Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry CIO Greatest Hits: Private Equity – Mario Giannini (Hamilton Lane)
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Aug 18, 2025 Mario Giannini, Executive Co-Chairman of Hamilton Lane, shares his journey from law to private equity leadership. He discusses the evolution of the private equity sector, emphasizing decision-making dynamics and firm culture. Giannini also explores the implications of sector concentration, the importance of data-driven portfolio construction, and the challenges of managing investments in a volatile market. He highlights the need for better communication between partners and advocates for improved technology in private equity analytics to navigate market complexities.
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Humble Beginnings At A Card Table
- Hamilton Lane began as a tiny operation of three or four people working out of a modest office.
- Mario Giannini recalls Steve Schwarzman finding him at a card table with duct tape on the leg to illustrate the firm's scrappy start.
Crisis Cemented Private Markets' Credibility
- The 2008 financial crisis cemented private equity's place in institutional portfolios.
- Mario argues private markets survived while public markets and other strategies struggled, proving their value to allocators.
Scale Shows Industry Transformation
- Hamilton Lane grew from a handful of people to touching nearly a trillion dollars in assets under management and advisement.
- Mario uses that scale to show how rapidly the private markets industry expanded over 30 years.