The Active Share

When a society embraces cognitive diversity, powerful outcomes can result. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Matthew Syed, a best-selling author, highly acclaimed speaker, and award-winning journalist, to discuss what it means to think in complex ways; the implications of moving away from group think; and how investors can benefit from diverse cultures and voices.

There's no debating that we're in tumultuous times, but who's coming out ahead and who will be left behind? We asked geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan, critically acclaimed author of The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization. Through his work at the U.S. State Department, private intelligence company Stratfor, and his own firm (Zeihan on Geopolitics), Peter has gained a unique perspective of the way the world works and offers some insight about the end of globalization.

According to Gary Gerstle, University of Cambridge professor and author of The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era, we're moving to a new political order. But will it resemble the welfare state that began with the New Deal? Will it be more like the capitalistic state of recent decades? Or will it be something else entirely? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo speaks with Gary about what gave rise to the old orders, and what may be coming next.

When Aoifinn Devitt created The Fiftyfaces Podcast in 2020, she wanted to showcase the diversity of the world's investors by telling their stories. Now, she tells Hugo her own story—from her start as a lawyer to her current role as the first female chief investment officer at Moneta, an investment advisor with $27 billion of assets under management. In this wide-ranging discussion, Aoifinn explains how the Russia-Ukraine conflict could change how we think about ESG, whether we're in a new investing regime, and what she's learned from podcasting.

Most organizations are wary of rebels, but they shouldn't be, says Francesca Gino, Harvard Business School professor and author of Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life. Join Francesca and Hugo for a discussion of the complex problems that organizations face in 2022, and why we need people to embrace their rebelliousness in order to solve them.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks have led to dramatic changes in corporate strategy and behavior. But it's easier for a company to change than a country. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo speaks with Teal Emery, founder of Teal Insights, a boutique research consultancy focusing on sustainability issues in sovereign debt markets, and Yvette Babb, a portfolio manager of William Blair's emerging markets debt team. The topic of discussion: What does ESG mean in the context of sovereigns versus corporates?

Powerful global forces could cause billions of people to relocate over the next few decades, a transition that may have significant investment implications. Join Hugo and Parag Khanna, Ph.D., founder and managing partner of strategic advisory FutureMap and author of Move: The Forces Uprooting Us, for a discussion of what's driving migration, including demographics, climate change, and politics.

The future of manufacturing is digital—through sensors, software, robots and cobots, and connectivity. In the last installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Associate Monika Budyn, and Global Research Analyst Andy Siepker, CFA, to discuss the “rise of the machines.”

In the current environment, it's easy for investors to anchor on concerns about Chinese geopolitical tensions and increasing policy risk. But are these risks overshadowing the growth opportunity in China? In this episode, Hugo is joined by three guests with extensive experience in China who take us on a journey through the evolution of the Chinese system and discuss how investors can successfully navigate related challenges.

Cooking takes place in a high-performance environment but also requires teamwork. Join Hugo and CJ Jacobson, former member of the U.S. National Volleyball Team and current chef partner at Chicago restaurants Aba and Ēma, for a discussion about food and sports, creativity and process, and how COVID has changed the restaurant industry.

Almost two years after the COVID-19 outbreak, much is still unknown. Why are heavily vaccinated countries such as Israel and the United States seeing record cases? Will children drive infections as we open up? And how will the economy stay on course? In this episode, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Analyst Camilla Oxhamre Cruse, Ph.D., and Global Strategist Olga Bitel, about what's next in the COVID crisis.

Everything is becoming smart these days—buildings, grids, and cities. In the fourth installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo Scott-Gall speaks with Alaina Anderson, CFA, portfolio manager and global research analyst, and Anil Daka, CFA, global research analyst to discuss renewable energy, smart infrastructure, and new business models, as well as how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are accelerating these trends.

In less than a decade we've moved from Google smart glasses to Oculus virtual reality headsets; what's next? In the third installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo Scott-Gall speaks with William Blair Global Research Analysts Bill Benton, CFA, and Drew Buckley, CFA, to discuss a vision of the internet in which the virtual and physical worlds become a seamlessly interconnected realm.

Diversity in the financial services industry is an ongoing challenge, but it's not due to a lack of talent—it's due to a lack of exposure, education, and opportunity. But two nonprofits are hoping to change that. Join William Blair's Hugo Scott-Gall for a conversation with Bevon Joseph, co-founder of the Greenwood Project, and Katherine Jollon Colsher, CEO of Girls Who Invest, which seek to connect women, Black, and Latinx students with careers in financial services.

Green can be a moral color, a political color, or an economic color. Join William Blair's Hugo Scott-Gall for a conversation with Adam Tooze, history professor at Columbia University and author of "Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World," for a multidisciplinary discussion of how the decade is shaping up from an economic historian's perspective—including climate change, inequality, geopolitics, and fragile financial markets.

The world is not just being recreated click-by-click instead of brick-by-brick; it is being reimagined. In the second installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Analyst Jay Kannan, CFA, about what we call “connected commerce,” which covers the entire architecture of the digital economy.

Investing in a photograph means investing in its power to affect the viewer. Take a step inside the world of photography with Michael Hoppen, CEO and founder of the Michael Hoppen Gallery, as we review the art form and its ties to society, discuss the impact of technology on photography, and explore parallels to investing.

Harnessing technology to solve known problems in healthcare and food is something we've been exploring in depth. In the first installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Analysts Tommy Sternberg, CFA, and Ben Loss, CFA, to discuss what we call “EditGenetics.”

What do cricket and investing have in common? A lot more than you think. Join Hugo and Simon for a conversation with Tim Harkness, sports psychologist and author of 10 Rules for Talking: An Expert's Guide to Mastering Difficult Conversations, and hear how his rules can help improve your personal and professional lives—and your cricket game.

Is success the luck of the draw? Tune in as Hugo speaks with Michael Sandel, a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University. Michael has authored several books, including What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?, and most recently, The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? Hugo and Michael discuss the impact of meritocracy and credentialism on society, investing, and politics.

In this episode, Rendel Solomon, managing director at Muller & Monroe Asset Management and founder of One Stock One Future, joins our moderator, Hugo, for a conversation on Rendel's family history, his “One Stock One Future” initiative, which aims to turn 1million underprivileged young people into public company shareholders, and the widening racial wealth gap.

As the pandemic progresses, Hugo checks back in with our in-house COVID experts, William Blair Investment Management Research Analyst Camilla Oxhamre Cruse, Ph.D., and Global Strategist Olga Bitel, on why cases are rising in some areas and declining in others, where we are on a vaccine and testing, and potential risks to our base-case scenario for the global economic recovery.

Getting surplus food into the mouths of the hungry is more complicated than it seems. Join our moderator, Hugo, and portfolio manager, Simon, for a conversation with Laura Winningham, CEO of City Harvest London, which has rescued 4,000 tons of surplus food and delivered 10 million meals to those in need.

Strong leadership, especially during uncertain times, is more important than ever. Join our moderator, Hugo, for a conversation with former U.S. Women's National Soccer Coach, Jill Ellis, on creating a dynamic environment, making sound decisions, and working with diverse personalities.

In the second installment of our COVID-19 series, our moderator, Hugo, discusses the scientific and economic implications of the path to recovery with William Blair investment management research analyst Camilla Oxhamre Cruse, who has a Ph.D. in medicine and M.Sc. in biochemistry, and global strategist Olga Bitel.

Listen to our moderator discuss the science of the coronavirus and its global economic impact with William Blair Investment Management Research Analyst Camilla Oxhamre Cruse, who has a Ph.D. in medicine and an M.Sc. in biochemistry, and Global Strategist Olga Bitel.

Join us on location in the village of Solomeo in Umbria, Italy, the home of our guest Brunello Cucinelli, chairman and CEO of Brunello Cucinelli S.p.a, and his successful luxury-clothing brand. A strong believer in humanistic capitalism, Brunello shares how he created a company that values fair wages and profits, giving back, and the importance of treating people and the environment with dignity.

Claudio Simão, chief technology officer at Hexagon AB and president of Hexagon Ventures, discusses how Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation will drive a new era of productivity. He also highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by industrial companies in a digital world.

Known as the father of financial futures, Dr. Richard Sandor, chairman and CEO of the American Financial Exchange, joins us for an in-depth conversation about his journey to becoming a financial innovator. He discusses creating the Chicago Climate Exchange; his newest venture, Ameribor, an alternative to LIBOR; and why doing well and doing good don't have to be exclusive.

Patrick Foulis, business affairs editor for The Economist, discusses the top global economic trends to watch and gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of the 176-year-old publication. See how the sausage gets made, including the importance of hiring intellectual rebels and writing good puns.

Cell therapy, gene editing, and other medical technologies that focus on the human genome are more than science fiction. Find out how shifts in personalized medicine are transforming healthcare when we sit down with William Blair Investment Management healthcare analysts Camilla Oxhamre Cruse, Ph.D., and Tommy Sternberg, CFA.

When Tom Ricketts, CFA, chairman of the Chicago Cubs, took over the “loveable losers” in 2009, he set about transforming the organization. Seven years later he had combined art and science to create a winning culture and team—culminating in what may be the most dramatic 17 minutes in World Series history.

What do Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have in common with hedgehogs and foxes? Find out as we sit down with David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of The Sports Gene and Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, who argues that in most fields, generalists—not specialists—are primed to outperform.

The Active Share, a new podcast from William Blair brings you less obvious investing insights in a world that's always changing. Join host Hugo Scott-Gall for thought-provoking conversations with thought leaders--including David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author, and Tom Ricketts, chairman of the Chicago Cubs--as well as company executives, and our own analysts and portfolio managers.