The Don't Get Fired Podcast by Stanford Long-Term Investing

Scott Chan, the Chief Investment Officer of CalSTRS, dives into innovative investment strategies for the $380 billion educator-only pension fund. He explains the shift from siloed benchmarks to a dynamic 'One Fund' approach that blends public and private markets. Topics include the rising impact of AI and the energy transition, cost-saving collaborative models, and the importance of transparency in investment decisions. Chan's insights on organizational changes and thematic investing highlight the future of capital allocation in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Geraldine Leegwater, CEO of PGGM Investments, brings a wealth of experience from her career in pension fund management. She discusses transforming PGGM's investment strategy by transitioning to a total portfolio approach that embraces risk, return, and sustainability. Geraldine highlights the challenges of shifting from slow, siloed processes to a more agile and digitally-enabled model. She emphasizes the importance of aligning incentives across the organization, the cultural changes required, and the long-term responsibility of integrating sustainability into investments.

Send us a textThe Chief Investment Officer of AustralianSuper reflects on the origin, challenges and innovations at the core of creating Australia's largest superannuation fund.  

Aaron Bennett, Chief Investment Officer of Ontario's University Pension Plan, dives into the fascinating world of building a new Canadian pension fund. He discusses the innovative challenges of creating a mid-size fund likened to a 'baby dragon,' emphasizing unique governance and collaboration. Bennett explores how emerging technologies like AI can improve asset management and enhance investment decision-making. He also highlights the importance of team alignment and diverse talent in fostering high performance within the pension sector.

Send us a textWith giant new new SDFs coming to Indonesia and the United States, the former and founding CEO of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund reflects on the challenges of SDF design, governance, and management. 

Mark Steed, Chief Investment Officer of Arizona's Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, hashes out his journey from intern to investment leader. He discusses the challenges of predictive accuracy in finance, emphasizing the need for a total portfolio approach. The conversation dives into enhancing decision-making with innovative forecasting methods and the blend of human insight with machine learning. Steed also highlights the essential balance between accountability and technology in refining investment strategies.

Send us a textThe CEO and CIO at University of Cambridge Investment Management discusses how she has leveraged Cambridge University's unique sustainability knowledge and networks in order to drive more resilience - and higher performance - into this £4.5B endowment portfolio.

Send us a textThe Managing Director of Quantitative Analytics at Fremont Group discusses how this major Single Family Office has tapped neurodiversity in the pursuit of differentiated portfolios that outperform.

Send us a textThe Chief Investment Officer of the Construction and Building Unions Superannuation Fund discusses the power of long-term thinking and the connection of his fund's outperformance to the real economy.

Send us a textThe Managing Director of Public Markets at San Francisco Employees' Retirement System (SFERS) explains his fund's evolving approach to public equities and reflects on constructing -- and then reconstructing -- the active equities book.