CFA UK

John Teahan speaks to Harlan Zimmerman, Senior Partner of Cevian Capital, about Cevian's activist investment approach, how the company incorporates sustainability issues and early moves by the industry to align remuneration with sustainability.

Arun Kelshiker, CFA the vice-chair of the CFA UK DEI committee, spoke to Baroness Helena Morrissey, founder of The Diversity Project - Investment Industry. When Helena entered the world of fund management early on in her career she soon realised the industry lacked inclusivity and diversity which led her to set up The Diversity Project in 2016. The new Safe Space initiative was then formed this year for investment professionals to openly and anonymously share their negative experiences. This includes situations of poor behaviour, bullying, discrimination, and harassment. Helena discusses the crucial role of fostering transparency and addressing critical issues within the investment community.

Dominic Endicott, Partner NorthStar Ventures and author, begins his lively discussion with Ben Ashby and Tom Threlfall, CFA with a tussle over whether Crypto and Blockchain are just a distraction or solving a real economic problems. Dominic emphasises the importance Venture Capital (VC) has had in the UK over the last 10 years: $150 billion VC money has gone into startups generating upwards of a $billion in value which becomes £2 trillion in wealth, which meaning around a third of all wealth in the last decade has come from VC as a source. However, this is concentrated in London and the South East. Dominic believes it in the next decade we will see a more even spread across the UK leading to an opportunity for wealth creation and economic models. The discussion also touches on how VCs can have a critical role in regions, while still generating returns.

Marisa Hall is Head of the Thinking Ahead Institute. For CFA UK’s ‘In Conversation Podcast’, Hall talked to Maha Khan Phillips about what innovation in asset management looks like, and how it is transforming the landscape.

Simon Galbraith Founded Redgate Software, invests in tech and shares his expertise as a Non-Executive Director across the Tech sector. He started life as a Physicist, saw an opportunity and nurtured his entrepreneurial spirit. In this frank discussion with Ben Ashby and Tom Threlfall, CFA, Simon explains what he looks for when he invests, the importance of confidence in both the idea and the company, and how capital influences growth.

Anthony Watson CBE, CEO of The Bank of London talks to Daniel Yates, CFA about Pride, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence.

Marie Dzanis is Head of Asset Management in EMEA for Northern Trust Global Investments. In CFA UK’s ‘In Conversation Podcast’, Dzanis talked to Maha Khan Phillips about difficult market conditions, how investors are looking at their active and passive portfolio construction, and how they are considering factor exposure in their approaches.

Ben Ashby and Tom Threfall spoke to Rachel Curtis, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Inicio AI. Having begun her journey in traditional finance, her deep curiosity and approach to problem-solving over the years led her to start an artificial intelligence company called Inicio AI. Inicio is transforming how people deal with debt using virtual agents. She explores how artificial intelligence is creating a major shift in many sectors including financial services and the effectiveness of using AI within niche areas.

Joshua Maxey, CFA, is Co-Founder of Third Bridge, the global provider of independent research. For CFA UK’s ‘In Conversation Podcast’, Maxey talked to Maha Khan Phillips about how the world of investment research is evolving, and what that means for the ways we access and digest information.

Co-hosts Ben Ashby and Tom Threlfall, CFA catch up with Simon Russell, Founder, Trinity Square. Simon, started in corporate finance, saw the opportunity in the internet, specialised in technology and his career took off. They discuss the downfall of SVB, and its impact on the UK market. Simon charts the rise in software investment over the last 20 years and the landscape which allowed this level of investment to take place. Then, the discussion moves on to AI, and whether it’s worth believing the hype of these innovations. Simon believes we are just at the beginning of a great big evolution in AI and there is much more to come.