CAIS Live Conversations, Building With Alts

In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building with Alts, host Alex Cavalieri sits down with Michael Nathanson, CEO of Focus Financial Partners, for a wide-ranging discussion on leadership, enterprise evolution, and the future of Investment advisory firms. Michael shares insights into his leadership at Focus, highlighting his dedication to distributed leadership, the firm’s rebranding journey, and how they are redefining what it means to be both independent and interdependent. The conversation also explores the importance of empowering advisors, building enduring businesses, expanding services such as alternative investments, and the trends that may shape the future of wealth management. Chapter 1: Leading with Vision and Values (00:00:54 – 00:08:59) Chapter 2: Interdependence as a Growth Strategy (00:09:00 – 00:17:59) Chapter 3: Branding, Culture, and Building for the Next Decade (00:18:00 – 00:33:59) Chapter 4: Elevating Client Experience with Alts and Innovation (00:34:00 – 00:50:29) Chapter 5: Looking Ahead: Industry Trends and Advisor Readiness (00:50:30 – End)

In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations, Brad Walker sits down with Ted Koenig, Chairman and CEO of Monroe Capital, to discuss his path from law and hoops to founding one of the most respected names in private credit. They explore the evolution of the lower middle market, the growth of Monroe Capital, and how private credit fits into today’s investment landscape. Ted also shares his views on private credit’s role in wealth portfolios, convergence with public markets, and how Monroe is innovating product structures to meet the needs of institutional and private wealth clients alike.  Chapter 1: From Basketball Dreams to Private Credit (00:01:32 – 00:03:23) Chapter 2: Building Monroe Capital—Culture, Discipline, and Market Focus (00:04:21 – 00:08:19) Chapter 3: Innovating for Private Wealth—The First Private BDC (00:08:59 – 00:13:19) Chapter 4: Private Credit Today—Stability, Growth, and Market Cycles (00:13:31 – 00:27:11) Chapter 5: Strategic Growth and Life Beyond the Office (00:33:20 – 00:45:08)

In this episode of CAIS Conversations: Building With Alts, David Copeland, Principal and Co-Founder of Strategic Wealth Partners, takes us on a journey from starting his career at a major wirehouse to independence. With over 30 years of experience, David tells the story of how alternatives became a cornerstone of his client-first approach, offering solutions that seek to reduce portfolio volatility and enhance performance. He also reflects on the challenges and rewards of breaking away, the evolution of wealth management, and why he believes alternatives are more critical than ever in today’s market.  

In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building with Alts, Brad Walker, Co-President of CAIS, sits down with Kipp deVeer, Co-President of Ares Management. From the early days of middle-market lending to overseeing a multi-strategy platform with nearly $550B in AUM*, Kipp shares insights into the evolution of private credit, building scalable structures like BDCs, aligning culture in a global organization, and how Ares maintains a competitive edge in a fast-growing market. The conversation also explores how private wealth is converging with institutional trends, an outlook on today’s credit environment, and the value of staying focused in uncertain times.*As of May 2025 

In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building with Alts, host Alex Cavalieri invites Anya Coverman, CEO of the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), to discuss the evolving role alternative investments play in wealth management. Anya shares her views on policy advocacy, regulatory developments, and the industry innovation that is shaping access to alts for advisors. Their discussion explores how education, technology, and product innovation are shaping private markets and what the future may hold for accredited investor definitions, retirement plans, and global alternative investments.(00:00) Introduction & Guest Welcome  (01:18) Anya’s Journey to Leading IPA  (04:06) The Evolving Mission of IPA  (07:06) Expanding Access to Alternatives  (10:13) Regulatory Policy & Accredited Investor Status  (17:03) Wealth Transfer & Retirement Modernization  (21:19) Innovation in Products & Partnerships  (26:15) From “Why Alts” to “How” – Advisor Education

In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building with Alts, Nic Reisenbichler, Manager of Investment Products at Baird joins podcast host Alex Cavalieri, Head of Marketing at CAIS for a deep dive into how Baird incorporates alternative investments in client portfolios. Together, they explore the evolution of private markets and the role of technology in facilitating transactions. Nic also discusses his preferred terminology for addressing alternative investments. Getting to Know Nic Reisenbichler: From Advisor Support to Alts Leadership (00:00 – 03:36)The Rise of Private Markets at Baird (03:36 – 06:17)Why 'Private Markets' Is the Better Conversation (06:17 – 08:52)How Technology Turned a 17-Day Process into a Streamlined Experience (10:56 – 13:01)Looking Ahead: Curation, Growth, and the Future of Private Market Access (15:06 – 18:04)

Michael Episcope, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Origin Investments, went from being one of the world’s top traders to building a $3 billion real estate investment platform. In this episode of CAIS Live Conversations: Building with Alts, he sits down with host Brad Walker, Co-President of CAIS, to share his insights on navigating real estate cycles, the evolution of institutional-quality real estate for high-net-worth investors, and how Origin is leveraging data to drive investment decisions. Michael breaks down the firm’s expansion from equity into credit and its growing 1031 platform, highlighting how advisors and investors can strategically allocate capital in today’s market. If you’re looking to better understand how real estate fits into a diversified portfolio—this episode is a must-listen. Chapters:[00:01:18] A Trader’s Evolution: From Markets to Real Estate[00:06:24] Choosing the High-Net-Worth Lane[00:11:59] Navigating the Real Estate Cycle[00:14:09] The Power of Data and MultiLytics[00:19:01] Rethinking Real Estate Credit[00:22:45] Expanding Into 1031 Exchanges

Dean Zayed, Founder and CEO of Brookstone Capital Management, has focused on developing a one-stop financial services shop as a Turnkey Asset Management Program with a human touch, which he calls a TAMP-plus. In a conversation with host Alex Cavalieri, CAIS Head of Marketing, Dean speaks about how Brookstone combines technology with personalized advisor support, which, according to Dean, aligns with the broader industry shift from transactional to fiduciary-based, relationship-driven practices. Chapters(00:00 - 01:23) Welcome & Introduction(01:24 - 05:30) Dean’s Career Journey & The Birth of Brookstone(05:31 - 10:50) Scaling Brookstone & Advisor-Centric Growth(10:51 - 17:00) Innovation & Industry Disruption(17:01 - End) Personal Insights & Closing Thoughts

Michael Rees, Co-President of Blue Owl Capital, has a diverse background in chemical engineering and investment banking. He discusses the innovative growth of Blue Owl’s GP stakes business, shedding light on the evolving dynamics of private markets. Rees shares intriguing insights into their strategic expansion into sports investing, particularly in the NBA. He also emphasizes the importance of creative partnerships and a blue-collar ethic in building a resilient business model while expressing his passion for teaching finance and impacting future leaders.

Neil Blundell, Head of CAIS Investments Team, and Gregg Sommer, US Financial Intermediaries Leader at Mercer Investments, bring their expertise to the forefront as they discuss the increasing adoption of alternative investments in the wealth management channel. With 92% of advisors allocating to alts, their focus has shifted to implementing alts effectively. In this episode, Neil and Gregg join Host Alex Cavalieri, CAIS Head of Marketing, to explore key findings from CAIS’ 2025 The State of Alternative Investments in Wealth Management. Read the 2025 report, HereChapters(00:01) Introduction to Guests and the 2025 CAIS-Mercer Survey  (00:38) The Shift Toward Alternatives: Key Survey Results  (04:15) The Rise of Registered Funds  (08:04) Blending Registered and Traditional Drawdown Funds  (18:51) Portfolio Construction Tools: From Why to How to Invest in Alts  (33:30) Overcoming Challenges in Alts Implementation  (37:05) Thematic Investing: AI, Infrastructure, and Energy Transition  (42:46) Looking Ahead: The Future of Alts in Wealth ManagementDisclosures This content is for institutional investors and for information purposes only. It does not contain investment, financial, legal, tax or any other advice and should not be relied upon for this purpose. The materials are not tailored to your particular personal and/or financial situation. If you require advice based on your specific circumstances, you should contact a professional adviser. Opinions expressed are those of the speakers as of the date of the recording, are subject to change without notice and do not necessarily reflect Mercer’s opinions. There are substantial risks associated with investments classified as alternative investments. Investors should have the ability, investing sophistication and experience to bear the risks associated with such investments.