The Fiftyfaces Podcast

Welcome back to the Fiftyfaces Podcast where we are delighted to bring you Series 3 of 2022, which features critical thinkers from all walks of life. We hear about the value added of activemanagement, the robustness of sustainable investing terminology, the role of politics in promoting inclusion and economic empowerment and the opportunity in Africa.  First we hear from Debbie Cunningham, who has had a four decade career at Federated Hermes, in a leadership role within fixed income.  Her journey has seen some fascinating changes in the market backdrop, not least of all in the prevailing risk free rate on money market funds.We then move on to one of the most critical thinkers I know, Robin Powell, UK-based financial journalist and consultant, who presents robust challenges to value added and value for money in actively managed funds.  We might argue that our industry very much needs these questions to be asked, and Robin is certainly not afraid to ask them.We have more critical thinking as well as some powerful, actionable and relatable examples in the sustainability field in our conversation with Fabiola Schneider, who is active in tracking greenwashing and how sustainable investing is translated into practice.  This podcast is essential listening as a primer on many topics.John Robinson takes us on a journey of his start-up career, which has led him now to uncover the opportunity in Africa, while Sinead Colton Grant traces her own career path from Ireland to the helm of solutions at a large money manager in the wealth management division. LaRoy Brantley is a legend in the consulting field and his own background as a classics major, and then a teacher, may be responsible for the powerful way in which he translates investment ideas for his diverse client base. We move then to another kind of legend, one of business development, and chat with Kerry Duffain and hear about her extremely varied early career, but how that all laid the groundwork for an extremely persistent streak that lies behind her business building success. Another pathbreaker has been Les Bond, who founded Attucks Asset Management and has supported a vast network of emerging managers.  We return to sustainable equity investing with our conversation with Deirdre Cooper of Ninety One and hear how product proliferation in sustainable investing products is far from the problem it is made out to be.  We end then with a conversation of another mainstay of UK asset management Matteo Dante Peruccio, who has pivoted yet again to another passion - digital assets.  We hear about that thesis, why it is a multi-faceted one and where we go from here.Series 3 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of Federated Hermes, Inc., a leading global investment manager. Guided by their conviction that responsible investing is the best way to create wealth over the long term, their investment solutions span equity, fixed-income, alternative/private markets, multi-asset and liquidity strategies and a range of separately managed accounts, distributed through intermediaries worldwide.

Maureen Downey is a Managing Director in Alternative Assets at The Beneficient Company Group as well as a Venture Partner at DigitalDx Ventures, and has specialized in alternatives investing with a particular focus on secondary investments and ESG integration for over 15 years. Maureen and I got to know eachother at Goldman Sachs in London and it was fascinating for me in this discussion to discover the richness of her hinterland in terms of time spent in Emerging Markets, gaining experience in a range of industries and learning from some of the leaders in the field.As an experienced investor in both emerging markets and private equity, we had a unique opportunity to discuss the intersections between the two areas, and now layer in the complexities of ESG overlays as well as the secondary market and its evolution.We discuss the innovation that is being pursued by The Beneficient Company and how the time in the market is ripe for such a solution.  Finally we reflect on the learnings from a career in international finance and the grounding that different academic backgrounds can provide. 

Meredith Jones is a published author, speaker and consultant with decades of experience in the investment industry.  She is a Partner and Global Head of ESG at a large consulting firm, where she chairs the ESG Think Tank with oversight of global solution development and strategy relating to climate change and ESG.  She runs her own research firm MJ Alternative Investment Research and is on the Board of Directors of Rock The Street, Wall Street.  She is the Author of Women of The Street: Why Female Money Managers Generate Higher Returns and How you Can too. She released a Ted Talk on her life experiences called “Creating Luck for Yourself”.  Our conversation is a very broad-based one that starts with her upbringing, in which the theme of social mobility featured prominently. We trace the mentors who saw her talent and nurtured it, and then move to her ascent through financial services.  Meredith has broken barriers with her research, particularly her findings of the added value of female fund managers.  She has built an extensive network this way, and is a prominent advocate for better diversity in financial services as as on boards.  We talk about her current passion, Rock the Street Wall Street, and the work that that organization does in promoting roles in finance, providing networks, insights and mentorship as well as role models to young women interested in pursuing a career there. Finally we listen to some life truths, such as never read the comments and to not think about careers and progression as a zero sum game. You can see Meredith's Ted talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UR6WvCoNGQ

Nawar Alsaadi is a Senior Portfolio Manager in ESG investing at Canada Post and previously worked as a long-only portfolio manager.  He has led product development for ESG product research and spent time as a private ESG investor. Our discussion covers Nawar's childhood in Iraq, what drove his early interest investing and his transition to ESG-focused investing.  He is a frequent commentator on LinkedIn and it was his insightful and relatable posts there that drew me to him.  We cycle through many themes that he has expanded upon in articles, books and on LinkedIn including: the Russian Doll approach to understanding Net Zero, the concept of regret when it comes to stocks that are now the subject of divestment, the topic of engagement v. divestment and the broadbased adoption of ESG investing.We discuss his writing and what drives him as well as some of the people who have inspired him.There is a moving tribute to Nawar's mother who passed away in early April and whom he mentions on the podcast as an inspiring force in his life, on LinkedIN here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nawar-alsaadi-fsa-sipc-9667b650_iraqi-artist-sawsan-saif-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-activity-6919364702162563072-yEbQ?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_webYou can read more about Nawar's stock market adventures here: https://hardbacon.ca/en/investing/nawar-alsaadi-lost-won-millions-stock-market/

Jennifer Coffey is Chief Executive Officer at Bright Capital Advisors, a firm she founded a decade ago that focus on capital introductions and placement for a range of alternative asset managers.  She started her career in foreign exchange research at Lehman Brothers and worked in hedge funds for many years. Our conversation starts with Jennifer's start in the world of finance, how she learned by doing on the trading floor and where she found her natural strengths to lie.  We jump then to her time as an allocator in a fund of hedge funds, and what that taught her about an allocator's mindset, which was to prove extremely valuable in her next role.When she faced a crossroads in her career, Jennifer took the decision to set up her own placement firm, and found that the partnerships with high quality GPs paid dividends in terms of opening doors, and building her own credibility as their representative.  She talks about her persistence and work ethic, and how putting herself in the shoes of an allocator has enabled her to reframe the process of making introductions.  Finally she shares her reflections on her upbringing and the people that inspired her - such as her father, a prolific author with boundless energy.  Bright by name and bright by nature, this bonus episode is an inspiring conversation that is a must listen for anyone interested in business building in the world of investing. 

Nazmeera Moola is Chief Sustainability Officer of Ninety One, based in Capetown, where she previously headed up South African investing.  Our podcasts starts with a discussion of her farming background as a child and the lessons that that taught her in terms of planning, market volatility, the importance of diversification and risk management.  It was an interesting preparation for a career in investing, and we talk through the challenges and opportunities of emerging market investing, particularly in Africa.We move then to her current role in Sustainable Investing, and first ask what a Chief Sustainability Officer does, and then analyze the particular context that living in such a rich country in terms of biodiversity and climate challenges provides.  South Africa has been the cradle of many developments in terms of sustainability - in particular the discussion around extinction accounting, the imperatives around protecting ecosystems and the trade-offs that a just transition may contemplate.We conclude with reflections on risk-taking, career paths and the diversity of the investment profession.Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Molly Burba is Managing Director in Investment Research at RiskBridge Advisors, an OCIO firm serving institutional and individual investors.  She previously held a series of investment research and allocation roles.  She has a passion for wellness and spent a period working as a wellness consultant in a firm she established, and was captain of the Women’s Soccer Team while at Vanderbilt University. Our conversation starts with Molly's first passion - for sports.  From backyard soccer skills to competitive play and captaining a university level team, we learn what drives her in sports, and some of the life lessons it taught her.  These lessons included learning to put a team's interests first when her own play time might be compromised, and coping and resetting after peaking early.We move then to her career in finance and how the Outsourced Chief Investment Officer firm she is currently in offers a perfect blend of self-directed research, client service and decision making. We speak also about the challenges and rewards of blending work and family and the management style that is most accommodative.Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Dr. Namukale Chintu is a finance professional who holds Non Executive Director Roles including roles at Invesco Limited and Arkadia Asset Management and a number of advisory roles. She started her career in investment banking and held a series of Executive Director roles in Proprietary Capital and Wealth Management covering Africa. She is the founder of Frontier Market Consultants. A former Rhodes Scholar, she is National Secretary for the Rhodes Scholarship in Zambia and is passionate about encouraging entrepreneurship and enabling diverse founders to thrive.  This is a sweeping discussion which covers Namukale's early education in Zambia, her path to Oxford and her first foray into investment management.  Our conversation cycles through the investment case for Africa, why she is so passionate about assisting entrepreneurs there and how her own life experience has enriched her perspective.  We discuss how her experience of early setbacks at university in Zambia prepared her for some of the volatility that the finance world provided (e.g. at Lehman Brothers in 2008).  We examine how that learned skill of adaptation and pivoting is an essential one in the business world, and how, now as a director, it can be brought to bear in providing non-executive advice and input. Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Hardeep Rai is Group Chief Executive Officer at The Kaleidoscope Group of Companies, which enable disabled individuals to realize their full potential and find their purpose by enabling them to learn new skills, find their dream job or start their own business.  Kaleidoscope Investments invests in disabled individuals with great ideas enabling them to launch their own businesses.   Hardeep is a prominent advocate for the rights of disabled people, particularly in the City of London network, and is driven by an agenda of social impact and inclusion.  I was drawn to Hardeep upon reading a passionate LinkedIn post of his celebrating the birthday of his son Eshan - who has severe cerebral palsy and is now in his teens.  That post, which celebrates their love for eachother and the joy each brings to the other's life, struck a chord with many.  Hardeep was inspired by the response to that post to set up a LinkedIn group for parents of children with special needs. Our conversation covers Hardeep's own career in the city and how Eshan's birth drove him to take a separate path.  He now is an advocate for disabled individuals in the City of London as well as a leader in The Kaleidoscope group of companies.  Through Hardeep's work with disabled individuals he saw the important cognitive diversity that could be brought to many corporate settings.  He also became aware of the unique challenges facing disabled individuals seeking to start their own businesses and has dedicated a separate entity within Kaleidoscope to that.  This is an inspiring and uplifting conversation that may just cause you to think differently about difference, about potential and the right of every individual to pursue their career path with dignity and hope.Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Tremaine Wills is the founder and chief operating officer of Mind Over Money, which provides financial planning advice and manages investment portfolios to help clients meet their financial goals. She formerly spent time as an investment advisor representative, and from 2015 to 2019 worked as a maths teacher initially for Teach for America. Based in Virginia, she is passionate about increasing financial literacy for the black community in particular.Our conversation starts with Tremaine's childhood growing up in a single family household in the Virginia Beach area.  She had an early talent for braiding hair but quickly realized though that her braiding business, while allowing her to have a creative outlet, would not be scaleable and was physically challenging.  We move then to her college career at an HBCU, and her first foray into finance and business and how isolating she ultimately found that.  Driven by a desire to give back to her community, promote financial literacy and create a safe space for herself in the financial advisor community she launched her own RIA.She remains passionate about serving the black community in wealth management and in furthering financial literacy and we dig in to some of the challenges and roadblocks that she thinks are in place. Most of this results from mindset and embedded behaviors around saving and we discuss ways that this can be addressed, particularly through long-term coaching style and supportive relationships and networks.Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast.