Podcasts about asset owner

Podcast: PrOTect It All (LS 25 · TOP 10% what is this?)Episode: The Intersection of IT and OT: Highlights from S4 Conference with Jori VanAntwerpPub date: 2025-03-17Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIn this episode, Aaron is joined by Jori VanAntwerp live from the s4 conference. Together, they unpack the intricacies of networking at industry events, the challenges and opportunities in OT cybersecurity, and the evolving technologies and strategies that are reshaping the field.  From the significance of understanding asset owner needs to the promising future of AI and blockchain in cybersecurity, Aaron and Jori cover it all. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, this episode is packed with insights that will keep you informed and ahead in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.  So, tune in and get ready to explore the essential strategies for protecting it all. Key moments:  04:38 Asset Owner's Conference Dilemma 08:14 "Business at Speed of Trust" 10:45 Career Transition Acceptance 16:09 Limited Solution Compatibility Issues 18:41 Exploring Blockchain for Data Integration 20:47 Adapting to Imperfection with Technology 25:12 Dynamic Detection in Modern Substations 28:28 Rethinking Staffing for Power Utilities 31:45 Retiree Saves Power Plant Upgrade 35:37 Ford F-150 Taillights Theft Spike 39:08 Modular Redundancy in OT Security 42:20 "Advocating for Chipset Optimization" 45:32 "Call for Advanced PLC Monitoring Chip" 48:12 Complicated Security Measures Challenge Efficiency 49:28 Balancing Security and Operational Needs 52:57 IT Policy Disrupts Control Room Ops 56:43 Bridging OT and IT Teams About the guest :  For nearly two decades, Jori has enabled industrial and IT organizations to be successful in reducing risk, increasing compliance, and their overall security efforts. Jori has the ability to quickly evaluate situations and determine innovative solutions and possible pitfalls due to his diverse background in security, technology, partnering and client-facing experience. Approaching situations with intuitive insight and methodology, leveraging his deep understanding of business and technology, ranging from silicon to the cloud. He had the pleasure of working with such great companies as Gravwell, Dragos, CrowdStrike, FireEye, McAfee, and is now Founder and Chief Executive Officer at EmberOT, a cybersecurity startup focused on making security a reality. How to connect Jori :  Website : https://emberot.com/ Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvanantwerp/ Connect With Aaron Crow: Website: www.corvosec.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronccrow   Learn more about PrOTect IT All: Email: info@protectitall.co  Website: https://protectitall.co/  X: https://twitter.com/protectitall  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PrOTectITAll  FaceBook:  https://facebook.com/protectitallpodcast  To be a guest or suggest a guest/episode, please email us at info@protectitall.coThe podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Aaron Crow, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

What do co-investments, secondaries, joint ventures, and NAV lending have in common? To some, they sound like complex investment vehicles - to us, they represent the cutting-edge tools reshaping how asset owners build portfolios. Gone are the days of relying solely on the binary choice between insourcing or outsourcing investment capabilities. Today's institutional investors have a dynamic, customizable toolkit at their fingertips, empowering them to craft strategies that truly serve their stakeholders. Join industry leaders Scott Chan and Molly Murphy as they dive into this exciting evolution, unpack the innovative investment vehicles driving change, and discuss the challenges and opportunities in implementation. Introduction: (0:48) Halftime: (59:28) Guests: (1:05:57) Guests: Molly Murphy, Chief Investment Officer, OCERS Scott Chan, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, CalSTRS Episode Sources

Hear how one pension plan created an ESG compliant portfolio with lower risk factors

In part 1 of this episode, we explore the Global Asset Owner Peer Study on best practices conducted by the Thinking Ahead Institute, in partnership with the Future Fund. With insights from 26 major funds managing over $6 trillion, the study explores emerging trends, challenges, and best practices in asset ownership. Join us for expert insights from Kristin Magnusson Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of AP1 and study participant, and Roger Urwin, Co-founder of the Thinking Ahead Institute and chief architect of the study. Tune in to gain valuable perspectives from industry leaders on navigating the future of investments in an increasingly complex world. And keep an ear out for part 2 of this episode, out in October. Resources mentioned: Summary report: Global Asset Owner Peer Study Report Virtual event series: Systems Curriculum

In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast we hear from the world's largest asset owner, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM).    NBIM is Norway's $1.7 trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund and owns almost 1.5% of all shares in the world's listed companies. To understand how NBIM is exerting that influence, we speak to Chief Governance and Compliance Officer Carine Smith Ihenacho.  Carine explains how NBIM is approaching engagement and divestment. She tells us about the climate action plan she helped design and implement. And she explains why NBIM is leaning into its responsible investing ethos amid the ESG backlash occurring in some parts of the world.  “For us, ESG is not about politics,” she says. "We look at it from an investor perspective and from a long-term value creation perspective. For us, it's really about risk and opportunities.”  S&P Global Sustainable1 is hosting a co-located event at The Nest Climate Campus on Sept. 25. To learn more and register your interest, click here.  Read the latest thought leadership from S&P Global Sustainable1 here: https://www.spglobal.com/esg/insights/featured/sustainability-journal/fall-2024-special-edition   This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1, a part of S&P Global.  Copyright ©2024 by S&P Global  DISCLAIMER  By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.  S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

Have you ever wanted to step into something new in your career? Make a big change? Have you let fear hold you back? In this episode we're talking to Michelle Shanley about stepping into change and saying yes to fear. As Global Head of Strategic and Key Accounts, Michelle Shanley leads a global team of senior account managers for MSCI. Prior to her current role, she served as Head of Americas Strategic Accounts and Asset Owner and Investment Consultant Coverage. Michelle joined MSCI in 2003, bringing over 10 years of institutional sales and trading experience; spanning Bank of America (Merrill Lynch), Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs. Michelle holds an MBA in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of New Hampshire. She sits on the U.S. board of Women in ETFS and is actively involved in Partners in Development (Haiti), a non-profit organization focused on helping impoverished communities attain independence and whole-life development. Michelle lives with her family in Maine on a beautiful pastoral property. Kristine Delano guides the conversation about how to think practically about fear and when to say yes.  This episode features a special cameo by Diane E. Samson. Diane is the author of the Young Adult Fantasy series, Gems of Fire.  Check out Diane E. Samson's Gems of Fire series. Follow on Instagram kristine.delano.writer  Visit www.womeninetfs.com to find additional support in the ETF industry.  Go to www.kristinedelano.com for your Thrive Guide: a compilation of the most requested and insightful advice from our guests on Leadership and Advancement.

Thanks to a strong stock market and record home prices, asset owners are feeling richer, even if it’s only on paper. Today, we get into the “wealth effect” and how it may play out in the presidential election. Also: Higher prices slow Procter & Gamble sales, the “catastrophic” halt to a Baltimore port business, and why companies change the metrics they report to investors.

Thanks to a strong stock market and record home prices, asset owners are feeling richer, even if it’s only on paper. Today, we get into the “wealth effect” and how it may play out in the presidential election. Also: Higher prices slow Procter & Gamble sales, the “catastrophic” halt to a Baltimore port business, and why companies change the metrics they report to investors.

In this episode of Big Picture in Practice, our hosts sit down with Chris to understand Rockefeller Global Family Office and their approach to sustainable practice growth.The value of personal touch in a digital world.Strategies to recruit advisor talent.Approaches to a consistent company culture across geographies.You can listen to this and other episodes of Big Picture in Practice wherever you stream podcasts.

Episode Summary Host: Melissa Chase, Senior Content Marketing Manager, Morningstar Sustainalytics Guest: Thomas Kuh, Head of ESG Strategy, Morningstar Indexes  Survey Says... Asset Owners Are Committed to Sustainable Investing In this episode of ESG in Conversation, Thomas Kuh, Head of ESG Strategy at Morningstar Indexes shares the results from Morningstar Indexes and Morningstar Sustainalytics' Voice of the Asset Owner Survey. Not surprisingly, asset owners are concerned about the influence of global events on the market. They are confused about ever-changing regulations and are seeking improvements and reliability from ESG service providers. Despite these challenges, asset owners also say they remain committed to sustainability and are putting more resources towards their ESG strategies.   You'll also learn more about the low-carbon transition risks facing some of the world's biggest food companies and the steps they can take to get their emissions reductions back on track. Finally, the start of 2024 brings new sustainability-focused regulations. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) came into effect in the European Union on Jan. 1 and will apply to nearly 60,000 companies globally. The directive could be a watershed moment for corporate reporting as well as investors seeking more sustainability data from issuers.   Tell Us What You Think  Please take a moment to share your thoughts on ESG in Conversation. You can email us at podcast@sustainalytics.com or take this short survey.    Key Moments 00:00:00  Introduction  00:01:30  Interview with Thomas Kuh discussing asset owners' views on ESG investing   00:10:52  Insights on the low-carbon transition risks of major food companies and how they can reduce emissions  00:12.33  Details on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive     Links to Select Resources Voice of the Asset Owner 2023: Quantitative Analysis  Big Food's Broken Promises: The Data Behind the Food Industry's Rising Emissions  CSRD Reporting: Preparing for Mandatory ESG Disclosure Deadlines  More Episodes  

Die großen Notenbanken haben in den vergangenen 18 Monaten in einer historisch einmaligen Schnelligkeit die Leitzinsen nach oben katapultiert. Die Europäische Zentralbank beispielsweise hat die Zinsen gleich 11-mal hintereinander angehoben – auf nunmehr 4,5 Prozent. Das gab es noch nie – und daher ist auch hier von einer Zeitenwende die Rede. Die Sparerinnen und Sparer freuen sich, denn es gibt nun endlich wieder Tagesgeld zu guten Konditionen und auch Anleihen werfen ordentliche Renditen ab. Wie die momentane Zinswelt einzuschätzen ist und wie man die aktuell hohen Zinsen für sich nutzen kann, erfahren Sie in dieser Podcast-Folge von Karl Matthäus Schmidt, Vorstandsvorsitzender der Quirin Privatbank AG und Gründer der digitalen Geldanlage quirion. Seien Sie gespannt auf Antworten zu folgenden Fragen: • Hat Schmidt als echter Aktien-Fan Anleihen im Portfolio oder auch Tagesgeld, vor allem jetzt, wo es vier Prozent und mehr Zinsen gibt? (1:19) • Was waren die Gründe dafür, dass die Notenbanken in den vergangenen Monaten die Leitzinsen so schnell nach oben gezogen haben? (2:35) • Was ist die Kerninflation? (4:21) • Kommt jetzt die große Zeit der Kreditgeber, nachdem die Asset Owner die letzten 10 bis 15 Jahre eine richtig gute Phase hatten? Werden Anleihen in Zukunft also besser laufen als Aktien? (5:21) • Was bedeutet eine inverse Zinskurve? Warum erzielt man im Moment mit einer längeren Anleihelaufzeit weniger Rendite als mit einer kürzeren? (6:59) • Wie sieht es aktuell bei unseren deutschen Bundesanleihen aus? Wäre das etwas für ein gut diversifiziertes Portfolio? (9:19) • Wie sehen die Folgen der andauernden Wirtschaftsbelastung für Unternehmensanleihen aus? (10:43) • Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Investment Grade und Non-Investment-Grade – auch Hochzinsanleihen genannt – und welche Renditen können jeweils erzielt werden? (11:55) • Welche Laufzeiten sollte man bei Anleihen wählen? Eher kürzere, weil es mehr Zinsen gibt oder liebere längere Laufzeiten, weil die Zinsen auch wieder fallen können? (14:29) • Wo lauern trotz aller positiven Begleitumstände etwaige Risiken bei Anleihen? (15:57) • Wie unterscheiden sich Tagesgeld und Anleihen voneinander? Was sind die jeweiligen Vorzüge und wo liegen die Nachteile? (17:35) • Was hat es mit sogenannten Geldmarkt-ETFs auf sich? (19:10) • Wozu braucht es noch Aktien? (20:15) Aufgrund der immer noch negativen Realverzinsung (Zins minus Inflation) ist bei Zinsanlagen der Schwund des Realwertes garantiert. Daher ist ein Tagesgeld aus unserer Sicht nur als Notreserve sinnvoll. Wenn es um eine langfristige Anlagestrategie geht, sollte der Zinsteil über Anleihen abgedeckt werden. Aber Achtung: Nur weil der Anleihemarkt aktuell recht attraktive Renditen hergibt, sollte man nicht blind den Anteil an Anleihen erhöhen. Die Entscheidung, wie hoch der Anleiheanteil im Depot ist, sollte nicht von der Marktlage abhängen, sondern davon, wie viel Risiko man insgesamt verträgt. Der stärkste und eigentliche Treiber für die Vermögensbildung sind und bleiben Aktien – auch wenn es jetzt wieder Zinsen gibt. Wegen der inversen Zinskurve ist im Moment speziell das Segment kurzer Anleihelaufzeiten interessant, hier ganz besonders Geldmarkt-ETFs. Sie haben Interesse, direkt von dem besten Interbankenzins zu profitieren? Dann könnte unser Strategiedepot „Cash-Invest“ für Sie passend sein. Vereinbaren Sie gerne einen unverbindlichen Beratungstermin und sparen Sie sich die lästigen Zinsvergleiche: https://www.quirinprivatbank.de/lp/termin-vereinbaren. Folgenempfehlung Lange Zeit haben Anleihen in den Investmentüberlegungen vieler Anlegerinnen und Anleger keine große Rolle gespielt, schließlich haben sie, zumindest von soliden Anleiheschuldnern, bis vor Kurzem entweder keine oder sogar negative Renditen abgeworfen. Doch die zinslosen Zeiten sind vorbei und Anleiheinvestments erfreuen sich zunehmender Beliebtheit. Warum Anleihen nicht nur wegen der höheren Renditen mehr Aufmerksamkeit verdienen, hören Sie in dieser Podcast-Folge: Folge 187: Endlich wieder Zinsen – was ist bei Anleiheinvestments zu beachten? https://www.quirinprivatbank.de/podcast/podcast-folge-187 _______________________

Ageing populations in the west causing shrinking of the workforce, mismatches in jobs and qualifications, and the rise of new technology is all contributing to the transformation of the labour markets, according to PGIM's latest megatrends report.Participant:• Jakob Wilhelmus, director at PGIM's Thematic Research groupModerator:• Julia Newbould, managing editor at Conexus Financial

In this episode, Karen and Michelle welcome Mary Ellen “Mel” Miller, APR, MBA. Mel is the founder and CEO of MarketingMel, a solo PR firm that strengthens relationships between organizations and the publics they serve. Mel draws on the breadth of her lifelong career as a professional communicator in her new book, “Fill the Dam Thing Up! Building Connections: Communicating throughout the Lifecycle of Infrastructure Projects.” It's a discussion you won't want to miss.   Buy the Book: “Fill the Dam Thing Up! Building Connections: Communicating throughout the Lifecycle of Infrastructure Projects” is available on Amazon.   Connect with Mel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketingmel/ @MarketingMel   Transcript   Michelle Kane (00:03): Thank you for joining us for an episode of That Solo Life, the podcast for PR pros and marketers who work for themselves, people like me, Michelle Kane with VoiceMatters and our fearless leader over at Solo PR Pro, Karen Swim, and we are thrilled to welcome a guest today. Today we are joined by Mary Ellen, or as she likes to be called, Mel, Miller. Mel holds a special place in our hearts because she is an original Solo PR plankholder. Mel is an accredited public relations professional and the founder and CEO of Marketing Mel, a solo PR firm that strengthens relationships between organizations and the publics they serve. She and I are also fellow Rotarians, so shout out to the Rotarians out there. Mel draws on the breadth of her lifelong career as a professional communicator in her new book, soon to be a bestseller we called it now. That is called “Fill the Dam Thing Up! Building Connections: Communicating throughout the Lifecycle of Infrastructure Projects.” Welcome, Mel. Thank you for joining us today. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (01:12): Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Karen Swim, APR (01:15): Yeah, we're so excited to talk to you and love the title of the book and I won't spoil it, but readers you are going to love it from the introduction and you'll love the little story behind the book title and just in reading the note about how the title came about, it just was such a feeling of comradery and just good. And the book is packed, packed with lots of good insights and information. So good you're here to talk about it. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (01:52): Thank you. Thank you. Karen, Michelle Kane (01:55): What brought about you to write this book? Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (01:59): Well, I realized that it was a really unique project in that it was just a 25 minute drive from my home here in northeast Tennessee, but yet it evolved experts from across the world coming in here to keep a dam safe and to keep people downstream safe because ultimately that's what this project was all about, was safety of the downstream public. What the issue was in a nutshell was what's called internal erosion, which is the number two cause of dam failure in the world, and a muddy seep was discovered at the base of the dam in October of 2014, and also a sinkhole was discovered in the parking lot adjacent to that. And the experts quickly realized that the lake on the opposite side, which was really the majority of people I dealt with very well-to-do lake homeowners, who naturally were rather upset when their lake had to be drawn down approximately an additional 10 feet below the winter pool level. (03:00): So it became a rather low lake then for the duration of the project, but we always had the support of top management. The CEO came in and said, this project's going to be done, it's going to be done safely and right, it's going to take five to seven years. Of course, the people were very upset to hear it would take that long of a timeline, but there was a tremendous amount of community outreach as you can imagine. That's really what this book is about and it really does appeal directly to your audience folks like us. I was brought in as a contractor on the project, so I full-time had the experience in the community and in broadcasting and in pr, all those kinds of things that helped with the outreach. And I would say if I was to sum it up in just two words, it was relationship building. (03:45): As I mentioned in the book, you start out with people, the presidents of the local lake associations with their arms crossed in front of you, just nod at all thrilled that you're there to actually help them clean up the lake on their annual cleanup lake and bringing crews and really showing them that we're here to support showing them that we're here to support. In terms of charity outreach, that was huge. We had a committee of workers on the project. There were about 200 workers on the project, 24 hours a day for several years actually, and they voted to support both the local food bank and also Marine Corps choice for Tots. So every holiday season we were there and we were the largest givers in the whole region While we were there, we knew it was very uncomfortable for the people. We were causing them major discomfort in that the lake had gone down significantly. (04:38): But the flip side of that was we wanted to do all we could in the community and in terms of community outreach to help folks while we were here. So it was a fascinating story and the international aspect, to answer your question, Karen and Michelle, it's not every day that you're in northeast Tennessee and you're hearing accents from Britain and France and Italy and Australia. It was just so fun to, and we all came around together at the conference room table every single morning. All the leaders were together and making the plans for the day. So Karen Swim, APR (05:13): There was a phrase early on, and you used this in the book that jumped out at me and it's “angry neighbors” and this, when you interrupt people's idea of comfort, there's anger. But when I read it, I realized that this is not limited to infrastructure projects today. We really are surrounded by angry neighbors. There's such anger and a lack of patience in our culture. So talk about how you dealt with that and what lessons you drew upon to deal with a constituency that you needed and you wanted them to become advocates and somebody that you actually needed to communicate with that you started out from a platform of them being just angry Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (06:04): And understandably so justifiably so if you had paid the kind of money they had to have, the lovely homes they have up there, I certainly get how they felt that they didn't want their lake to go down. They still had some water and they still had, we made sure they had access to the water, but it was quite different from the way they were used to. And I think it was twofold. One was the relationship building that I mentioned by showing up month after month in the Lake Association meetings, they started to realize I was for real. I wasn't just flying in and flying out and I lived here to add to that. So I was really here to help them and listen to them. And through that listening, that active listening, that really amounted to environmental scanning. And that's where I picked up on the issue of vegetation management. (06:49): As a lake comes down, vegetation comes up if you think about it. And so that was the next thing that they were very concerned about and we were able to address that head on. We enabled crews, we brought crews into mulch and helped to eliminate where the neighbors wanted. It eliminated, as I mentioned in the book, there was actually one fishermen who didn't want his yard cut. He wanted it safe for future fish habitat. So we did what they wanted and what they asked. That was one. The second thing that I think is really important is to engage the people who start out so adversarial. And the one example that I used, I call 'em the three amigos in the book, and the fun thing is that they actually came around in the end and we were very helpful to one another, but in the beginning they started out adversarial and what we did was give them a job, so to speak, and by that I mean a volunteer role in that very vegetation management role that I just mentioned. (07:48): They were the ones that knew the neighbors, they lived there. So they went out ahead of our crews and talked to the neighbors and helped us with the knocking on doors and said, “Hey, these crews are going to be coming through on boats in the coves. Is that okay?” They'll be coming through on Monday or whatever. And that helped tremendously. It might sound funny to say give 'em a job, but it really worked. And another tip for a PR pro would be frequently asked questions. So often you start to hear the same thing over and over or in a case like that, because they were noisy, the amigos might've thought that they would have special insights into the project. What you do instead in our project manager was really clear on this and it was a great point. You don't give them special insights. You take their questions and you put them out on the website as FAQs and then everybody gets those answers at once. No one gets special treatment. Karen Swim, APR (08:39): I love that. Michelle Kane (08:40): I love that. And it's so true. Those that are most invested usually are the squeakiest wheels. So why not have them join the team and become invested in the outcomes? That's phenomenal. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (08:55): Well, thank you. It worked out terrific. We actually started having meetings with him every two weeks and it was funny to watch a turnaround like that and it was definitely, I always said this project was turning around an aircraft carrier. You weren't turning on a dime. This was a seven year project, so it took a while, but it worked. Michelle Kane (09:13): Wow. Certainly a huge aspect of the relationship building for sure. How has this differed from other projects you have worked on? Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (09:22): Well, I think the size and scope was what was just so huge. And you asked why I wrote the book. I guess that that's another aspect that I realized just how big it was. And also I realized that infrastructure is a major issue in this country. As I was starting to write the book, that bus, many of you remember, it actually was dangling off a bridge in Pittsburgh. You're from Pennsylvania, Michelle, you remember that? I do. And it was like, oh my gosh, this timing of the situation of our infrastructure in our country. Thankfully no one was killed there, but it showed you that we are going to have other major, major projects in this country that are going to need the same kind of outreach. And that's why I wrote the book as well, Karen Swim, APR (10:03): Which is a great point. And you're right, that is a significant issue that I think many of us are aware of, myself included. I think about that, I talk about that, but I never thought about the opportunity for PR pros. And so it's good that you brought up that point that our help will be needed and that there will be lots of these projects in the future. So as we're all looking to future-proof our careers and we're thinking about how we're integrating AI and some of the technological advances, that's a good point. And you brought that up in the book about environmental scanning and be aware of what's around you and start to look at those things and proactively address them in a way of offering your help. That's a great tip. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (10:54): And it's funny that you say that because when I first heard about the project, another APR who became my boss, I just think the world of her, she's the one that encouraged me to get the APR actually, she put out a notice to our local public relations society that she was looking for a person that basically it was an exact fit of my job description, could work with the community, be comfortable on camera, whatever, all that kind of stuff, and be a PR pro. And so I had two college students with me that day. I told you I'd like to surround myself with sharp young people. And we were coming back from the meeting and I said, man, what a great opportunity. And I think that's the way we see it, but so many people see it the opposite. And so I tell in the book about how I am sitting at the dentist and my mouth is open and he is like, “You're going to do what?!” - that other professional people that I think have very stressful jobs are thinking that I'm nuts to take on a job like this with community outreach with a bunch of already angry neighbors. (11:50): But I thought it was a fun challenge, as you mentioned. And I think that's the way solo PRs fly. We take on the challenges and we're ready to do it. And the other thing that was really big in the book to me was to realize it's a long game. You really have to have resilience and you have to be willing to just keep chugging along and plugging along. And I actually had this vision towards the end of the project after so many years of seeing massive drills on top of the dam and huge construction equipment up there to, I put this picture from July of 2014 as my screensaver, and it was kids frolicking at the beach because there's an actual beach area there at the base of the dam where the public loves to swim, but it had to be closed throughout the project. (12:39): And I just kept looking at that picture from, let's see, I posted it in the fall of 21 and the project officially, we had our celebration in ribbon cutting, May 25th, 2022. So I was staring at it for that long and I just kept seeing that as the long game, we are going to get to this again. And I share in the book on that final day, first we had the ribbon cutting with all the stakeholders and it was great, beautiful day in May. And then we had the public come in and we had our subject matter experts all available to talk to the public. And that was really fun. And the partners in the community, including the three Amigos, the local fishing groups, various groups like that, and I was sitting on, I was waiting for my family. They were coming in because they wanted to see it of course. And this family comes up to me and they said, is it okay? They were very timid, can we go swimming? And I said, sure, absolutely. And it was like there they, they jumped in the water and I snapped pictures and I was like, there it is. That's the vision. So I think we have to cast a vision as solo PR pros that there's something good to come in the long run, even though there may be challenges and hills along the way. Karen Swim, APR (13:49): And I'm glad that you said that because I was going to ask with a seven year project, and that's different from a lot of our assignments. While we may have clients that long, there are a series of projects along the way. It's not one long assignment. So I know that along the way there was probably moments where it seemed like there was not a lot of activity sometimes where it was more challenging. How did you keep yourself fueled and refreshed during this very long project? Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (14:22): Very long project? That is a great question because it was hard, and I really appreciate the things you do when you talk about the challenges we have with the difficulties of what we do. We're dealing with crises a lot. But I did things like honestly taking my lunch break at the picnic table and being outside and going for a little walk at lunchtime, that sounds really simple, but I think you just have to give yourself that little mental break in the day. That was a big one. I made sure that I was up, see, I was actually physically removed from the main project group. I would go up there every morning and meet with the main project group, but I was in an area where the public could get to me and I could get to the public. And I had two armed guards with me because speaking of stress, someone had threatened to blow up the dam just before I arrived, but this is what we deal with. (15:17): So we had to have armed guards protect the site itself. And then indirectly me, because I was in the same trailer with them, it was a very large trailer that we had maps and cartoon type drawings of the project itself. We had a model dam that was very useful in teaching the public and in teaching school groups as well that we showcased there. And then as I mentioned, so much community outreach. There was an eagle's nest that we supported and it was like a live eagle. People love those things. They turn their computer on and they watch 'em for hours. And so we supported that with the local power company at the time. And we got, I remember having a picture of the eagle out there. He had, or she, well, both they're paired, had nested on private property right along the lake. So that was a fun thing to do. But in terms of those kind of mental breaks that you take like a walk or making sure you're around a lot of people when you get the opportunity to, I didn't even usually take regular lunch breaks, but occasionally I would with a couple of friends. And that was a big treat for me just to get out and talk to people about something different. Michelle Kane (16:24): I think that's a really good point. Karen Swim, APR (16:25): It's so simple things that we take for granted that we do need and we have to build those in. And I know for many PR pros like you, I normally don't take lunch, but the days that I get out of the office and go meet somebody for lunch, it is, it's different and it refreshes you and you feel so energized after that. Michelle Kane (16:47): So true. Especially in such a long slog like that, it's important to remember that part of what we do is to keep ourselves replenished. It's not irresponsible to step away for 15, even 15 minutes or oh, goodness,  an hour. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (17:03): Right? That's a big treat for us. But sometimes you need it. Michelle Kane (17:07): Yeah, definitely Karen Swim, APR (17:09): You talked a little bit about planning and for those of us who have gone through the accreditation process, we are well familiar with RPI, but you talked about 10 step plan, share with us how that plan worked for you, because I sometimes feel like everybody doesn't get it like a plan. You've got to have a plan, and we may be speaking with people that are outside of the PR profession that listen. So talk about that a little bit and talk about the process you used. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (17:45): Oh, well, I'm really glad you mentioned that. The planning. Planning. There's a quote that I used from General Eisenhower in the book, and of course I'm not finding it this very second because I'm looking for it, but it's basically that once you get into battle, basically for him you have to have the plan, but then it's kind of like the plan may go by the wayside, but you had that initial plan. I'm paraphrasing him greatly here, but it's so important. And he's exactly right. So you have that initial plan. I had an overarching communications plan that I would update annually and give to the project manager and then kind of subsets of that as various projects within that communications plan would come up throughout the year. I use Fern bon's 10 step PR plan. There's actually a link to that URL in the book because I use that plan all the time, Karen. (18:37): And we learned about that in our APR process. But it's just some basic steps to follow and how you start with your strategies and objectives, what your first goals are, and then you drill down more into your tactical work of how you're going to execute that PR plan. So yes, that's important. And then the other thing, this is really simple, it's just a basic spreadsheet, but every week or then I think it went to every other week when I would meet with the managers, and that's another really important thing, be sure you get a seat at the table with the top management. That's very important for the PR pro. But when I would meet with them, I would give them that updated spreadsheet on what's going on in the community to date, what we've just finished this week or last week and what we have coming up. So that was a really good way to keep track and it's so basic, just a little Excel spreadsheet and where you are. Karen Swim, APR (19:29): So true. I love it. So true. And I love, we do have to, I always say that you hold everything with an open hand, so you plan, but you realize, and you talked about this, you talked about the project leaders that you started with were not the project leaders that you finished with. And it's a good point because we see that a lot with just in our day-to-day client engagements where leadership changes or there's staffing changes. And so you may start out with a CEO, but that CEO may not go the journey with you. So how did you manage those transitions on top of this massive project? Talk a little bit about the strategies that you used to keep things moving and to keep the momentum and then having to develop new relationships along the way because things were changing and your team sometimes changed. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (20:20): Well, the team was fantastic, and the reason they changed was they were so good. They got promoted into other positions. They were really on a showcase project. And so when they did so well there, they got promoted up, most of them. Well, the project manager lasted through most of it, and then he got promoted onto a much bigger project towards maybe the last year or six months. So he and I worked very closely together. And then I just adapted the new project manager who came in. She was awesome. She was kind of his handpick. She did not like to go out into public events as much as he did. He was really great with the public speaking events. She liked to be a little bit more behind the scenes. But then we accommodated that with actually a project moves in phases. I cover that in the book as well. And so the project technical director actually ended up really stepping up at that point. And actually his group was called the Asset Owner at that point because they were under the DAM safety heading. And he was terrific at going out and doing those public things. So they filled in the gap. Well, and I guess I was just so fortunate to work with such fantastic professionals that it was a pretty smooth transition when it came to working with different leadership. They made it easy. Michelle Kane (21:35): That's so important as well. And even what you touched on is having that seat at the table. I don't know that our equal professionals out there that we often work with realize how important that is. I always say I don't have to know everything, but I have to know everything. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (21:55): That is well said. And the vegetation management I mentioned is a great example. And I've recently started some public speaking at Rotary Clubs. Michelle and a couple of engineers trailed me out of one because they wanted to buy my book. It was really sweet. And I'd already ran out of books. That was really fun. I'd sold three and I had two more in the car. So they followed me out and they said, you know what? We would've been thinking about the caisson, but you saw the vegetation management. And I said, well, that's where I operate at 30,000 feet. But all three of us do here. And our listeners as well, we're paid to operate at 30,000 feet. They're paid to worry about the caisson because that's really important. (22:37): And by the way, that was the solution. They built an underground cutoff wall that was kind of the showpiece of what they called the composite seepage barrier. So it was literally a barrier built within the earth and embankment that cut off pretty easy to explain, cut off the seepage. And then they also had some berms they built around it and they did some drilling and grouting as well. So it was kind of a three phased effort to repair the dam. And they did, and they did it safely. And that's the good news on time and under budget, Karen Swim, APR (23:13): That's music to everyone's ears, isn't it? Seriously able to achieve that. We could talk to you about any of these topics that you cover in the book for an entire hour, but as we near the end of our time, I want to personally make sure that people know where to get this great book because there, it's fun. It's a fun read and you write with such warmth and it's so relatable. I've never worked on infrastructure projects like this, but I completely relate it to the way that you laid out the story in the book. And it's a good read. And I do believe that this will become a bestseller. And I believe that there's probably more books in you, Mel Miller, so talk where they can pick up this book. Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (23:59): Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate your support, both of you. I appreciate you having me on this podcast. They can pick up the book on Amazon right now, just Google it, “Fill the Dam Thing Up.” The book will show up right away. And then I've just caught the book on audio, and Isaac, the sound engineer is sitting right here and he is editing away. So it will show up on Audible in the very near future. And then I ultimately plan to do an e-book as well. But you learn on this author journey, and one of the things I've learned is there's some different formatting you have to do for e-book. So I'll come back with that, but I plan to have it on all three channels available to people that like to read in different formats. Michelle Kane (24:37): Fantastic, fantastic. So we thank you so much. And where else can we find you online? LinkedIn, I assume, or Mary Ellen "Mel" Miller, APR (24:45): Oh yes. I love LinkedIn and I think that's the perfect social media platform for what I do because it's not just the PR pros, but it's also the project managers who work with the PR pros who are out on LinkedIn. So that's a great one. I'm Marketing Mel everywhere, “Marketing” and then M-e-l, so my nickname as was mentioned earlier. So just feel free to connect with me. Twitter, you name it, I'm out there. So look forward to connecting. Michelle Kane (25:10): We are so grateful that you took your time to spend with us today, and we hope everyone out there pre-orders the book and please do hook up with Mel on LinkedIn, make sure you follow her successes with this wonderful book that we can all learn so much from. That's what I love about this profession. We learn from each other and we thank you for listening today to our audience. If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to share it around and I mean what's not to enjoy with this episode. And until next time, thanks for listening to That Solo Life.  

Greater access to information from companies and associations on geospatial analysis combined with the acceleration and exponential destruction of the ecosystem has prompted biodiversity to becoming a hot topic in making investment decisions. Conexus Financial managing editor Julia Newbould talks to Newton Investment Management global head of sustainable investment Therese Niklasson 

Our food system needs to be more productive and sustainable with increased demand, changing diets and an outdated production system. According to PGIM thematic research group director Jakob Wilhelmus, there are two main challenges in the food chain right now – our current food system is outdated and secondly the devastating impact on the environment and climate change.

In Themis episode we discuss the ever growing disparity between the haves and have nots

Last year was a terrible year for growth equity investing but 2023 will be a year they can shine, as long as interest rates stabilise, according to Raj Shant, London-based managing director and equity portfolio specialist at Jennison Associates, which is a fundamental equities manager owned by PGIM.

Structuring quality – made with passion XOLARIS Group develops tailored structuring solutions for their clients As a fully integrated service management company (“ManCo”), XOLARIS Group is able to reproduce the entire value chain around an AIF and offer tailored structuring, management and settlement services for your clients. True to our motto "Investmentquality - made with passion", we consider it essential to focus on the individual needs of our clients and to evaluate the optimal financial solution. “Together with our very own Alternative Investment Fund Managers (“AIFM”), we are in a position to offer our clients a wide range of structuring opportunities. In doing so, we can operate within core European markets as well as selected offshore jurisdictions to serve numerous solutions such as GmbH & Co. KG, GP/LP and SICAV. We also focus extensively on closed and open-ended alternative investment funds. We consistently follow our aim of optimising structures based on supervisory, company and fiscal aspects. Thanks to our centralised structural unit, we consider ourselves a solution-oriented business partner whose main role is to understand our clients' strategies and fiscal requirements and adapt them to the concept and optimal structure of the financial solution,” says Kai. S Renning, CIO of XOLARIS Group. “In addition to pure concept development and structural services, we oversee the main coordination of all parties involved to reduce interfacing requirements and achieve a high degree of security during process planning and ensure reliable processes. Our private label approach allows us to offer a range of services such as Asset Manager, Wholesaler and Asset Owner,” Mr Renning adds.

In 2022 the top reason for implementing sustainable investment among institutional investors continued to be mitigating long-term investment risk. A marketplace that features advanced climate and sustainability standards will have improved or more stable long-term returns, according to almost three-quarters (72%) of asset owners that took part in FTSE Russell's 2022 Global Asset Owner Survey. Sylvain Chateau, the Global Head of Sustainable Investment Product Management at LSEG, FTSE Russell's parent company, says these investors agree that successful approaches to sustainability mean they need to take a long-term view in order to manage their investment strategies well. Details of the 2022 FTSE Russell Sustainable Investment Global Survey are linked at the SFP BrightTALK channel attachments tab for this SFP Episode 198.

Balanced portfolios will be more volatile without the “natural hedge” provided by a negative correlation between stocks and bonds, but diversification will remain a powerful tool to protect portfolios, according to Noah Weisberger, managing director in the Institutional Advisory & Solutions group at PGIM.

With volatility a strong theme of markets and economies over 2022, some investors have de-risked their portfolios and lost their stomach for riskier emerging markets investments but Alex Khosla, emerging markets and Asia equities portfolio manager at sustainable investment manager Newton Investment Management, argues emerging markets still offer value if you know how to find it. 

Today's sponsor insight features Melanie Pickett, Executive Vice President at Northern Trust, who is responsible for leading the Asset Owner segment in the Americas. Melanie joined Northern Trust five years ago to create its Front Office Solutions business, which today works with $450 billion on the platform across more than forty asset owner clients. Prior to Northern Trust, she spent six years as Chief Operating Officer at Emory University's investment office and over a decade rising to Executive Director in investment operations at Morgan Stanley. Our conversation dives into Melanie's background, technology challenges in the investment office, and her passion for addressing those challenges at Northern Trust. We cover the evolution of Northern Trust's business for asset owners and Melanie's perspective on trends in asset allocation, technology, performance and risk management, data science, and the future of the business. We are incredibly grateful to Melanie and Northern Trust for being a longtime sponsor of the show and are eager to highlight their value to the institutional community. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership

The world is experiencing the results of an underinvestment in traditional oil/gas energy infrastructure which was compounded by Covid- 19, when some companies believed that peak oil demand had arrived pulling back even more on investment, then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the disruption is overlaid with the longer-term focus on energy transition. David Winans, principal and credit analyst for PGIM Fixed Income's US investment grade credit research team and Julia Newbould, managing editor, Conexus Financial look at both sides of the demand and supply puzzle.

Tom Nelson, head of thematic equity at Ninety One, talks to Conexus Financial managing editor Julia Newbould about the extent of the shock to energy markets through the Ukraine War and how it will impact the transition to clean energy and how portfolio managers can invest in renewables and achieve carbon zero targets in this volatile market.

A shift towards positive correlation between stocks and bonds is likely, and this phenomenon could persist for many years if history is a guide and this could lead to a “much more volatile world” for those trying to maintain balanced portfolios and may force investors to either raise their risk budgets or lower their return expectations, according to Dr Noah Weisberger, managing director at PGIM IAS group.

Richard Bullock, senior geopolitical strategist at Newton Investment Management and Julia Newbould, managing editor at Conexus Financial talk about today's economic environment. They discuss how it is the time for geopolitical strategists to start using all their tools – there is war in Ukraine and Russia, ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan, a change in world order, a move towards global energy transition and the emergence of a new financial system across various economies – and the outlook is inflation volatility will continue as the world splits into rival camps.

CEO Bernard Reilly and chair Don Luke of Australian Retirement Trust joined us at the Fiduciary Investors Symposium in June 2022 for a fireside chat on how the fund is adapting and progressing post-merger, and what is next on the agenda for Australia's newest mega fund. This session was hosted by Michael Baldwin, global head of external relationships & deputy CEO, Conexus Financial.

In this episode Laura de Ornelas, PRI's Empowering Asset Owners Director, speaks to Jenny Kvaskova and Tim Manuel from Aon. They explore the insights into Asset Owners' responsible investment practices, particularly how they differ across geographies and Asset Owner segments.   Jenny shares the methodology and techniques used to bring the PRI's reporting data to life. Tim Manuel shares from his experience in supporting Asset Owners in their responsible investment journey, explores the challenges they face, and gives insight into how the industry is solving these.   Find the podcast transcript here: https://bit.ly/3utVKOc

Strukturierungsqualität – Made with passion Die XOLARIS Gruppe entwickelt für Ihre Kunden maßgeschneiderte Strukturierungslösungen Als ganzheitlich orientierte Service Management Company („ManCo“) ist die XOLARIS Gruppe in der Lage die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette rund um einen AIF abzubilden und für Ihre Kunden maßgeschneiderte Strukturierungs-, Verwaltungs- und Abwicklungsdienstleistungen zu erbringen. Dabei stehen stets die individuellen Bedürfnisse ihrer Kunden und die Evaluierung der optimalen Finanzierungslösung im Vordergrund, stets getreu dem Motto „Investmentquality – Made with passion. „Mit unseren Gruppeneigenen Alternativen Investmentfonds Managern („AIFM“) sind wir in der Lage, unseren Kunden eine große Vielzahl an unterschiedlichen Strukturierungsmöglichkeiten anzubieten. Dabei können wir uns innerhalb der europäischen Kernmärkte sowie in ausgewählten Offshore- Jurisdiktionen bewegen und uns zahlreichen Lösungsformen, wie beispielsweise der GmbH & Co. KG, der GP/LP oder der SICAV bedienen. Daneben orientieren wir umfassend über die Möglichkeit der geschlossenen wie auch offenen Ausgestaltung eines Alternativen Investmentfonds. Wir verfolgen damit stets die Absicht Strukturen unter aufsichts-, gesellschafts- sowie steuerrechtlichen Gesichtspunkten zu optimieren. Über unsere zentralisierte Strukturierungseinheit sehen wir uns als lösungsorientierter Geschäftspartner, dessen zentrale Aufgabe es ist, die jeweilige Strategie bzw. Finanzierungsnotwendigkeit unserer Kunden zu verstehen und diese auf das Konzept und die optimale Struktur der Finanzierungslösung zu adaptieren“, so Kai S. Renning, CIO der XOLARIS Gruppe. „Neben der reinen Konzeptions- und Strukturierungsleistung wird zudem die zentrale Koordination sämtlicher involvierter Parteien übernommen und somit gewährleistet, dass es zu einem reduzierten Schnittstellenaufwand kommt und wir ein hohes Maß an Sicherheit in der Prozessplanung und Zuverlässigkeit im Prozessablauf erreichen. Aufgrund unseres Private-Label-Ansatzes richtet sich unser Dienstleistungsspektrum damit gleichermaßen an Asset Manager, Wholesaler und Asset Owner“, ergänzt Herr Renning. Die XOLARIS Gruppe wird ihre Ausrichtung als internationaler Service AIFM für Real Assets weiter ausbauen. Mit den Standorten Deutschland, Liechtenstein, Frankreich, Hong Kong und Singapur sind wir bereits heute in der Lage unseren Kunden individuelle Strukturierungslösungen anbieten zu können. Getreu unserem Motto „Made with Passion“ nehmen wir uns die Zeit die Bedürfnisse unseren Kunden zu verstehen und diese in individuellen Strukturierungslösungen umzusetzen. Durch unseren integrierten Ansatz von der Strukturierung bis zum Liquidation können wir auch in der Administration bzw. Fondsbuchhaltung sämtliche Wünsche unserer Kunden berücksichtigen Mit unserer Marke „Sunrise Capital“ betreuen wir Vertriebspartner und Investoren. Sie dient als Schnittstelle zwischen dem AIFM und unseren Kunden und ist Ansprechpartner in allen Fragen rund um das Thema Vertrieb. www.xol-group.com Tel. +423 265 056 0 | Fax +423 265 056 9 | Mail: info@xol-group.com Newsletter, Podcast, XOLARIS MARKET NEWS: https://linktr.ee/xolaris_group

In this live recording from the Fiduciary Investors Symposium in June 2022, BHP chief executive, Mike Henry, explores the growing role of mined commodities in the global energy transition. This fireside chat was hosted by Amanda White, director of institutional content, Conexus Financial.

How are asset owners turning countless internal and external drivers into an operational change agenda today?Accompanying the release of our industry-wide research paper (available here), this episode is the last in a mini-series of expert discussions that looks into the change journey that asset owners are charting today.  With Geoff Hodge (Milestone Group), Ryan Silva (RBC), Christine Knott (Citisoft) and Mark Kerns (Adapa Advisory) we explore exactly how asset owners are "professionalising their infrastructures" today - digging into the challenges of problem definition, the role of project governance, the importance of "having a plan" and the critical enabler that is stakeholder engagement.

How are different external pressures driving change amongst the world's asset owners - and what hidden impacts are different regulatory models having globally today?Accompanying the release of our industry-wide research paper (available here), this episode is the second in a mini-series of expert discussions that looks into the change journey that asset owners are charting today.  With Randy McGathey (Milestone Group), Ryan Silva (RBC), and Christine Knott (Citisoft) we explore the existential questions that asset owners and pension managers are being asked today - from investment returns to ESG and risk management.

How are asset owners shaping their transformation agendas today - in light of huge external pressures to change?Accompanying the release of our industry-wide research paper (available here), this episode is the third in a mini-series of expert discussions that looks into the change journey that asset owners are charting today.  With Marian Azer and Randy McGathey (Milestone Group), Ryan Silva (RBC) and Christine Knott (Citisoft) we explore the roles of operational agility, enterprise-wide planning and 'the war for talent' in shaping today's asset owner transformation journey.

How are asset owners transforming their operating models today and what is driving that change?Accompanying the release of our industry-wide research paper (available here), this episode is the first in a mini-series of expert discussions that looks into the change journey that asset owners are charting today.  With Marian Azer (Milestone Group), Ryan Silva (RBC), Christine Knott and Dave Higgins (Citisoft) we explore the journey beyond spreadsheets - when is enough enough for asset owners and what are the risks in moving away from tried-and-tested macros.

Michelle Teng, vice president and co-head of the private assets research program in PGIM's Institutional Advisory & Solutions (IAS) group, speaks with Julia Newbould, acting editor at Investment Magazine about how climate change and early release schemes can affect super funds and the wider economy.

Junying Shen, vice president and co-head of the private assets research program in the Institutional Advisory & Solutions (IAS) group at PGIM, speaks with Amanda White, editor of Top1000Funds.com (Investment Magazine's sister publication), on how historical performance and cash flow characteristics differ enormously among infrastructure asset sectors.

On the program today Campos, Head of Sustainable Investment for the Americas at FTSE Russell, gives key takeaways from the 2021 edition of the Global Asset Owner Sustainability Survey. This survey comprises institutional asset owners, most managing 10B+ in assets. In 2021, 84% of the respondents said they are implementing or evaluating sustainable investment considerations compared to 53% in 2018. In 2020, ESG asset allocation reached $35 trillion, and is expected to grow to $50 trillion by 2025. The two biggest drivers for institutional asset owners in 2021 were mitigating long term investment risk and avoiding reputational risk, particularly in the European and Asian markets. In the US, the biggest driver is better risk adjusted performance.

In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI's director of Investment Practices, Toby Belsom, speaks with Marcel Jeucken from Sustfin and Daniel Ingram from Wilshire, both co-authors of PRI's recent discussion paper about ESG in Investment Mandates.   In this discussion, our guests explain why integrating ESG and sustainability outcomes into mandates is important from an Asset Owner perspective, and share experiences of working with Asset Owners trying to put this into practice. While segregated mandates are often the preserve of large AOs, the dialogue highlights tools available to smaller AOs who invest in co-mingled or pooled funds.   Find the podcast script here: https://bit.ly/3IQZa36

Private assets are appealing for their attractive risk-return properties and diversification potential not available to investors limited to public markets, but as demand rises for private assets in the search for alpha, liquidity risk has become a growing concern for investors Michelle Teng, vice president of PGIM's Institutional Advisory & Solutions group explains in an interview with Amanda White. Teng argues that funds can closely manage volatility risk in their portfolios and survive periods of short-term volatility, but sustained liquid asset drawdowns are a greater concern and can cause lasting damage to portfolios. 

During this episode, Eline Sleurink, Head of UK and Ireland and Middle East, Dave Gorman, Head of Social Responsibility and Sustainability, University of Edinburgh and Ben Pollard, CEO and Cofounder, Cushon discuss how the University of Edinburgh and Cushon have set a net zero target, the first steps they are taking to achieve this, how they built a business case for net zero internally, and how they are holding themselves accountable. Find a transcript of the episode here: https://bit.ly/2Y5tDIr

While many asset allocators might view emerging market debt as volatile and a tactical investment, there's perhaps more strategic value in the asset class than many give it credit for, Aaron Grehan, Aviva Investors deputy head of Emerging Market Debt and hard currency portfolio manager explains in an interview with Matthew Smith. Grehan argues that blending of investment grade and high yield could change the frame of reference for many institutional investors who consider EMD highly volatile to something more defensive.

Amid increasing allocations to real assets by asset owners and pension funds globally, PGIM's Harsh Parikh puts forward a framework for thinking which encourages funds to tailor their approach to each individual asset and avoid making assumptions by using off the shelf benchmarks and historical averaging. Parikh also puts some numbers around the strengthening interest real assets among asset owners as inflation expectations have also risen. 

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Emmi aims to help the market to understand the level of carbon risk a specific company faces and the decarbonisation required for that company to remain competitive as the world transitions to a low carbon economy.All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Australia and gold: The relevance of gold as a strategic asset 2021 - Australia edition | World Gold CouncilBeyond CPI: https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/beyond-cpi-gold-as-a-strategic-inflation-hedgeMine to Market: https://www.gold.org/goldhub/gold-focus/2021/04/mine-market-golds-untold-storyGold and Crypto: https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-and-cryptocurrenciesAll views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Moving Beyond Modern Portfolio Theory: Investing That Matters is co-authored with Professor James Hawley. He is also the co-author of "What They Do With Your Money: How the Financial System Fails Us and How to Fix It" and “The New Capitalists”.All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Here is Corey's paper mentioned in the podcast: "Liquidity Cascades: The Coordinated Risk of Uncoordinated Market Participants". It can be downloaded here: https://docsend.com/view/cx86pd8yyyea4iswThe other paper mentioned is: “Retail Financial Innovation and Stock Market Dynamics: The Case of Target Date Funds". It can be downloaded here: https://www.nber.org/papers/w28028All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Jeff Hooke is a broad-based finance and investment executive with global experience throughout the U.S., Europe, and the emerging markets of Latin America and Asia.  He was a Managing Director of Focus Securities, an M&A-oriented boutique investment bank, prior to joining Carey. Earlier, Hooke focused on emerging market investment and private equity.  He was a director at the Emerging Markets Partnership, a $5 billion private equity group. Earlier, he was a Principal Investment Officer of the International Finance Corporation, the $30 billion private sector division of the World Bank.All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

John Cochrane is an American economist specialising in financial economics and macroeconomics. Formerly a professor of economics and finance at the University of Chicago, Cochrane serves as the Rose-Marie and Jack Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Previously John was a Professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and before that at the Department of Economics. He also writes the Grumpy Economist blog.All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

In previous podcasts in this series, we explored how the consolidation of capital flows and migration up the risk-return spectrum by institutional investors contributes to systematic risk. In this podcast, we explore the potential for institutional asset owners and allocators to redesign their asset allocation strategies to allow for more regenerative investment structures while still achieving targeted rates of return. We will also explore adjustments to investment practices that can enable a redesign of asset allocation, including benchmarking practices, team incentives and performance reviews, valuation methodologies, and risk management techniques. References: Background on the Taylor Guitars deal: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/taylor-guitars-transitions-to-100-employee-ownership-with-support-from-the-healthcare-of-ontario-pension-plan-hoopp-and-social-capital-partners-scp--857853786.html Link to the Predistribution Initiative paper, ESG 2.0: Measuring & Managing Investor Risks Beyond the Enterprise Level Link to Beyond Modern Portfolio Theory: Investing that Matters by Jon Lukomnik and Jim Hawley (the 75-94% range of estimated returns from systematic factors) Link to Aunnie Patton Power's book, Adventure Finance, which covers regenerative investment structures such as revenue based financing, equity redemptions, and other ways to have "structured exits." We plan to do a webinar with Aunnie on July 14th 2021 at 11am ET, and details including registration will be on our website. New Yorker article on VC and how it can be "deforming capitalism" All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Alfonso is a passionate global macro investor offering a 10 000 foot view of the macro and market landscape. All opinions in this podcast and his substack are strictly his own and not financial advice.  Alfonso's newsletter -> themacrocompass.substack.comAlfonso's twitter account -> https://twitter.com/MacroAlfCentral Banks don't print money and you've been paying a tax on your savings for years already - negative real interest rates.All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Scott joined Frontier from Cbus Super where he was the fund's Senior Portfolio Manager of Absolute Return Strategies. He has extensive experience in derivatives management and was previously a part of Vanguard's global investment strategy group, leading research across a range of investment topics. He also has an academic background having lectured at Griffith University in Portfolio Management and Corporate Finance where he completed a PhD in Finance.All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

This episode explores the impact of institutional investors moving up the risk-return spectrum into higher-risk asset classes – such as leveraged buyout private equity, high yield bonds, leveraged loans, collateralized loan obligations, and venture capital. However, with huge sums of capital flowing into these asset classes, there is a rising concern about weakening underwriting standards, high levels of global indebtedness, a divergence from fundamentals, and risks of bubbles and defaults. From an ESG perspective, many would argue it is not just investors who take the risk with these structures. Companies with highly leveraged capital structures may need to cut costs relating to the quality and affordability of goods and services or quality jobs to service debt or entirely restructure – shifting unwelcome and uncompensated risk to workers and communities. Moreover, as institutional investors grow in size, there is a risk that efforts to allocate capital efficiently (e.g. to larger fund managers) may inadvertently contribute to both fund manager and corporate consolidation, thereby further reducing diversification and opportunity in the real economy and market. This session will also explore how such investment practices can contribute to systematic risks for Universal Owners and reduced chances of returning to normalised interest rates. All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

Better than Alpha: Three Steps to Capturing Excess Returns in a Changing WorldThe concept of beating markets is just a lot of hype. Successful investors don't find “alpha,” they find value―and that's what this book helps you do. Better Than Alpha provides the perspective, insights, and tools you need to retrain your focus away from searching for alpha and toward actions that produce superior investment outcomes. https://www.amazon.com/Better-than-Alpha-Capturing-Changing/dp/1264257651All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

James Kosmatos is currently an independent investment analyst working full time within the cryptocurrency industry, focusing on fundamental analysis of cryptocurrencies within the Decentralised Finance (DeFi) sector. James has been researching and investing in this asset class since early 2017; he has recently started his current role after seeing the significant growth and innovation of technology being implemented within the DeFi sector. James previously worked at Frontier within the consulting and debt research team, providing advice on portfolio construction, asset class configuration and fund manager due diligence for various institutional investors. Before Frontier, James worked within PwC Wealth Services, assisting high net worth families with portfolio construction, fund manager due diligence and implementation. Recommended reading: "DeFi Beyond the Hype"; An overview of Defi with case studies comparing projects with traditional financial services and real-world financial market structures. https://wifpr.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/DeFi-Beyond-the-Hype.pdfAll views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

This episode explores how the market structure has changed over the past decades to become more institutionalised. While institutional investors have been able to take advantage of their size to negotiate improved corporate governance reforms from companies, they are also under pressure to efficiently deploy large sums of capital, contributing to asset manager consolidation and, therefore, corporate consolidation. Such consolidation can have several negative impacts, such as squeezing out diverse and emerging fund managers and SMEs, monopsony dynamics, reduced innovation, and erosion of the quality and affordability of goods and services, and poor investment diversification opportunity, which in turn contributes to procyclical investment behaviour and increased systematic risk. The episode concludes with ideas for how institutional investors can de-consolidate their capital flows to contribute to a healthier real economy and market.All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

At U Ethical, Désirée leads the evolution of the ethical investment framework and active engagement with investee companies, in collaboration with U Ethical’s investment team, key stakeholders and industry peers. Since 1985, U Ethical has developed a reputation for unwavering commitment to ethics-driven performance while contributing the majority of operating surplus to social justice advocacy and community programs. As a certified B Corporation, U Ethical views clients as partners on important ethical matters and does not shy away from holding companies to account for controversial issuesAll views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

All views expressed on this podcast are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conexus Financial. This podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.

COVID-19 has already caused significant changes in the way a lot of businesses operate across the world. Some of these changes will revert back to the way things were once COVID is no longer a threat. But could there be longer-term effects on our societies and work cultures? What could this mean for Asset Owner & Operator organisations, and the Asset Management principles, processes, and procedures they operate within? And if changes are needed - what are Change Management best practices to implement those?Paul Hilford of E-Step Ltd shares his views. https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-hilford-crl-cmrp-estepltd/This episode is based on Paul's article "The Only Constant in Life is Change - and how it applies to Asset Management in a COVID 19 affected world":https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/only-constant-life-change-paul-hilford-crl-cmrp/

Andrew White is the founder and CEO of fundapps, a regulatory technology company founded 10 years ago. He completely bootstrapped fundapps and grew it from a small startup to over 60 people and 9 trillion USD in monitored client assets. The company provides Shareholder Disclosure software to Hedge Funds and other asset owners. Before founding fundapps, Andrew was a managing director at aquin components, a company that was acquired by State Street.  We start off our conversation by Andrew walking us through the space of regtech, giving us a history of the space, and how the regulation technology industry changed over the years. We talk about the difficulties to adhere to all regulations globally as a Hedge Fund or Asset Owner.  We then take an unforeseen and interesting turn and Andrew gives us a masterclass in the art of Bootstrapping a startup. This part starts at about minute 30.