How Investing's Art and Science Evolved

In this episode of CIO Perspectives, Sid Ahl and Erika Pagel, Co-CIOs for Private Clients, Endowments and Foundations at Brown Advisory, sit down with Jordan Wruble, partner and head of Investment Solutions at the firm. Jordan brings three decades of experience across investment banking, private equity, hedge funds and manager research, offering a unique perspective on how the art and science of investing has evolved—and what it takes to identify exceptional managers in today’s competitive landscape.

The conversation explores timeless principles of fundamental investing, the rise of data-driven strategies and the five sources of “edge” that top managers leverage to outperform. Jordan shares how Brown Advisory evaluates managers beyond performance—focusing on process, discipline and alignment—and why passion and curiosity remain the ultimate differentiators.

Macro themes also take center stage: the Fed’s “hawkish cuts,” AI-driven capital expenditure, market concentration and the bifurcation of the U.S. economy. Jordan discusses how these dynamics are shaping opportunities across global markets and why patience and selectivity are critical in an environment dominated by mega-cap tech and narrative-driven trades.

The episode closes with insights on portfolio construction, risk management and the role of AI as a research accelerator—not a replacement for judgment. Sid and Erika reflect on Jordan’s thoughtful approach and the importance of staying grounded in fundamentals amid rapid change.

---

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of Brown Advisory. These views are not intended to be and should not be relied upon as investment advice and are not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results. The information provided in this video is not intended to be and should not be considered a recommendation or suggestion to engage in or refrain from a particular course of action or to make or hold a particular investment or pursue a particular investment strategy, including whether or not to buy, sell or hold any securities mentioned. It should not be assumed that investments in such securities have been or will be profitable. To the extent specific securities are mentioned, they have been selected by the author on an objective basis to illustrate views expressed in the commentary and do not represent all the securities purchased, sold or recommended for advisory clients. The information contained herein has been prepared from sources believed reliable but is not guaranteed by us as to its timeliness or accuracy and is not a complete summary or statement of all available data. This piece is intended solely for our clients and prospective clients, is for informational purposes only and is not individually tailored for or directed to any particular client or prospective client.

Alternative Investments may be available for Qualified Purchasers and Accredited Investors only. 

Hedge Funds involve complex tax and legal structures. Investment in any particular Fund or hedge funds, generally, is only suitable for sophisticated investors for whom such an investment does not constitute a complete investment program and who fully understand and are willing to assume the risks involved in such investment.

Private investments are characterized by a high degree of risk, volatility and illiquidity due, among other things, to the nature of the investments. A prospective investor should thoroughly review the Offering Materials pertaining to any investment and carefully consider whether such an investment is suitable to the investor’s financial situation and goals. Investors should have the financial ability and willingness to accept the risks and lack of liquidity that are characteristic of these types of investments. There can be no assurance that any investment objectives will be achieved, or that investors will receive a return of their capital. Accordingly, investors should only invest in private credit investments if such investors are able to withstand a total loss of their investment.

The S&P 500® Index represents the large-cap segment of the U.S. equity markets and consists of approximately 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. S&P®, S&P 500® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”), a subsidiary of S&P Global Inc.

Terms and Definitions:

Alpha measures the excess return of an investment relative to a benchmark index.

Beta measures a stock’s volatility compared to the overall market; a beta above 1 indicates higher volatility.

Capex (Capital Expenditure) refers to funds used by a company to acquire, upgrade, or maintain physical assets such as property or technology.

Market Capitalization represents the total market value of a company’s outstanding shares, calculated as share price multiplied by shares outstanding.

Magnificent Seven refers to seven mega-cap technology companies—Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla—that have driven significant market returns.

Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes the net present value of all cash flows from an investment equal to zero, used to estimate profitability.

Return on Equity (ROE) measures a company’s profitability by dividing net income by shareholders’ equity.

Tracking Error measures the divergence between a portfolio’s returns and its benchmark’s returns.

Idiosyncratic Risk refers to risk unique to a specific company or asset, rather than market-wide risk.

Hyperscalers are large cloud service providers offering scalable computing resources, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) is Japan’s largest stock exchange and a major global market for equities.