access Points16:49 Co-Investment Value Proposition23:16 Big vs Niche Managers27:04 Evergreen Funds and Wealth30:55 Wealth Platform Consolidation31:35 Who Can Build Evergreens33:03 Evergreen Portfolio Ingredients35:12 How Wealth Wants Access36:27 Centralized CIO Model Shift37:26 Manager Selection Matters38:59 Diversification Versus Alpha40:39 Funding Private Allocations43:07 Secondaries As Onramp44:47 Institutional Program Evolution48:57 Institutions Using Evergreens50:54 Liquidity And LP Mix53:05 What Creates Manager Edge56:05 Data Insights And Echoes58:12 Closing ThoughtsA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.DisclosuresHarbourVest Partners, LLC is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This material is solely for informational purposes and should not be viewed as a current or past recommendation or an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy securities or adopt any investment strategy.  The opinions expressed herein represent the current, good faith views of the author(s) at the time of publication, are not definitive investment advice, and should not be relied upon as such. This material has been developed internally and/or obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, HarbourVest does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of such information. There is no assurance that any events or projections will occur, and outcomes may be significantly different than the opinions shown here.  This information, including any projections concerning financial market performance, is based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate and may be superseded by subsequent market events or for other reasons. The information contained herein must be kept strictly confidential and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any format without the express written approval of HarbourVest. Nothing herein should be construed as a solicitation, offer, recommendation, representation of suitability, legal advice, tax advice, or endorsement of any security or investment and should not be relied upon by you in evaluating the merits of investing in HarbourVest funds or in any other investment decision. Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Stonepeak Credit's Ryan Roberge - building an infrastructure credit strategy

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 61:46


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's conversation unpacks an emerging category within infrastructure investing that has a compelling set of market forces and mega trend tailwinds.We sat down in Stonepeak's New York office with Stonepeak Credit Partner and Senior Managing Director Ryan Roberge.Ryan brings a diverse set of experiences to bear that helped him build an infrastructure credit business at Stonepeak. He previously covered the energy and infrastructure sectors for King Street, a New York-based hedge fund focused on distressed, special situations, and event driven credit investing. Prior to King Street, Ryan worked in the Energy group at TPG Capital, a large global alternative asset manager. Ryan started his career in Credit Suisse's Energy Investment Banking Group. He received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Louisiana State University.Ryan and I had a fascinating conversation on why infrastructure credit's time is now. We covered:How Ryan's background across energy investment banking, energy private equity, and distressed and special situations energy and infrastructure investing all help when investing in infrastructure credit.Why infrastructure credit is a specialized, capital-intensive strategy.How to underwrite data center risk.Contrarian AI insights.The biggest risks in infrastructure credit investing.How and why infrastructure credit is different from other areas of private credit and direct lending.How a specialist investment platform can help inform where to invest in infrastructure credit.Thanks Ryan for coming on the podcast to share your expertise, wisdom, and passion for infrastructure and credit.Show Notes00:00 Hard Asset Diversification00:25 Welcome to Alt Goes Mainstream01:01 Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus02:07 Meet Ryan Roberge04:16 Ryan Career Origins04:52 From Banking to TPG05:25 King Street Credit Training06:07 Equity To Credit Shift07:04 Downside First Mindset07:48 What Is Infrastructure Credit08:08 Three Core Sectors08:25 Asset Level Underwriting09:02 Capital Intensive Returns09:51 Thinking Like An Owner10:44 Funding Gap And AI Tailwinds11:01 Why Direct Lending Misses It12:29 Construction And Collateral Value13:15 Capital Markets Spectrum15:56 Private Credit Vs Infra Credit18:55 Where It Fits In Portfolios24:36 Data Centers Tech Risk31:04 Cycle Risk Reality Check31:32 Long Duration Mindset32:13 Loan Horizon Framework32:40 Asset First Underwriting32:53 Maintenance Capex Truth33:59 Stress Testing Recovery34:13 Capital Flood Into Infra35:14 Theme Chasing Warning36:02 Why Skip Renewables36:20 Bigger Deals Cheaper Money36:51 ABF And Insurance Capital37:17 Non-IG Hard Asset Logic38:11 Scale Keeps IG Away38:25 Key Underwriting Risks38:34 Loan To Value Reality39:01 Fiber To Home Case Study40:09 Growth Platform Underwrite41:01 Hiring For Credit Mindset42:23 Downside Recovery Culture43:10 Contrarian AI Insight44:07 Circular Demand Red Flags46:39 Data Center Risk Filters49:20 Investor Demand And ClosingA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Bloomberg's Brad Foster - driving the convergence between public and private markets

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2026 46:20


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode takes us to a hub of market structure, a powerhouse of trading, and a crossroads of public and private markets to discuss how private markets are in the midst of a market structure evolution.We sat down at Bloomberg's NYC headquarters with Bloomberg's Head of Fixed Income & Private Markets Brad Foster to discuss how technology and data are driving a convergence between public and private markets, particularly as it relates to the credit space.Brad is the Head of Fixed Income & Private Markets at Bloomberg, where he's focused on delivering the data, analytics, and tools clients need to power public and private market investment strategies and workflows. Brad joined Bloomberg in June 2017 to lead its Enterprise Data Content business as well as its Fixed Income Evaluated Pricing (BVAL) offering. He was appointed Head of Fixed Income, including Securitized Products, in early 2023 and Head of Fixed Income & Private Markets in early 2024. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Brad spent almost 20 years on the sell-side in multiple locations, including London, Tokyo, and New York, for Deutsche Bank as a Managing Director in Global Markets across Global Finance, Fixed Income & Currencies, Structured Finance, Special Situations, Structured Lending and Front Office Risk Management, including CVA and Counterparty Risk, where he managed a team that built a Cross-Product Risk and Portfolio Margining Platform. Prior to Deutsche Bank, he was at Credit Suisse in the Market Risk Management Group.Brad and I had a fascinating conversation about public and private credit and how data and technology are shaping these markets. We covered:How Bloomberg's history shaping other market structures are informing how private markets market structure is evolving.How public and private credit are converging.Definitions and perspectives on liquidity vs illiquidity, what's risky and what's not risky.What private markets needs from a market infrastructure perspective to scale.Why borrowers are choosing private credit and the investment grade private credit option.How Bloomberg is approaching private credit and private markets market structure.Bloomberg's build vs. buy vs. partner strategy with private markets tech.Thanks Brad for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion at the intersection of credit, market structure, and financial technology.Show Notes00:00 Scaling Private Markets01:12 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:13 Brad Foster's Background04:31 From Trading to Bloomberg05:27 Client Empathy Product Mindset06:25 Fixed Income as Blueprint07:11 Bloomberg Shaping Market Structure08:19 Electronification Turning Points09:10 Efficiency and Regulation Drivers09:45 Blurring Public and Private Credit10:34 Three Legs of Credit11:43 Why Borrowers Go Private13:09 Missing Data and Workflow13:57 Security Master Foundations16:12 Transparency and Retail Pressure22:07 Private Deal Data Uploads22:29 Same Analytics for Private22:50 Sold Not Bought Debate23:43 When Private Gets Liquid24:38 Desktop Real Estate Idea26:21 Reimagining Terminal with AI27:21 Chat as Market Connector28:19 Build Buy Partner Strategy28:51 Bloomberg Private Track Record30:09 Daphne Investment Rationale30:58 Fixing GP LP Workflow32:01 Most Valuable Data Masters33:45 Taxonomy as Missing Piece34:49 Standardizing Valuation Methods35:29 Extending Evaluated Pricing37:27 Liquidity Versus Illiquidity40:18 Portfolio Risk for Asset Owners44:16 Foundations to Scale PrivatesEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Brookfield Asset Management's David Nowak - "earn your seat" private equity

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2026 54:55


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode unpacks how to build a private equity firm within one of the largest and most unique investment platforms in private markets.We sat down in Brookfield Asset Management's Brookfield Place office in downtown NY with David Nowak, the President of Brookfield's Private Equity Group. David and I dove into a conversation about the private equity industry, Brookfield's approach to private equity, and how the firm's culture and DNA shapes how they work with portfolio companies and LPs.David has overall responsibility for the Private Equity Group's North American business. He also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Private Equity Fund. He joined Brookfield in 2011. He holds a MBA degree from Duke University, where he graduated as a Fuqua Scholar, and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario.David and I had a fascinating conversation about private equity and the Brookfield platform. We covered:How Brookfield's owner-operator alignment informs how they approach private equity investing and their partnerships with portfolio companies.How the industry has gone from “roll your dice private equity to roll up your sleeves private equity.”Why and how the firm has a “blue collar work ethic.”The firm's flat structure and a culture of collective effort, humility, and “earning your seat.”Why Brookfield's private equity business focuses on complex carve outs.Why it's important for investors to “think like an operator.”How the firm approaches value creation and the importance of understanding value creation levers even before making an investment.How Brookfield's broader platform provides the private equity business with insights and subject matter expertise.The story behind Brookfield's Westinghouse investment.What it means to look for “unloved businesses.”Why private equity is an apprenticeship business and how AI might impact the next generation of private equity leaders.Thanks David for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion for private equity and company and culture-building.Show Notes00:00 Cold Open00:51 A Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus01:48 Welcome to Alt Goes Mainstream and David Nowak03:30 Brookfield Culture is We Not I04:48 Leadership Succession and Humility06:22 Earn Your Seat Mindset06:30 Owner Operator Alignment08:23 Maax Bath Case Study09:34 Roll Up Your Sleeves Private Equity11:31 Operators on the Team12:06 Secondments Train Investors12:53 Underwriting with Reality Checks13:58 Platform Advantage and Insights16:46 How Collaboration Actually Works18:56 Long Term Patient Capital21:07 Value Creation Playbook24:38 Contrarian Deals and Valuation Nuance27:41 Underwriting Operating Change27:55 Fixable vs Hard Problems29:16 Winning Management Buy In30:00 Early Wins and Focus30:25 Humility on the Ground31:06 Listening in Founder Talks32:09 Stretching Young Leaders33:23 Flat Structure Decision Table34:24 Scaling Without Losing Culture35:06 Open Space and Mobility35:50 Cross Office Deal Teams37:20 Fund Size and Return Pressure38:23 Shift to Quality Businesses39:25 Good Business or Cheap40:13 Risk First Capital Protection41:50 Graphite Electrode Auction Win43:45 Diligence - Then Move Fast48:14 Curiosity Apprenticeship and AIA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

EQT's Lennart Blecher - active ownership of real assets

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2026 26:21


It all comes back to the DNA.The firms that know who they are will know who to be.You can learn a lot about an investment firm by listening to what they say.Alt Goes Mainstream's AGM Originals Series - The DNA: Capturing Culture - is dedicated to capturing the DNA of a firm by listening to what they say.The first season of The DNA stars EQT. In Stockholm, at EQT's AIM this past summer, I sat down for conversations with nine EQT executives.Each executive came from different parts of the firm — and different parts of the world.Each had fascinating backgrounds and stories about how they ended up in private markets and worked to build EQT.But there was a single throughline threaded throughout all of the discussions: the consistency and frequency that each executive talked about the firm's mission, vision, culture, and values.That's why it all comes back to the DNA.Episode 3 features EQT's Lennart Blecher.Lennart Blecher joined EQT Partners in April 2007 and is the Chairperson of EQT Real Assets.Lennart holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Lund, Sweden and has studied at the University of Dallas, Texas - Academy of US & International Law.Prior to joining EQT Partners, Lennart was from 2004 to 2007 Managing Director and Senior Banker in the investment bank of Unicredit/HypoVereinsbank in Munich. From 2002 to 2004, Lennart was Managing Director at GE Commercial Finance in London.Between 1987 until 2002, he held various position in the ABB Group, in Zurich such as General Counsel for the ABB Financial Services Group, President and Business Area Manager for ABB Structured Finance and ABB Equity Ventures.Lennart has held various non executive positions in European banks and reinsurance companies. Lennart is a member of the EQT Executive Committee and is a Chairperson of the Infrastructure Partners Investment Committee.Please enjoy this conversation with one of the industry's leaders in Lennart Blecher.You can stream all the episodes on AGM's YouTube channel at AltGoesMainstreamAGM.Show Notes00:00 Why the DNA Matters01:04 Meet EQT and Lennart Blecher01:40 From Law to Industry05:40 Building EQT Infrastructure09:44 Infrastructure Megatrends11:01 Old vs New Infrastructure12:45 Digital Energy Convergence14:56 Active Ownership Playbook16:26 Scale and Credibility17:43 Wallenberg Values Culture20:05 Educating Investors21:29 Who Owns Assets Long Term22:47 Platform People Limits23:44 Doing Good Good Business24:34 Underwriting People Culture25:18 Closing Thoughts

Stable Asset Management's Erik Serrano Berntsen - what it takes to build a great alternative asset management firm

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2026 71:55


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into what it takes to start, build, and scale an alternative asset manager.We sat down in Stable Asset Management's London office with Erik Serrano Berntsen.Erik is the CEO of Stable, where he defines and executes the firm's investment strategy. Stable is one of the largest and most tenured GP stake builders globally. The firm manages around $5B in assets and has built over 40 firms since 2006.Stable makes strategic seed and acceleration investments to launch and scale alternatives GPs across public and private markets. With offices in New York, London, and Palm Beach, the firm backs investment firm Founders who understand that extraordinary performance requires building exceptional organizations.Committed to education as a catalyst for change, Erik supports the LSE Alternative Investments Conference — the world's largest student conference for alternatives, which is how we met 16 years ago — as well as Girls Who Invest and Girls Are Investors. Stable backs 100 Women in Finance and is a Founding Partner of the 10,000 Interns Foundation.Erik holds a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Keble College, Oxford, and an MBA with honors and a concentration in Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.Erik and I had a fascinating conversation about what it takes to be a great investor and build a unique investment firm. We discussed:How the business of asset management has evolved since 2006.The incentives gap between LPs and GPs — and how that evolves as GPs scale.How GP seeding and GP stakes can be a solution to LP / GP misalignment.How to discern a manager's “edge" and how “edge” can change with firm growth.The most non-obvious trait that makes for a great asset management founder.The nuances of evergreen structures and which strategies might be better suited for evergreen structures.The merits of the GP stakes investment strategy for LPs.Thanks Erik for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about GP stakes and asset management.Show Notes00:00 Likeability Wins00:37 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:50 Introduction to Erik Serrano Berntsen and Stable04:08 Why the Name Stable06:26 From Benchmarks to Solutions05:31 Branding as Alts Evolve08:11 Stable's Two Market Gaps08:47 Fixing LP / GP Misalignment09:29 GP Stakes Alignment Model09:59 Non-Market Risks vs. Operating System11:15 How Edge Changes with Scale14:06 Three Edges to Underwrite16:18 Founders Think in Decades19:53 Timing Cycles and Strategy Drift23:31 Seed vs Acceleration Playbook25:39 Evergreen Capital Goes Mainstream29:01 Smaller Managers Winning Evergreen31:19 Wealth Channel Core vs Specialist33:25 Evergreen vs Drawdowns Debate34:03 Evergreen by Asset Class35:47 GP Stakes Lifecycle 38:29 Picking Tides and Boats39:03 Specialist Strategy Edge40:15 Podshopification in Private Markets41:55 What Drives New GP Formation44:52 Self Awareness as Edge46:31 Always Be Sourcing48:23 Founder to Founder Trust50:37 Lessons Running Stable53:23 Building the GP Operating System59:00 Capital as a Service01:01:43 Stigma Fades in GP Stakes01:05:18 How to Spot Manager Edge01:08:47 Founders to Emulate01:10:35 Communication and Closing ThoughtsA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

MSCI's Luke Flemmer - "bringing clarity to investment decisions"

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2026 47:49


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into how data and market structure are shaping private markets.We sat down in MSCI's New York office with Luke Flemmer, the Head of Private Assets at MSCI to discuss how standardization and normalization of data can help bring efficiency, transparency, and liquidity to private markets.Luke brings a unique perspective to private markets. He was previously Managing Director, Head of Digital Strategy for Alternative Investments at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and was Co-Founder and CEO of Lab49, a global solutions provider of investment and risk technology to asset managers and investment banks.When the ION Group acquired Lab49, Luke became Co-Head of ION's Capital Markets Division, delivering software and solutions to the group's global financial services customer base.Earlier in his career, Luke worked in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. He is a CFA charterholder.Luke and I had a fascinating conversation about private markets market structure and how MSCI is playing a role in driving standardization, normalization, and transparency of data in private markets. We covered:Parallels to market structure evolutions in equities, fixed income, FX, and derivatives.Tradeoffs of transparency for private markets participants.What it will take to build transparency and price formation in private markets.Where investors will still be able to find durable alpha.What standardization and normalization of data means for secondary markets.Analogies between Greek mythology and private markets.How secondaries has gone from a trade to a portfolio management tool.How index creation will impact private markets.Thanks Luke for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion at the intersection of private markets and market structure.Show Notes00:00 “Data Wants to be Free”00:28 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:02 Sponsor Spotlight: Ultimus Fund Solutions01:57 Private Markets, Data, and Market Structure02:17 Meet MSCI's Luke Flemmer04:26 From Robotics to Finance: Automation Needs Standardization05:18 Fixed Income's Transformation: From Trading Floors to E-Trading06:42 Connecting the Data Across the Lifecycle07:58 Harmonized Data → Transparency → Liquidity08:44 Scaling vs Information Asymmetry10:38 What More Transparency Does to Returns and Alpha11:15 Benchmarking Privates Like Publics: PMEs and Comparable Data12:35 Manager Skill and Illiquidity Premium14:14 Company-Level Data & Bilateral Origins16:19 The Ship of Theseus Parable and Should Privates Become Public?23:17 COVID, Denominator Effect, and LP Scrutiny23:50 The New Baseline for Private Funds24:15 Wealth Channel Tailwinds and the Rise of Active LP Portfolio Management25:23 Using Public Liquidity to Balance Private Illiquidity26:15 The 85/15 Public-Private Index: Why Blend Public Equity with Private Equity27:16 Daily Pricing Private Equity: Solving the “Stale Marks” Problem28:15 Smoothing, Stickiness and Forced Secondary Sales29:20 What Tech/Data You Need to Nowcast PE Daily (and What's Still Missing)30:31 Price Formation Feeding Better Indexes31:34 From Secondaries to Derivatives: Lessons from Fixed Income NAVs33:14 Building Trust in Private Benchmarks: Data Scale and Adoption Over Cycles33:53 Unlocking 401(k)s: What Must Be True for Wealth to Go Big in Privates37:05 Liquidity, Suitability, Risk & Factor Decomposition39:05 Durable Private Markets Alpha (and the Index Question)41:51 Standardizing the Language: Defining “Liquidity” and MSCI as the Connective Tissue (Wrap)A Word from Our Sponsor, Ultimus This episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Jeff Fine - An Investor's Guide to Private Markets

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2026 37:08


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.2025's Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.This conversation was with Jeff Fine, Partner, Global Co-Head of Alternatives Capital Formation within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with responsibility for capital raising, product strategy, research and investor relations across private equity, private credit, real assets, secondaries, GP stakes and hedge funds/liquid alternatives. Jeff is a member of the Real Estate Investment Committee and Urban Investment Group Investment Committee. Jeffrey is also on the boards of GS Real Estate Investment Trust and GS Real Estate Finance Trust. Previously, he was Global Head of Real Estate Client Solutions for Goldman Sachs Asset Management and a senior real estate investor in the Merchant Banking Division for more than 20 years. Jeffrey joined Goldman Sachs in 2002 in the Merchant Banking Division as an Analyst. He was named Managing Director in 2012 and Partner in 2018. Jeff is Chairman of the Dyson School Advisory Council and a member of the SC Johnson College of Business Leadership Council at Cornell University. He is a member of the Cornell Endowment's Risk, Liquidity, and Operations Subcommittee and the Board of Directors of the Pension Real Estate Association Foundation. Jeffrey is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Met Council at the Brookings Institution.Jeff and I had a fascinating conversation about the intersection of private markets and private wealth, fundraising trends, and the growing role of insurers and the wealth channel in private markets capital formation. We covered:The evolving private markets landscape.The important role of the product specialist.The impact of AI on investing and what it means for private markets.What it takes to be a great investor.The importance of the value creation process in driving investment value.The future of capital formation in private markets.Thanks Jeff for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private markets and private wealth. Show Notes01:05 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:08 Jeff Fine's Background and Career Journey03:43 Sophistication in the Market05:05 The Role of Product Specialists07:16 Talent and Resourcing in Asset Management 08:01 The War for Talent in Asset Management09:07 Investment Performance as a Priority10:05 Balancing Origination and LP Demand11:42 Meeting Client Needs in Wealth Channel12:06 Transparency and Risk Communication12:59 Growth in Private Markets18:07 Global Capital and Diversification19:31 Smart Allocation in Private Markets20:58 Private Credit as a Yield Instrument22:23 The Role of Insurance in Private Markets24:33 Customization and Scale in Private Markets28:55 Trends in LP Relationships30:39 Strategic Partnerships and Cost Efficiency31:40 Concerns About Market Valuations32:43 Belief in a Transformative Future35:24 Advice for LPs in Current Market36:21 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Michael Bruun - Driving Value in Private Equity Through Network and Innovation

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2026 28:17


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.2025's Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.This conversation was with Michael Bruun, Global Co-Head of Private Equity within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He is a member of the Goldman Sachs Asset Management International Management Committee, Asset Management (AM) Private Equity Investment Committee, AM Growth Equity Investment Committee, AM Sustainable Investing Investment Committee, Asset & Wealth Management Inclusion and Diversity Council and is a member of the Goldman Sachs Firmwide Client Franchise Committee. In 2021, Michael was named Head of EMEA Private Equity within Goldman Sachs Asset Management and from 2019 to 2021, he was Head of Private Equity and Growth Equity investing for India. Michael joined the Merchant Banking Division in 2010 and worked in London and New York. Prior to that, he was a member of the Nordic Mergers & Acquisitions team in the Investment Banking Division (IBD), after initially joining IBD in 2005. Michael joined Goldman Sachs as an Analyst in the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities Division in 2004. He was named Managing Director in 2013 and partner in 2016. Michael serves on the boards of Advania, Kahoot!, LRQA, Norgine, Synthon and Trackunit. He is a founding partner of the Human Practice Foundation in Denmark and a trustee in the UK. Michael earned a BA in Economics from the University of Copenhagen.Michael and I had a fascinating conversation about private equity, today's investing environment, the hardest part about investing today, and how product innovation is impacting private equity's market structure. We discussed:How investors can approach allocating to private equity today.The toolkit required to generate returns in private equity.The importance of network and operating partners in value creation.How new product innovation and new structures like evergreens and continuation vehicles are changing growth equity and private equity. The importance of understanding macro in a new world order of geopolitics and a new world order of investing.The skillsets that investors need to have to be a good investor in today's investing environment.The hardest part about investing today. Thanks Michael for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about private equity. Show Notes00:56 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:04 Michael Bruun's Background and Career02:31 Evolution of Private Equity03:14 Impact of Market Changes on Private Equity03:43 Operational Value Creation04:50 Importance of Value Creation Resources05:33 Driving EBITDA Growth06:04 Goldman's Value Acceleration Resources07:18 Focus on Data and AI08:27 AI in Different Sectors11:22 Goldman's Investment Strategy14:28 Scale and Capital in Private Equity15:40 Co-Investments and Evergreen Vehicles18:11 Flexibility in Private Markets23:53 Navigating Volatility24:59 Post-Investment Operations25:23 Goldman Sachs Engineering26:05 Future of Private Equity27:39 CEO AI Academy28:01 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Harold Hope - Secondaries: A Primary Consideration

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2026 18:54


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.2025's Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.This conversation was with Harold Hope, Partner, Global Head of Vintage Strategies, one of the world's largest secondary fund managers, in the External Investing Group (XIG) within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He is also Chair of the XIG Vintage Funds Committee and a member of the XIG Real Estate Strategies Investment Committee and the XIG GP Strategies Investment Committee. Harold joined Goldman Sachs in 1999 as an Associate in Leveraged Finance and Corporate Finance within the Investment Banking Division and moved to the Alternative Investments & Manager Selection (now XIG) private equity business in 2001. He was named Managing Director in 2006 and Partner in 2016. Prior to joining the firm, Harold worked as a financial analyst at the investment banking boutique Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. Harold earned a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of North Carolina. Harold and I had a fascinating and timely conversation about the growth and evolution of the secondaries market. We discussed:Perspectives from Harold's early days in secondaries 25 years ago, when Goldman had raised its first $400M fund in secondaries and when the secondaries industry was doing around $2B per year in transaction volume.How the secondaries market is vastly different from five years ago. The evolution of innovation in the secondaries market.Why problem-solving is a defining feature of secondaries. What is the right skillset required to be a great secondaries investor?Why secondaries is fundamentally a valuation oriented business.Are secondaries returns driven by buying high-quality assets or by buying at steep discounts?Misconceptions about continuation vehicles and how the trend of private companies staying private longer impacts CVs.The how and the why behind Goldman's recent acquisition of Industry Ventures and why Goldman is excited about the opportunity set in venture and growth secondaries.Why scale matters in secondaries.Why secondaries might not become a traded market like the bank loan market and why secondaries may not fully achieve standardization because managers may not want completely uniform standardization.Why secondaries can be an on-ramp to private markets for private wealth investors.Thanks Harold for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about secondaries and private markets. Show Notes00:35 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:26 Harold Hope's Background and Entry into Secondaries02:13 Evolution of the Secondaries Market02:30 Drivers of Change in the Market02:43 Innovations in the Secondary Market04:45 Skill Sets Required in Secondaries05:42 Valuation and Investment Strategies07:14 Continuation Vehicles (CVs) Explained09:27 Impact of Private Companies Staying Private Longer10:47 Acquisition of Industry Ventures12:01 Specialized Teams in Secondaries13:14 Goldman's Unique Position in Secondaries14:28 Leveraging Data and AI in Secondaries15:47 Recent Trends and Market Dynamics16:42 Future Growth of the Secondaries Market17:10 Secondaries as an On-Ramp for Retail Investors18:15 Closing Thoughts and Future OutlookEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Kristin Olson - The Evolution of Alternatives: Bridging Private Markets and Wealth

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2026 18:10


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.2025's Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes at the Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.This conversation was with Kristin Olson, Partner, Global Head of Alternatives for Wealth within Asset & Wealth Management and a member of the Management Committee. In her role, she oversees the global alternatives platform and alternatives product strategy across wealth client businesses. Kristin joined Goldman Sachs in 1998 as an Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group in the Investment Banking Division. She was named Managing Director in 2008 and Partner in 2014. Kristin is a member of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a leading research institution focusing on cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, and bioinformatics, and is a member of the Georgetown University Board of Regents. Kristin earned a BS in International Economics, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University in 1998.Kristin and I had a fascinating conversation about private markets, private wealth, how to approach strategic and tactical asset allocation, the evolving needs of an investor, and why education and financial media are becoming increasingly important tools for investors. We discussed:Lessons learned from working with Goldman Private Wealth clients that the firm has applied to how they approach serving client needs across the wealth channel with private markets solutions.Why Millennials are interested in investing in private markets.How investors can access innovation by investing in private markets.How can alternative asset managers approach educating the client and investor of the future?How private markets fits into a strategic asset allocation framework.The next evolution in private markets education for the wealth channel investor.The main source of information about private markets for investors.The future of implementation, model portfolios, and hybrid products in private markets.Thanks Kristin for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion at the intersection of private markets and private wealth. Show Notes00:41 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:35 Kristin Olson's Background and Career Evolution01:59 The Evolution of Alternative Investments02:46 Lessons from Goldman Wealth Clients03:36 Diversification and Education in Alternatives04:23 Serving Broader Wealth Channels05:37 Balancing Customization and Scale07:20 Survey Insights on Millennial Investors08:44 Building the Goldman Sachs Brand for the Future09:43 The Importance of Education in Alternatives10:53 Early Adoption of Private Markets in Wealth Channels12:28 Consolidation and Partnerships in Private Markets16:42 Advice for New Investors in Private MarketsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' James Reynolds - From Mezzanine to Moats: Over a Quarter-Century of Goldman Sachs Private Credit

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 28:16


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.2025's Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes at the Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.This conversation was with James Reynolds, Global Co-Head of Private Credit within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs Asset Management International.James is Co-Chair of the Asset Management Private Credit Investment Committee, as well as a member of the Management Committee, Partnership Committee, the European Management Committee and the EMEA Talent Council. James joined Goldman Sachs in 2000 as an Analyst and was named Managing Director in 2007 and Partner in 2010. James is a trustee of Greenhouse Sports and serves as a member of the Corporation Development Committee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). James earned a BS from the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in 1998 and an MSc from MIT in 2000.James and I had a fascinating conversation about Goldman's extensive history in private credit and the current market dynamics. We covered:Why all capital coming into the private credit industry is not created equal.How Goldman's culture of “partnership, collaboration, and the right incentives” provides them with an edge in origination.Why James is an “optimistic pessimist.”Narrative versus reality in private credit markets today.What creates alpha in private credit.How to build an investment culture and, in credit, how to build an investment culture that “doesn't feel pressure to deploy.”Why many investors are focusing on Europe.How the entire platform of Goldman Sachs helps them in private credit.Thanks James for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion for private credit, private markets, and private wealth.Show Notes00:39 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:30 James Reynolds' Background02:44 Evolution of Private Credit03:12 Direct Origination and Financing Solutions04:08 Growth in Private Credit Market05:55 Importance of Origination06:29 Goldman Sachs' Competitive Edge08:38 Expanding Universe of Credit10:22 Harmonization of Goldman Sachs12:01 Private Credit Deployment Strategies14:15 Current State of Private Credit17:16 Building an Investment Culture18:31 Traits of a Great Credit Investor20:52 Assessing the Business of Asset Management22:43 Opportunities in Europe26:10 Concerns in Private Credit27:28 Optimistic Pessimism in Private Credit27:59 Conclusion and Closing RemarksEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Matt Gibson - Navigating the Future of Alternatives: Scale, Supply, and Geopolitics

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2026 34:04


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.The 2025 Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes at the Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.Our first conversation was with Matt Gibson, who is head of the Client Solutions Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Prior to his current role, Matt served as co-head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Group in the Investment Banking Division from 2021 to 2023. Before that Matt served as co-head of One Goldman Sachs from 2019 to 2021 and served as global co-head of Client Coverage within Investment Banking Services from 2015 to 2020. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2001 as an associate and was named managing director in 2008 and partner in 2010. Prior to joining the firm, Matt was a US naval officer for five years, working in a variety of capacities on two different US Navy ships. During this time, Matt's service centered on operations in the Western Pacific, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea and Adriatic Sea. Matt serves on the US Naval Academy Board of Trustees and the Global Advisory Board for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Matt earned a BS in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1994 and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2001.Matt and I had a fascinating conversation about Goldman's evolution of its private markets strategy and how the firm's “One Goldman Sachs” initiative has enabled them to bring the entire firm to bear as it helps deliver solutions for both wealth and institutional clients. We covered:How Matt's experiences across the firm inform the way he approaches solving needs for clients.The how and the why behind the “One Goldman Sachs” initiative.Goldman's client-centric approach. Why it matters to be an early mover in certain instances in private markets.Goldman's approach to partnerships in private markets.The power of the platform and how Goldman leverages its platform to help its private markets efforts.The importance of understanding geopolitics in today's increasingly complicated investing world.Thanks Matt for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion for private markets and private wealth. Show Notes00:42 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast00:56 Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference Overview01:09 Interview with Matt Gibson02:26 Matt Gibson's Career Journey02:50 The Importance of Client Engagement03:17 One Goldman Sachs Initiative04:13 Commercial and Cultural Impact of One Goldman Sachs05:11 Convergence of Public and Private Markets06:04 Growth in Retail and Institutional Alternatives07:44 Balancing Customization with Scale08:23 Leveraging the Goldman Sachs Platform10:10 Origination and Investment Banking Synergy11:23 Infusing Goldman Sachs Culture12:34 Private Markets Culture and Strategy13:35 Building Capabilities Through Partnerships15:19 LP Relationships and Private Markets Evolution16:44 Strategic Decisions in Private Markets19:13 Agility in Product Strategy21:08 Serving Clients in Private Markets25:41 Geopolitical Considerations in Investing28:06 Mega Trends and Geopolitics29:47 Future of Private Markets30:37 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Lexington Partners' Taylor Robinson - secondaries in the spotlight

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 56:30


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into the rapidly expanding world of secondaries with a senior leader at one of the pioneering firms in the secondaries space.We sat down at Franklin Templeton's New York office with Taylor Robinson, a Partner on the Secondary team at Lexington Partners, which has over $77B in total capitalization and is part of Franklin Templeton's family of private markets funds and strategies.Taylor, who joined the firm in 2008, is primarily focused on the origination, evaluation, and execution of secondary opportunities, including partnership and GP-led transactions. He's also a member of Lexington's ESG Steering Committee.Taylor and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of the secondaries market. We covered many of the hot button topics and trends that are shaping the secondaries market, including:Why secondaries have become an integral part of many LPs portfolios.How secondaries have become a portfolio management tool for LPs.The rise of GP-led secondaries.Why not all CVs are created equal.Why secondaries can be a good on-ramp to private markets for wealth channel investors.What the future holds for secondaries.Thanks Taylor for coming on the show to share your expertise and wisdom about private markets and secondaries.Show Notes00:00 A Different Way of Thinking About Private Equity00:43 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:20 Introduction to Taylor Robinson02:35 Taylor Robinson's Background and Career04:25 The Evolution of the Secondaries Market05:20 Impact of the Financial Crisis on Secondaries06:34 Growth and Liquidity in Private Markets07:13 Current State of the Secondaries Market07:29 Traditional vs. GP-Led Secondary Deals09:18 Challenges and Opportunities for Institutional LPs11:22 Active Portfolio Management Strategies13:06 Driving Returns and Gaining Edge14:46 Evaluating and Partnering with GPs16:30 Nuances of the Secondary Market17:22 Market Dynamics and Investment Strategies18:04 The Role of Data and Technology19:35 Regulation and Standardization in Private Markets20:08 Evolving Focus of Secondaries Firms20:51 Investment Horizons and Return Expectations22:17 Primary vs. Secondary Fund Investing27:07 Specialization and Diversification in Private Equity28:41 Managing Favorite Assets28:49 Diversified Portfolio Nuances29:37 Generating Alpha in Secondaries30:22 Asset Selection and Value Drivers31:09 Consistent Investor Experience33:53 Comparing Secondaries and Primaries35:51 Evaluating Secondaries Over Time37:18 Evergreen Funds and New Structures38:11 Benefits of Locked-Up Capital40:34 Challenges in Evergreen Space41:39 Wealth Channel and Scale43:04 Skillset for Secondaries Investors45:16 Intellectual Curiosity and Success47:45 Industry Trends and GP Consolidation49:16 Understanding Market Dynamics50:18 Training and Retention at Lexington50:41 Future of Secondary Markets52:54 Misconceptions About Secondaries54:31 Shifting Mindsets on Discounts54:54 Consistent Returns Through Cycles55:42 Secondaries as a Real Asset Class56:16 Excitement for Future Growth56:22 Conclusion and FarewellEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Ultimus Fund Solutions' Gary Tenkman - building the core fund administration infrastructure to make private markets go mainstream

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 51:01


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode features a pioneer who has been building the core infrastructure that is making private markets go mainstream.We talk with Gary Tenkman, a 30-year veteran of the fund administration world who is the CEO of Ultimus Fund Solutions. Ultimus serves over 450 clients and 2,300 funds, representing $725B of assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,100 professionals. Ultimus, which is backed by private equity firm, GTCR and, more recently, Stone Point, is able to help investment managers navigate a growing array of challenges that include elaborate fund structures and evolving compliance requirements. Gary has built a business that combines the best of technology and human experts in fund administration to serve many of the industry's largest funds. Ultimus has also been a big part of the ability for private markets to innovate with evergreen and interval fund structures since they have the necessary infrastructure and services to help fund managers launch, run, and administer evergreen structures.Prior to joining Ultimus as CEO, Gary was Head of North American Operations at another large fund service provider, where he was responsible for service delivery for all clients in the region. During his 16 years there, he held leadership positions in alternative investment fund services, European fund services, and US fund services.Gary and I had fascinating conversation about the evolution of fund administration and how fund administration in private markets has changed with the growing interest in evergreen and interval funds. We discussed:How fund administration has changed over the 30 years Gary has been in the industry.Will the evergreen fund industry mirror the growth and evolution of the mutual fund industry?The gap that Gary and Ultimus saw in private markets fund administration.Why fund services for evergreen fund structures is very complex and hard to do well.How technology can provide leverage to fund administration.Will AI impact fund administration?Why fund services are a compelling investment category for private equity.Thanks Gary for coming on the show to share your wisdom and experience and thanks for your support of Alt Goes Mainstream. The work you're doing at Ultimus is making a big impact on evolving the industry, so it's an honor to have you partner with AGM. We hope you enjoy.Show Notes01:01 Introduction to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:10 Gary Tenkman: A Pioneer in Fund Administration01:17 Ultimus Fund Solutions: An Overview01:50 Innovations in Private Markets02:02 Gary's Career Journey02:20 The Evolution of Fund Administration02:38 Challenges in Fund Services for Evergreen Structures02:46 The Role of Technology in Fund Administration06:58 Automation and Data Standardization11:15 AI in Fund Administration12:09 Fund Level vs. Asset Level Data13:16 Lessons from the Mutual Fund Industry13:58 Product Innovation in Private Markets18:30 Navigating the Evergreen Space23:20 Distribution Strategies for Private Markets25:35 The Importance of Service Providers26:50 The Evolution of Ultimus Fund Solutions27:19 Evolution of Ultimus: The Early Days28:02 Client-Centric Focus: The Key to Success28:16 Investing in Technology and Growth28:35 Mergers and Acquisitions: Building Scale28:58 Private Side Expansion and Momentum29:40 Challenges and Solutions in Private Markets30:40 Client-Centric Culture: What It Means31:34 Delivering High-Quality Client Service32:28 Maintaining Culture Amidst Growth33:27 Industry Consolidation: A Historical Perspective34:09 New Partnerships and Investments35:26 Future M&A Opportunities35:43 Stone Point's Investment in Ultimus36:34 Growth in Private Funds and Evergreen Structures37:29 Convergence of Public and Private Markets38:05 Hybrid Product Structures: Opportunities and Challenges39:45 Regulatory Challenges in Retail Alts40:58 Education and Adoption in Private Markets45:54 401k and Retirement Space: Unlocking Potential48:04 Exciting Trends in Private MarketsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Goldman Sachs' Sara Naison-Tarajano - working with the apex of the wealth channel

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2026 66:56


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode brings us to the apex of the wealth channel. We sat down in Goldman Sachs' HQ at 200 West with Sara Naison-Tarajano, a Partner and Global Head of Private Wealth Management Capital Markets and Global Head of Goldman Sachs Apex Family Office Coverage. Sara is also responsible for the One Goldman Sachs Family Office initiative in the Americas.Sara has been at Goldman Sachs for over 26 years, where she's worked in a number of roles across the firm, equipping her with a multi-disciplinary background that is brought to bear in her current role leading a global platform that delivers multi-asset investing, financing, and direct investment opportunities to some of the world's largest family offices. Goldman Sachs Apex Family Office Coverage now serves more than 600 family offices across the globe.Sara and I had a fascinating discussion about the growing intersection between private markets and private wealth and what some of the wealth channel's largest investors find interesting and differentiated in private markets. We covered:How Sara expected to spend one year at Goldman and it turned into 26 years at the firm.How her background in derivatives structuring in public markets has helped her approach private markets – and what investors in private markets can learn from being exposed to public markets.Why Sara decided to create Goldman Sachs Apex to build a dedicated group to help large family offices invest directly into private markets.How Apex is related to Goldman's “One Goldman Sachs” initiative.How the power of the platform helps to differentiate Goldman's wealth management business.What lessons the wealth channel can learn from how the UHNW and billionaire family office segment approaches private markets.Takeaways from the Goldman Sachs Family Office Insights Report.How the wealth channel can engage the next generation clients and how private markets play a role in reaching the next gen.Thanks Sara for coming on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to share your expertise and wisdom on private markets and working with the wealth channel.Show Notes00:00 Introduction: 26 Years at Goldman Sachs00:59 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:05 Meet Sara Naison-Tarajano03:07 Sara's Career Path04:51 Intellectual Curiosity in Finance05:29 The Role of Derivatives06:59 Transition to Wealth Management07:51 Goldman's Culture of Creativity08:48 The Birth of Apex09:12 Why Apex?10:48 Serving Family Offices11:25 The Apex Model12:46 Early Days of Apex14:09 Family Offices and Direct Deals16:12 The Growing Role of Family Offices19:56 Misconceptions About Family Offices23:26 Engaging the Next Generation34:29 Liquidity in Private Markets34:41 Decline in Public Companies34:52 Access to Capital in Private Markets35:14 Emerging Trends in Private Markets35:36 Focus on Secondaries36:02 Family Offices and Secondaries38:19 Goldman's Secondary Market38:56 Goldman's Acquisition of Industry Ventures39:55 Family Offices' Investment Strategies40:14 US vs Global Family Offices40:38 Private Markets and Inflation42:42 Advice for Wealth Channel Investors43:02 Illiquidity Premium in Private Markets43:56 Importance of Vintaging44:28 Evergreen Funds vs Drawdown Funds47:22 International Family Offices49:27 Geopolitical Concerns and Investments52:55 Mega Trends in Investing54:15 Infrastructure and AI56:16 Simple Wealth Management Strategies58:57 Private Credit and Fixed Income01:00:48 Risks in Private Markets01:02:22 Future of Apex and Wealth ManagementEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Stonepeak's Cyrus Gentry - bringing infrastructure investing to the wealth channel

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2026 49:52


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode brings infrastructure investing to life — literally.We sat down in and walked through one of Stonepeak's data center assets with Managing Director and CEO of SP+ INFRA, Cyrus Gentry.Cyrus has played an integral role in Stonepeak's rapid ascent as a firm and the growth of its wealth solutions business, Stonepeak+, joining early in the firm's history and helping the firm grow to approximately $80B in AUM.Cyrus brings a private equity perspective to infrastructure investing. Prior to Stonepeak, he held investing roles at BC Partners and Advent International. He also serves as one of the Church Commissioners for the Church of England, who hold responsibility for managing the Church's £11.1B permanent endowment fund.Cyrus and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion about infrastructure investing and why and how it can fit within a wealth client's portfolio. We covered:How Cyrus' background in private equity investing has transferred over to investing in infrastructure.The opportunity and risks of data center investing.The risk of overbuilding in data centers.Why location matters for data centers.What makes interconnection data centers attractive data center assets.How Cyrus and Stonepeak have built their wealth solutions business and how they've endeavored to be different in how they've built out the business.How Stonepeak's wealth business is a reflection of the firm's DNA.Thanks Cyrus for coming on the show to share your expertise, wisdom, and passion for infrastructure investing and working with the wealth channel.Show Notes00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message01:57 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:04 Introducing Cyrus Gentry and Stonepeak00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message03:25 Cyrus's Journey from Private Equity to Infrastructure04:56 Understanding Infrastructure Investing06:10 The Importance of Moats in Infrastructure06:57 Differences Between Private Equity and Infrastructure07:38 Stonepeak's Growth and Strategy09:06 Specialization in Infrastructure Investment09:54 Balancing Long-Term Horizons with Industry Changes11:15 The Role of Data Centers in Modern Life14:43 Investment Perspectives on Connectivity15:55 Challenges in Infrastructure Investing17:10 Executing Value Creation Plans19:06 Structured Capital in Infrastructure Deals21:17 Trends and Scale in Infrastructure Investment22:43 Patience and Discipline in Investment23:34 Global Expansion and Strategy Diversification24:09 Collaborative Approach with Corporates24:42 Capital and Problem Solving25:02 Building Stonepeak Wealth Solutions25:30 Infrastructure Asset Class Benefits25:47 Strategic Planning and Vision26:05 Creation of Stonepeak-Plus26:15 Early Discussions on Wealth Business27:32 Team Dynamics and Entrepreneurial DNA27:59 Understanding the Wealth Market28:56 Educating Investors on Infrastructure29:50 Allocating Infrastructure in Portfolios30:07 Global Perspectives on Infrastructure32:18 Learning from Institutional Investors33:19 Common Questions from Wealth Channel34:02 Mega Trends and Investment Strategies34:46 Core, Core Plus, and Value Add Assets36:12 AI and Data Centers40:20 Power and Energy in Data Centers42:34 Local and Global Investment Strategies44:12 Geopolitical Risks and Infrastructure46:36 Lessons Learned and Future OutlookEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Blue Owl's Sean Connor - a growth company in a growth industry that is investing in megatrends

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2026 59:39


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode takes us inside the world of wealth from the perspective of one of the industry's largest alternative asset managers that has made the wealth channel core to its firm's DNA from the beginning.We sat down with Sean Connor, Senior Managing Director and the President & CEO of Global Private Wealth at Blue Owl Capital, a firm with almost $300B in AUM. Sean highlighted a number of key insights for navigating and working with the wealth channel as he shared lessons learned from building a successful private wealth business at a large alternative asset manager.Sean is responsible for bringing the breadth of the Blue Owl investment platform to the global private wealth market. He's at the forefront of Blue Owl's private wealth initiatives globally and oversees fund formation, product structure innovation, capital raising, and client servicing. He also oversees business development, marketing, and operations for Private Wealth at the firm. Prior to his current role, Sean was one of the first employees at Owl Rock (now the Direct Lending division of Blue Owl) and was responsible for building out the private wealth business.Prior to joining Blue Owl and Owl Rock, Sean served as a Managing Director of CION Investment Management for over 10 years. Sean was a member of CION's Investment Committee and was responsible for all aspects of CION's business including originating, underwriting, and negotiating corporate finance transactions globally. In 2020, Sean was recognized by Private Debt Investor as one of the industry's Rising Stars.Sean and I had a fascinating conversation about what it's like to work with the wealth channel. We discussed:The biggest drivers of AUM growth for Blue Owl and how the wealth channel has been a major part of the firm's story of scale.Lessons learned from growing and scaling a private wealth business in the US and internationally.The differences between the wealth channel a few years ago and the wealth channel today.What the wealth channel wants and needs from its alternative asset manager partners.Why Blue Owl focuses on investing in megatrends, like AI, digital infrastructure, and private credit.The opportunity in the 401(k) and retirement channels.Thanks Sean for coming back on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to share your expertise and wisdom on private markets and private wealth.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to Ultimus, our Sponsor01:57 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast and Episode Overview02:10 Guest Introduction: Sean Connor04:07 Growth Drivers for Blue Owl04:45 Diversification and Market Strategy05:17 Focus on Private Credit and Real Assets06:54 Brand Essence and Market Leadership11:25 Client Education and The Nest14:21 Implementation Challenges in Wealth Channel17:56 Customization in Wealth Management19:20 Product Structuring and Client Needs23:41 International Expansion and Market Strategy26:23 Building Brand Internationally28:01 Maintaining Entrepreneurial Culture28:42 Challenges and Success in Scaling30:38 Future Growth Areas in Wealth Business30:42 Evolution of the Wealth Business31:08 Expanding Product Strategies31:37 Growth Opportunities in the US Market32:23 Global Expansion and Execution33:01 Retirement Market Potential34:10 Bringing Parity to Retirement Ecosystem35:19 Challenges and Opportunities in Retirement35:39 Regulatory Changes and Education36:38 Long-Term Investment Strategies39:03 Private Credit and Direct Lending40:47 Market Structure and Underwriting43:47 Competition and Market Share45:54 Private Companies and Direct Lending47:56 Digital Infrastructure and AI50:18 AI Bubble Concerns51:46 Risk Management in Digital Infrastructure55:11 Focus on Downside Protection56:12 Future Investment Strategies57:23 Excitement for the Future59:13 Closing RemarksEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

EQT's Jean Eric Salata - reflections on leadership, culture, and values from one of the world's largest investment firms

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2025 32:03


It all comes back to the DNA.The firms that know who they are will know who to be.You can learn a lot about an investment firm by listening to what they say.Alt Goes Mainstream's AGM Originals Series - The DNA: Capturing Culture - is dedicated to capturing the DNA of a firm by listening to what they say.The first season of The DNA stars EQT. In Stockholm, at EQT's AIM this past summer, I sat down for conversations with nine EQT executives.Each executive came from different parts of the firm — and different parts of the world.Each had fascinating backgrounds and stories about how they ended up in private markets and worked to build EQT.But there was a single throughline threaded throughout all of the discussions: the consistency and frequency that each executive talked about the firm's mission, vision, culture, and values.That's why it all comes back to the DNA.Episode 2 features EQT's Jean Eric Salata.Jean Eric Salata is the Chairperson EQT Asia and Head of Private Capital Asia. Jean started the regional Asian private equity investment program for UK-based Baring Private Equity Partners Ltd in 1997 and later led the management buyout of this program in 2000 to establish BPEA as an independent Firm. He has since been responsible for the investment activity of BPEA until 2022, when the company joined forces with EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT.Prior to BPEA, Jean was a Director of Hong Kong-based AIG Global Investment Corporation (Asia) Ltd., the Asian private equity investment arm of AIG. Prior to that, Jean was the Executive Vice President of Finance of Shiu Wing Steel, a Hong Kong-based industrial concern, and prior to that a management consultant with Bain & Company based in Hong Kong, Sydney, and Boston.Jean holds a B.S. (Hons) in Finance and Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated magna cum laude.Please enjoy this conversation with one of the industry's leaders in Jean Eric Salata.You can stream all the episodes on AGM's YouTube channel at AltGoesMainstreamAGM.Show Notes00:00 Introduction: The DNA of Firms00:34 Conversations with EQT Executives01:05 Jean Salata: Chairperson of EQT Asia01:32 Jean's Early Life and Career02:26 Journey to Asia03:28 Cultural Comparisons and Private Equity04:45 The Asian Private Equity Market05:09 Structural Alpha in Asia06:12 Shareholder Activism in Japan06:45 Liquidity in Indian Stock Market08:10 Evolution of BPEA's Strategy10:16 Challenges and Opportunities in Asia11:42 EQT's Partnership and Culture12:04 Building a Lasting Enterprise13:23 Industry Consolidation Trends14:54 Growth Opportunities in Asia15:24 Rebalancing Capital to Asia16:07 Underpenetration in Private Equity18:17 Family Businesses and Generational Change18:46 Wallenberg Heritage and EQT's Reputation20:02 Long-term Growth in Asia20:50 Mid-Market Growth Fund21:21 Exit Market in Asia23:01 Perceived vs. Actual Risk in Asia23:49 Thematic Investing and Value Creation24:32 Alpha in Asian Markets25:35 Intellectual Stimulation in Asia26:44 Leadership and Continuous Learning28:38 Motivation and Career Development31:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Alts Pulse Ep. 18: Taking the pulse of private markets with iCapital Chairman & CEO Lawrence Calcano

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2025 18:53


Welcome to the 18th episode of the Alts Pulse, a collaboration between iCapital x Alt Goes Mainstream. In the latest episode of the Alts Pulse, a live conversation in studio with Lawrence Calcano, the Chairman & CEO of iCapital, Lawrence and I go global. We discussed his recent trip to Asia to peer into the nuances of the different wealth management markets around the globe.As the leader of a platform with over $300B of assets that is responsible for the majority of individual and advisor-led investment flows into the alts space, Lawrence and iCapital have their finger on the pulse of what's happening in private markets across the globe.Lawrence and I had a fascinating discussion. We covered:Lawrence's recent trip to Asia and the pulse on the ground.Asia's growing interest in private markets.How wealth management market structures differ across the globe and what it means for alternatives distribution.Data-driven personalization for investors.Thanks Lawrence for a great conversation … look forward to the next episode! Show Notes00:00 Introduction to the Latest Episode of the Alts Pulse00:18 Insights from Asia00:40 Comparing Asia and US in Private Markets01:43 Wealth Management Market Structure02:06 iCapital's Focus on Technology02:49 Advisors' Allocation to Alternatives03:13 Evergreen Products and Client Needs03:53 HSBC and iCapital Surveys04:22 Global Adoption of Evergreen Products05:13 Distribution and Education in Private Markets06:15 Model Portfolios and Custom Exposures08:03 Strategic Distribution for GPs08:19 Global Distribution Expansion12:33 Personalization in Wealth Management14:01 Data-Driven Personalization14:45 Private Banks and Alternative Allocations16:37 Thoughts About GPs and Distribution17:24 Balancing Personalization and Scale

EQT's Conni Jonsson - building a global private equity firm the Nordic way

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2025 25:53


It all comes back to the DNA.The firms that know who they are will know who to be.You can learn a lot about an investment firm by listening to what they say.Alt Goes Mainstream's AGM Originals Series - The DNA: Capturing Culture - is dedicated to capturing the DNA of a firm by listening to what they say.The first season of The DNA stars EQT. In Stockholm, at EQT's AIM this past summer, I sat down for conversations with nine EQT executives.Each executive came from different parts of the firm — and different parts of the world.Each had fascinating backgrounds and stories about how they ended up in private markets and worked to build EQT.But there was a single throughline threaded throughout all of the discussions: the consistency and frequency that each executive talked about the firm's mission, vision, culture, and values.That's why it all comes back to the DNA.Episode 1 features EQT Founder and Chairperson Conni Jonsson. Conni founded EQT Partners AB in 1994. He has been Managing Partner since the company's foundation and as from March 1, 2014, Conni is full time working Chairperson.Prior to founding EQT Partners AB, Conni was employed by the Wallenberg Family Holding Company for seven years as Executive Vice President.Conni Jonsson graduated from the University of Linkoping in 1984, Bachelor of Science with majors in Economic Analysis and Accounting & Finance, and he has participated in the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School.Please enjoy this conversation with one of the industry's leaders in Conni Jonsson.You can stream all the episodes on AGM's YouTube channel at AltGoesMainstreamAGM.Show Notes 00:00 The DNA: Capturing Culture Episode 100:21 EQT's Origins and Global Reach01:38 Conni Jonsson's Background and Journey02:00 Founding EQT: Embracing Uniqueness04:03 Balancing Responsibility and Financial Outcomes05:09 The Wallenberg Family's Influence06:36 Long-Term Thinking in Investing07:20 Operationalizing Long-Term Values08:13 EQT's Distinct Investment Approach10:12 The Importance of Culture in Business11:28 EQT's Focus on Core Competencies12:53 Global Investment Strategies13:20 Engaging with Institutional and Wealth Investors14:15 Educating the Wealth Channel17:10 Diversification and Global Exposure18:19 Investing in Asia: Structural Alpha20:40 Mitigating Political Risks20:47 Future Skills in Private Markets22:51 Aligning Good Business with Good Returns24:38 Conclusion: The Winner Takes It All

Vista Equity Partners' David Breach - building a software investing powerhouse in the age of AI

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2025 51:58


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into the nuances of enterprise software and how to build a scaled specialist alternative asset manager.We sat down in Vista's NYC office with David Breach, Vista's President and Chief Operating Officer.David sits on Vista's Executive Committee, the firm's governing and decision-making body for matters affecting its overall management and strategic direction as well as the firm's Private Equity Management and Vista's Private Equity Funds' Investment Committees. David is also the Co-CEO of VistaOne, Vista's evergreen private equity vehicle, and serves on the Investment Committee and Board of Directors. He also sits on the boards of Vista portfolio companies Jamf, Solera, and Stats Perform.David, who has been instrumental in helping the firm chart its growth path to over $100B in AUM, joined Vista in 2014 after as a career as a Partner at law firm Kirkland & Ellis, where his practice focused on the representation of private equity funds in all aspects of their business. David was a member of K&E's 15-person global executive management committee and a founding partner of its San Francisco office.David and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation about private markets and Vista's evolution as a firm: How and why Vista has become a “scaled specialist.”The journey from $13B in AUM to $100B.The opportunity in enterprise software investing and how enterprise software is an expanding market opportunity.The reason why Vista decided to build out a dedicated wealth solutions business.How firms can differentiate in the wealth channel.How firms can be measured and thoughtful with how they build evergreen solutions.The opportunity for large companies to adopt GenAI for cost-savings and revenue generation.The skills that might be valuable in the age of AI.Thanks David for coming on the show to share your wisdom and expertise in private markets.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus01:59 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:07 Introducing David Breach03:30 David Breach's Career Journey05:22 Transition to Vista Equity Partners06:03 Joining Vista and Initial Impressions06:30 Vista's Vision and Growth09:03 Operational Excellence at Vista10:35 Investment Strategy and Alignment13:27 Scaling Vista's Operations16:44 Building Vista's Wealth Business17:04 Vista's Core Values and DNA19:29 Strategic Decisions in Wealth Management20:19 Educating on the Wealth Space20:46 Modeling and Investment Decisions21:42 Hiring and Team Building22:07 Balancing Opportunity and Capacity22:29 Evaluating Firm's Commitment23:47 Institutional Investors' Concerns24:48 Addressing Investor Concerns25:22 Industry Trends in Private Markets26:16 The Growth of Private Software Companies28:46 The Resilience of Software Businesses29:36 Diversification in Software Investments30:33 The Role of Generative AI in Software32:54 Operational Improvements with GenAI33:32 Product Enhancements with GenAI33:49 Agentification of Software34:51 Financial Impact of AI on Software Companies36:41 GenAI in Middle Market Companies37:25 Vista's Edge in GenAI38:27 CEO Perspectives on GenAI39:04 Encouraging AI Adoption in Companies42:37 The Human Element in the Age of AI43:26 Preparing Teams for AI Integration45:37 Advising Wealth Managers on GenAI48:26 Vista's Vision for the Future49:49 Building a Software Investing Factory50:42 Excitement for the FutureEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

ING's Anneka Treon and Johan Kloeze - lessons learned from building a private markets platform for private wealth clients in Europe

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2025 47:29


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode was filmed at ING's HQ in Amsterdam, right after ING held its Private Markets Day. The firm has been actively building out its private markets capabilities to serve its private wealth clients so it was a treat to interview two of the people responsible for running ING's wealth management and private markets practice.We sat down with Anneka Treon, ING's Global Head of Private Banking, Wealth Management & Investments, and Johan Kloeze, Head of Private Banking & Wealth Management Netherlands, to discuss ING's big ambitions in private markets.ING, which manages over €260B of invested assets across 5 million clients, has made a major push into private markets. Led by Anneka and Johan, the firm has built out a Private Markets business that has grown AUM in three years since its launch. ING has partnered with established alternative asset managers to create one of the largest evergreen fund platforms in European wealth management.Anneka, Johan, and I had a fascinating discussion about wealth management, how to bring private markets to advisors and clients, and how to educate the wealth channel about private markets. We covered:What Anneka means by “fast money versus slow money.”Why it's important for advisors to bring private markets “to the kitchen table.”How to transform savers into investors — and why that matters.Why focus on private markets.The challenges with building a private markets business.Figuring out how to partner with alternative asset managers.How and why ING has focused on curation when building its private markets platform.The benefits and challenges of evergreen funds.Thanks Anneka and Johan for sharing your wisdom and expertise at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.Show Notes00:00 Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus01:43 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:57 Introduction to Johan Kloeze and Anneka Treon03:19 Guest Welcome and Backgrounds04:05 Johan's Journey at ING05:07 Anneka's Background and Ambitions06:58 The Importance of Private Markets07:56 Wealth Creation and Preservation08:25 Building the Private Markets Business14:55 Educational Approach to Private Markets16:19 Making Private Markets Human20:54 Curating the Right Managers23:02 Slow Money vs Fast Money24:07 The Bookcase Analogy24:21 Cash Flow Dynamics24:27 The Importance of a Stable Financial Foundation24:53 The Role of Quality Managers in Investment25:16 Motivations Behind Public vs. Private Markets26:13 Educating Younger Clients on Slow Money28:04 The Role of ING in Providing Diverse Investment Options28:47 Challenges in Building a Private Markets Platform29:46 The Success of Evergreen Vehicles31:25 Anneka's Perspective on ING's Private Markets Strategy32:18 Humanizing Private Markets32:54 Opportunities in the ELTIF Space34:24 Educating Clients on Private Markets36:29 The Future of ING's Private Markets Platform37:43 Balancing Digital and Human Approaches38:49 The Importance of Simplifying Investment Concepts38:57 The Role of Liquidity in Private Markets39:53 Lessons Learned in Building an Investment Platform41:38 The Entrepreneurial Spirit of ING's Clients42:46 The Need for Harmonization in Private Markets44:36 The Growth Roadmap for ING's Private Markets45:07 The Future of Private Markets InvestmentsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Live from New York with Oaktree's Armen Panossian - "don't reach for risk to deliver the right return"

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2025 54:28


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode was filmed live at an event during a Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions RIA Council meeting in New York.Armen Panossian, the Co-CEO and Head of Performing Credit at Oaktree, and I sat down for a conversation in a Brookfield-owned building with a group of RIAs in the audience.Armen, who joined Oaktree in 2007, has been an integral part of scaling Oaktree to over $209B in AUM. Oaktree, a storied firm, particularly in distressed credit, was recently fully acquired by Brookfield, the $1T AUM alternative asset manager.Armen has a wealth of experience across different areas of credit. He is the Head of Performing Credit, where his responsibilities include oversight of the firm's liquid and private credit strategies and as a portfolio manager within the Global Private Debt and Global Credit strategies. He also led the development of Oaktree's CLO business.Armen and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation. We covered:The evolution of Oaktree's business.How the acquisition by Brookfield has helped scale Oaktree's business.Why private credit is more than direct lending.The nuances of asset-based finance.The current state of the credit markets.How Oaktree has approached distressed credit investing.What Armen's memo would be if he were to write a memo like his colleague Howard Marks. And, why his memo might be titled “this is not your grandma's private credit” or “don't reach for risk to deliver the right return.”Thanks Armen and the Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions team for a fantastic night and Armen for sharing your wisdom and expertise with us.Show Notes00:00 Message from Ultimus, our Sponsor01:59 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast04:02 Armen Panossian's Background04:22 Early Career and Education05:42 Transition to Finance08:04 Joining Oaktree08:25 Oaktree's Early Days09:25 Investment Philosophy and Growth12:05 Balancing Pessimism and Business Building14:49 Private Credit Market Overview15:45 Core vs. Alpha in Private Credit20:06 Public vs. Private Credit21:39 Technicals and Fundamentals in Credit Markets24:17 Valuation and Risk Management25:22 Consumer Impact on Private Credit25:46 Public Markets as Indicators26:38 Oaktree's Historical Success26:48 Howard Marks' Investment Philosophy26:58 Market Dynamics and Investment Strategies27:18 Opportunities in Life Sciences27:58 Public vs. Private Market Solutions28:27 Understanding Private Credit Risks29:05 Credit Market Technicals29:41 Fraud Vigilance in Credit Markets30:07 Oaktree's Opportunistic Credit Approach31:56 Rescue Lending and Sector-Specific Opportunities32:37 Asset-Backed Finance Explained34:52 Impact of Banking Regulations35:24 Current Trends in Asset-Backed Finance39:47 Navigating the Private Credit Ecosystem40:50 Brookfield and Oaktree Partnership42:09 Wealth Channel Investment Strategies43:40 Brookfield and Oaktree: A Unique Partnership45:45 Concerns in Private Credit48:03 Advisors' Guide to Private Credit50:47 Howard's Memos and Investment Philosophy52:44 Evolving Private Credit Landscape53:48 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Franklin Templeton's George Stephan - bringing public and private together

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2025 51:56


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode brings the perspective of an asset management veteran who has sat on both sides of the table.We sat down in Franklin Templeton's New York City office with George Stephan, COO of Global Wealth Management Alternatives at Franklin Templeton.George joined Franklin to continue the buildout of the firm's Alternatives capabilities, which boasts over $264B AUM in private markets strategies that include Lexington Partners, Benefit Street Partners, and Clarion Partners. George came from KKR, where he was Head of Strategy and Business Development for the firm's Global Client Solutions business and was also COO and Head of Investor Relations for KKR's Global Wealth Solutions business in the Americas. Prior to KKR, George spent nine years in Morgan Stanley's wealth management division. George is also a Board Observer at CAIS.George and I had a fascinating conversation about how to build a wealth solutions business and how advisors approach private markets. We discussed:How has the adoption of private markets by the wealth channel evolved over the course of George's career?The benefits and challenges of being a traditional asset manager building out its private markets capabilities.The breadth and depth of Franklin Templeton's reach as a firm and how that brand and history have helped Franklin partner with the wealth channel in private markets.How has Franklin Templeton's family of specialists enabled the firm to leverage the expertise of specialist alternative asset managers within a larger platform?How does the wealth channel approach private markets?How will model portfolios be constructed and adopted by the wealth channel?Will evergreen funds be the structure of choice for most advisors?Thanks George for coming on the show to share your expertise and wisdom at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus01:55 Welcome to the Podcast02:03 Guest Introduction: George Stephan03:59 George's Career Journey04:12 Building Wealth Solutions at Franklin Templeton06:06 Key Pillars for Success in Wealth Management07:31 Client Service and Operational Excellence09:04 Strategic Approach to Wealth Management10:15 Convergence of Public and Private Markets10:48 Advisor Needs and Solutions13:31 Franklin Templeton's Private Markets Business14:23 Unifying Private Markets Business15:01 Cross Collaboration and Investment Decisions15:43 Cultural Alignment in Acquisitions16:35 Franklin Templeton's Core Principles17:15 Heritage and Long-Term Thinking21:30 Brand Evolution and Market Perception24:19 Strategic Partnerships in Private Markets25:56 Future of Partnerships and Acquisitions26:57 Winners and Losers in Partnerships27:10 Advisor's Perspective on Productization27:43 Allocating to Public and Private Markets28:21 Innovation in Private Markets29:05 Challenges and Opportunities in Wealth Management29:56 The Future of Multi-Asset Solutions30:17 Operational Complexity in Private Markets31:27 The Need for Digital Transformation31:59 Adoption of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)32:46 Evolving Technology in Wealth Management33:49 Impact of Market Efficiency on Returns35:13 Dispersion in Private Markets Performance37:17 Scale and Investment Integrity38:44 Building Capabilities in Franklin Alternatives40:10 Partnering with Asset Managers41:36 Keys to Building a Wealth Solutions Business42:16 Hiring for Private Markets Expertise43:39 Educating the Industry on Private Markets45:48 Evergreen Structures in Private Markets49:45 Exciting Trends in Private MarketsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

iAltA's Bill Crager - from building Envestnet to a "transformational moment" in wealth management

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2025 53:48


Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's interview is with a wealth management entrepreneur who created one of the most consequential wealth management technology companies that has helped to shape the industry into what it is today.Bill Crager is the Co-Founder of Envestnet, which he and his co-founder, the late Jud Bergman, grew into a public company. Bill was the CEO of Envestnet during the company's time as both a public company and following Bain Capital's acquisition to take the company private for $4.5B.Bill is now back at it again, joining iAltA Holdings as a Founding Partner to build a suite of businesses at the intersection of private markets and private wealth management infrastructure alongside former Ipreo CEO Scott Ganeles, former Ipreo Executive Bill Sherman, and former Blackstone CFO and WestCap Founder Laurence Tosi.Bill and I had a fascinating conversation about wealth management and private markets. We covered:The evolution of wealthtech.What advisors are looking for when it comes to technology.How technology can help advisors deliver a high-quality experience to clients.Why private markets are now playing such a big role in the business of wealth management.What is missing in private markets infrastructure.The role of AI in financial planning.Why Bill wanted to go back to building again.What is in store for iAltA.Thanks Bill for sharing your wisdom and expertise on private wealth and private markets.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to Early Technology00:12 Sponsorship Message from Ultimus02:09 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:12 Introduction to Bill Crager04:19 Building Envestnet and Early Challenges05:06 Evolution of Wealth Management07:00 Adoption of Technology in Wealth Management08:39 Private Equity's Role in Wealth Management10:17 Horizontal vs. Vertical Solutions14:11 Challenges in Wealth Management Technology16:22 Data and Technology in Wealth Management22:41 Customization and Future of UMA24:30 Impact of Data on Private Markets26:30 Evergreen Funds and UMAs27:45 Fusion of Public and Private Markets28:07 Data Inputs for Financial Advice28:33 Building Financial Plans at Scale28:59 The Need for Holistic Financial Connectivity29:35 Challenges in Data Flow and Infrastructure30:29 The Role of AI in Financial Planning30:49 Balancing Machine Learning with Human Assurance31:35 AI's Impact on Financial Advice32:40 Future of Financial Planning with AI35:06 Trust in Technology vs. Human Advisors35:19 The Emotional Component of Financial Advice36:31 The Evolution of Wealth Management37:02 Tokenization in Wealth Management37:46 Adoption Challenges of Tokenization38:56 Leveraging Technology in Wealth Management39:27 The Future of Financial Advisors40:59 Advice for Young Financial Advisors42:10 The Role of Technology in Private Markets43:48 The Vision Behind iAltA44:46 Building Horizontal Solutions46:14 Creating Bridges in Financial Infrastructure51:00 The Future of Financial Advice IndustryEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus' technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at gharris@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

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