Money Maze Podcast

In this quick minisode, Simon gives an update on the podcast to mark three years since its inception. Simon Brewer & Will Campion set up the Money Maze Podcast in 2020 to bring insightful interviews with proven business & finance leaders to all, without the burden of a paywall. We're thrilled that the show now reaches over 2 million people per year across our channels, with listeners in over 100 countries (despite us underestimating the various technological & logistical challenges that come with running a podcast!).  We're driven by a commitment to opening up the investment and finance worlds, empowering our listeners with perspectives on business strategies & career tips. We're proud to be bringing more transparency to an industry which is often shrouded in the fog of jargon, and are especially pleased to be highlighting various female leaders and individuals from diverse backgrounds.  If you have any questions or guest suggestions for the podcast, please email us at info@moneymazepodcast.com. Otherwise, we'd like to say thank you to all our listeners for following and supporting the podcast. If you'd have a spare couple of minutes, please do leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and we'd love you to recommend the show to a friend or colleague too! We'd also like to extend a further thanks to our first-class sponsors, Schroders,  Bremont, LiveTrade & Mintus, for their continued support.  STAY UP TO DATE:  Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe to our Newsletter

In March 2020, as COVID curbs were about to descend on us all, Peter Harrison agreed to begin our podcasting journey by being the first guest, and discussed the attractions of the investment business, the shifting world of passive and active, the public v private debate and why ESG would simply become embodied in the investing process. In this interview we review how fast and how secular themes have evolved, why Asia’s opportunity set remains so appealing, and why engaging with China might be the smart play. He discusses data science, the advice gap, private equity’s evolution, and offers great advice for aspiring CEOs and younger talent climbing the investment ladder.  Sign up to our newsletter for more in-depth insights |   Follow us on LinkedIn    The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders,  Bremont Watches,  LiveTrade and  Mintus.

This Thursday, we’re pleased to welcome Peter Harrison, CEO of Schroders, back onto the show. To mark this exciting upcoming release, we’re resharing his first interview on the Money Maze Podcast. Peter appeared on the podcast as our very first guest back in March 2020, just prior to the COVID-19 lockdown. In this episode, Peter covers his ascent to CEO, and the journey from managing money to managing an investment business. The conversation moves to him talking about the compelling opportunities in global asset management, contrary to some gloomy commentaries that we often read. He talks of the shift to managing money to solve problems and not simply to be benchmarked, and the evolution of active and passive strategies. He describes Schroder’s vision of serving the individual customer, both affluent and high net worth, with the help of more electronic applications, a wider public and private offering and trying to help them avoid classic pitfalls of poor timing in entering and exiting the market. He also explains why although he thinks ESG must be embedded in your investment process, it will morph into a more coherent drive for impact investing. Peter also gives his thoughts on the growth of private equity, and the challenge facing stock markets buffeted by weighty regulation and diminished liquidity. He then discusses advice for the young thinking about future career, and some of the characteristics he looks for in potential hires. Stay tuned for this Thursday, where he shares his analysis on the investment landscape in 2023!  Sign up to our newsletter for more in-depth insights |  Follow us on LinkedIn The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders,  Bremont Watches,  LiveTrade and  Mintus.

To celebrate Bremont’s recent successful fundraising round we’ve refreshed this popular interview, originally released in July 2021. Investors in the round included the billionaire hedge fund manager, Bill Ackman, who took a stake in the firm after buying a number of their luxury watches on a visit to London.  When we talk of luxury watches we typically think of Switzerland with its quality engineering and dominant market position, apparently illustrating the economist David Riccardo’s theory of comparative advantage. Yet in this conversation, we learn how Bremont is disrupting the luxury wristwatch market and successfully bringing large scale watchmaking back to UK shores.  Giles English begins by discussing the plane accident that killed his father and almost took his brother’s life as well, yet how the tragedy proved the inspiration to build a luxury watch brand, which can compete with the best. After describing the history of British watch making, with some fascinating anecdotes, Giles explains how he and his brother Nick have approached the two components; building a state of the art watch making capability & developing a luxury brand. Giles describes the engineering challenges involved, the technical aspects of precision engineering, and why seeing the Bremont collections can be a lightbulb moment for collectors. He talks about the collaborations and collections with Jaguar, Concorde, Stephen Hawking and Bletchley Park to name a few, and their vision for the future.  Bremont kindly sponsor the Money Maze Podcast, alongside Schroders,  LiveTrade and  Mintus.

In this episode we talk to someone whose own firm advises some of the world’s most respected finance institutions, especially within the alternative and private assets arena. Jen Prosek explains why she declined the investment banking offers after her MBA, instead following her vision that effective marketing would come to Wall Street. She describes building the business, client engagement, how to pitch more effectively, what mediums to use, and how social media can be harnessed.  She talks about branding, fundraising, content, presentations, and video versus face to face meetings. In an interview filled with great advice for anyone, whatever their stage and age, she tells us that the two most important words are “Just Ask”! Sign up to our newsletter for more in-depth insights | Follow us on LinkedIn The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders,  Bremont Watches, LiveTrade and Mintus.

There are 3 large global management consulting firms considered to be the most prestigious; McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company. So we’re pleased to feature McKinsey’s Michael Birshan in this conversation, who explains some of the dynamics in the industry and how McKinsey is approaching the challenges and opportunities of 2023. Michael specifically highlights the transition to net zero, and its immense financial implications. He discusses the new markets - like carbon management and natural capital - that are emerging, through to the challenges surrounding incumbents in making necessary shifts (‘better to disrupt yourself than be disrupted’, he notes). There follows a wide-ranging discussion on potential resource shortfalls, the challenge facing corporations in driving innovation, onshoring, talent acquisition, and reinvigorating the languishing UK & mainland Europe public equity markets. Sign up to our newsletter for more in-depth insights | Follow us on LinkedIn The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders,  Bremont Watches, LiveTrade and Mintus.

In Part 2, General Petraeus explains the woeful Russian execution of the war and possible next steps. In this second part of this illuminating conversation, he continues by evaluating NATO cohesion, before discussing China, and, why a mature conversation is essential between China and the West, given their interwoven and critical commercial co-existence. He talks pragmatically but emphatically about trade restrictions in strategic areas, such that there will likely be “higher fences around fewer items”. He then discusses Iran, cyber security, businesses supply chains evolving from “just in time, to just in case”, to the dollar, the individual he would most like to meet, along with other potent insights. Sign up to our newsletter for more in-depth insights | Follow us on LinkedIn The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders,  Bremont Watches, LiveTrade and Mintus.

General David Petraeus has been described as the ultimate soldier/scholar. Targeted by Osama Bin Laden when Commander in Afghanistan, whose communications later revealed that “killing him would alter the war”, he became Director of the CIA and today is Chair of the KKR Global Institute and on their board. In the first part of this absorbing conversation, David Petraeus gives his assessment of the war now, and describes the strategic and tactical failings of Russia compared to the heroic and masterful execution by Ukraine. He discusses the options ahead, the nuclear threat and the emergence of weapons systems and technologies that are altering the nature of war overall. With clarity and candour he provides a brilliant summary almost one year from the start of the invasion and offers thoughts on the conversation and settlement that might follow. Sign up to our newsletter for more in-depth insights | Follow us on LinkedIn The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by  Schroders,  Bremont Watches, LiveTrade and Mintus.

In a captivating discussion, bestselling author Simon Sebag Montefiore, renowned for his works on Russian and world history, delves into the powerful narratives of family dynasties from the Medicis to the Kennedys. He shares insights from his new book, emphasizing how migration and influential families play pivotal roles in shaping nations. Montefiore also reflects on access to Russian archives, revealing the fluctuating relationships with history post-Stalin, while highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women throughout history.

Founded by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, Andreessen Horowitz (also known as a16z) is a revered venture capital firm which sits at the epicentre of financing entrepreneurial businesses. In this conversation, David Haber, General Partner overseeing fintech investing, begins by discussing his background, including graduating from Harvard, selling his business (Bond Street) to Goldman Sachs in 2017, before joining a16z to establish their first East Coast presence. David is able to offer a unique perspective as both an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He describes how a16z is growing, its desire to build enduring value by compounding returns and building on competitive advantages. He then explains how they engage with firms of varying size to help them on their journeys and provides an illustration to help frame the conversation. He discusses the private asset explosion, the potential adjustments following this tougher period, risk-taking, hiring, crypto and more! Sign up to our newsletter for more in-depth insights | Follow us on LinkedIn The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders,  Bremont Watches, LiveTrade and Mintus.