The Fiftyfaces Podcast

Marquette Chester is Senior Managing Director and Head of Alternatives at Xponance, Inc., based in Atlanta Georgia.  He previously spent over 20 years at Invesco, the last 11 years of which were as Managing Director within the Private Capital area. Our conversation covers Marquette's legendary career - where he has worked in a range of financial services firms and forged a name for himself as a relationship builder who is committed to leaving the industry richer than he found it.We speak about the hurdles that Marquette has set for himself, his standards of excellence, and the importance that relationships have had throughout his career arc. Throughout his career Marquette has seen significant change in terms of diversity, and has been committed to organizations such as NASP.Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Alex Edmans, is a professor of finance at the London Business school.  Alex has a PhD from MIT as a Fulbright Scholar, and was previously a tenured professor at Wharton and an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. Alex has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, testified in the UK Parliament, and given the TED talk “What to Trust in a Post-Truth World” and the TEDx talk “The Social Responsibility of Business” with a combined 2.4 million views. Alex’s book, “Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit”, (see also link here:  https://mybook.to/Grow-The-Pie-pb) was featured in the Financial Times list of Business Books of the Year for 2020, and he is a co-author of “Principles of Corporate Finance” (with Brealey, Myers, and Allen) for the 14th edition to be published in April 2022. Poets and Quants named him Professor of the Year for 2021.Our conversation starts with Alex's first foray into finance, which was as a practitioner and why he saw a path of academia as enabling him to have broader reach, and ultimately create more impact.  We speak in detail about his areas of focus, and Alex is honest about the danger of academic research being cherry-picked to lend credence to different objectives. We use some relatable analogies to explain the benefits of engagement v. divestment, and explore the meaning of what "responsible business practice" really means and the trade-offs that are involved.Alex is noted for bringing the latest in cutting edge sustainability research into industry in a digestible and commercial way, and for this reason I believe he is responsible for "shrinking the gap" between theory and practice. This is a broad-reaching and stimulating discussion.Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Ryan Bailey is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Carbonado Partners LLC, a leading placement agent with a differentiated approach to fundraising for emerging managers.   He was previously Head of Investments at Children’s Health in the Dallas Area, and prior to that held various roles in investment boutiques including placement firms. Our conversation starts with his ultra-early interest in investing and a purchase of Telmex stock that ended up funding his college education. The passion for investing he discovered then followed him into an allocator role where he spent many years as a Director of Investments for Dallas Children's Hospital. He talks about the particular aspects of investing on behalf of a hospital and how the concept of "enterprise risk" drives the asset allocation decision. Now in a leadership role at Carbonado partners, Ryan spends significant time with emerging managers and sees firsthand the challenges faced by them. He assesses the industry as barely having a passing grade in that respect, and is keen to see that improve.Finally Ryan shares what being a survivor of the World Trade Center collapse in 2001 taught him about appreciating each day, being mindful of his own good fortune and taking nothing for granting.  It is an inspiring conversation that leaves us with the wise words: A wise man knows everything and a shrewd man knows everybody.  Words to remember indeed. Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Cynthia Tusan is CEO and Chairman of Strategic Global Advisors, a fundamentally inspired and quantitatively driven investment manager focused on global equities, a role she has held for over 16 years.  She previously was a portfolio manager at Wells Capital Management and is based in the Newport Beach area.Our conversation starts with her upbringing which was the ultimate marriage of science and art, and translate that into her current passion for investment, which is, of course, part art and science.  We speak about her experience of founding a firm as well as her philosophy for leading and motivating a team. During our diversity discussion we discuss a recent example of "taking a stand" in which Cynthia publicly challenged an industry article that suggested that female fund managers had seen more negative impact from pandemic-related school closures than male fund managers.  See this link for more information on the outcome: https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b1smmwcdnt0nkm/A-Note-to-Our-ReadersWe move then to her passion for education, in particular after-school education programs, and the impact that they can have. Our conversation ends with the people who have inspired her - and there is quite a list!Series 2 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

Stephanie Braming is Global Head of Investment Management at William Blair & Co.  based in Chicago. She was previously a portfolio manager and specialist at William Blair. And prior to that investment consultant, she started her career as an examiner in the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.We start with her upbringing in a rural town in the Midwest and how she moved from an English literature major to a role as a federal bank examiner, where she was once referred to as "that examiner girl".  The fit proved to be a good one though as her visits involved banks like those in her home town.  She moved from there to a role as an investment consultant and then a portfolio manager at an asset management firm.Now in a leadership role at the firm and Global Head of Investment Management she is focused on a range of issues, from meaningful integration of ESG risk factors across the investment processes to improving the recruiting pipeline to ensure it feeds a diverse investment industry of the future. This podcast is brought to you with the kind support of the William Blair Active Share Podcast. 

In Series 2 of the 2022 podcast we discussing taking a stand – a stand against climate change, against bias, against  recruitment processes that aren’t generating the results and against stereotypical thinking. We hear from another 10 inspiring guests from around the world.  From the academic who realized he could make a better impact with his sustainable finance agenda in the world through publishing papers and writing books, to the fund manager with a passion for improving after school education to a head of asset management who is changing the recruitment process from the ground up.We hear about a founder committed to leveling the playing field for persons with disabilities both in the City and in entrepreneurial endeavors, and a former college soccer star whose lessons on the field prepared her for being a supportive team player in her work life.  A master fund-raiser tells us how the the greatest hurdles he ever faced were those he set for himself, while the founder of a placement firm discusses the work he does to elevate diverse managers. A financial advisor describes the work she does to promote financial literacy and describes how not feeling safe in her job motivated her to launch her own firm, while a fund director reveals how her university life in Zambia prepared her for the unexpected. Staying in Africa we hear how farm-life is a good preparation for surviving in markets. There is more information on the Fiftyfaces Podcast on the fiftyfaceshub.com. Meet the guests in Series 1:Stephanie Braming is global head of investment management at William Blair & Company.  Based in Chicago, she was previously a portfolio manager and specialist at William Blair, and prior to that an investment consultant.  She started her career as an examiner in the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Year for 2021. Cynthia Tusan is CEO and Chairman of Strategic Global Advisors, a fundamentally inspired and quantitatively driven investment manager focused on global equities, a role she has held for over 16 years.  She previously was a portfolio manager at Wells Capital Management and is based in the Newport Beach Area. Ryan Bailey is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Carbonado Partners LLC, a leading placement agent with a differentiated approach to fundraising for emerging managers.   He was previously Head of Investments at Children’s Health in the Dallas Area, and prior to that held various roles in investment boutiques including placement firms. Alex Edmans is a professor of finance at the London Business school.  Alex has a PhD from MIT as a Fulbright Scholar, and was previously a tenured professor at Wharton and an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. Alex has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, testified in the UK Parliament, and given the TED talk “What to Trust in a Post-Truth World” and the TEDx talk “The Social Responsibility of Business” with a combined 2.4 million views. Alex’s book, “Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit”, was featured in the Financial Times list of Business Books of the Year for 2020, and he is a co-author of “Principles of Corporate Finance” (with Brealey, Myers, and Allen) for the 14th edition to be published in April 2022. Poets and Quants named him Professor of theMarquette Chester is Senior Managing Director and Head of Alternatives at Xponance, Inc., based in Atlanta Georgia.  He previously spent over 20 years at Invesco, the last 11 years of which were as Managing Director within the Private Capital area.  Tremaine Wills is the founder and Chief Operating Officer of Mind Over Money, which provides financial planning advice and manages investment portfolios to help client meet their financial goals.  She formerly spent time as an Investment Advisor Representative and from 2015 to 2019 worked as a mathematics teacher, initially for Teach for America. Based in Virginia, she is passionate about increasing financial literacy for the Black Community in particular. 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, which invests in disabled individuals with great ideas enabling them to launch their own businesses.   He 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.  Dr. Namukale Chintu 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.  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 captained of the Women’s Soccer Team while at Vanderbilt University.  Nazmeera Moola is Chief Sustainability Officer of Ninety One, based in Capetown, where she previously headed up South African investing. So from Tuesday March 15 tune in to hear from our 10 inspiring guests in Series 2. You can find all of our podcasts on the Fiftyfaces Hub, together with other resources such as affinity groups, internships and job opportunities, coaching and tips for well-being. Please follow us on Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIN, and rate us on Apple Podcasts to spread the word. 

Diana Kiluta Amoa, is Chief Investment Officer of Kirkoswald, a US based hedge fund, and she formerly spent over a decade in financial services in a range of roles including fixed income and rates trading, with a focus on Emerging Markets. She is a Board Member of the Global Nomads Group among other roles.  Our conversation starts with her upbringing in Kenya, her education in the UK and how she pursued a Masters in African Studies among other post-graduate programs when she became a Rhodes scholar.  We explore what she learned from that - how it enabled her to draw parallels across different disciplines and see issues in context.  We then turn to her extensive career in investing and the various roles that she assumed at different times, involving the coverage of all of Emerging Markets, to setting up fixed income trading functions to setting up an entire business in Africa and being forced to train up counter-parties (also her competition) in order to ensure liquid, well-functioning markets. We look at the appeal of the asset allocator function and how it relates to being a fiduciary, and examine what that actually means.  We also ask why in emerging markets the support functions provided to women can enable less complicated career paths and ask whether extending similar supports globally would change the trajectory for some professional women. Series 1 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of Heard Capital, a Chicago-based asset manager invests in public equities in the technology, media, telecommunication, financial and industrial sectors.The firm was founded in 2011 and manages assets via a long/short fund and a long-only fund.

Joel Moreland is a Principal Consultant at Social and Environmental Finance. He has worked in early stage investing, corporate finance, fund management and mainstream banking. In this discussion we start with how he was born into a culture of activism, thanks to the work his parents had done, and then delve into a broad and multi-faceted discussion about the issue of climate change and the various steps being taken to address it. Joel's view is that the main issue is "urgency" - the urgency of the problem and the lack of understanding that the naturally conservative approach being taken by scientists in the modeling, arguably, requires much greater action by investors.  We talk about lobbying, the multi-lateral policy changes that are on the horizon, and the difference that concerted action by like-minded investors can make. We learn about the mindset of "doing good" and how it is sometimes incompatible with generating a profit or making a return, and how we need to adapt our services and communication to make progress more likely. We talk about the innovations inherent in climate tech, how being a techno-optimist is not enough anymore and how regulatory change can make a real, positive difference. It is a discussion that blends both high level directions of travel and specific examples of what is going well and less well amid the current environmental challenges.  Series 1 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of Heard Capital, a Chicago-based asset manager invests in public equities in the technology, media, telecommunication, financial and industrial sectors.The firm was founded in 2011 and manages assets via a long/short fund and a long-only fund.

Stavros Siokos is managing partner and co-founder at Astarte Capital Partners. He started his career with Salomon Brothers in NYC in the mid-nineties, was sent to London and later was managing director of Citigroup responsible for the global trading strategies across the firm and for the product solution for all pension funds and insurance companies across the world. He was formerly Head of Investment Management at Piraeus Bank. He is originally from Greece, but has lived outside there since 1990, mainly USA (where he did his Ph.D and Masters) and the UK.Astarte Partners is an asset management firm with a global presence, that is focused on identifying thematic real asset strategies that are usually difficult for investors to access.  They identify the strategies and different teams that they can deliver the strategies, and create asset management businesses. Stavros presents, in an unvarnished way, the challenges and opportunities of start-up life, how it takes, on reflection, double the time, double the money and half the friends.  He speaks about the importance of trust and relationship building and how a friend in life may not necessarily be the right partner in business.During the podcast he dives into some of the real asset strategies that they have launched at Astarte, including a forestry business which can now get the extra "boost" of carbon credits to enhance returns.  We look at the increasing integration of ESG awareness and how this is changing the face of real asset opportunities.Series 1 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of Heard Capital, a Chicago-based asset manager invests in public equities in the technology, media, telecommunication, financial and industrial sectors.  The firm was founded in 2011 and manages assets via a long/short fund and a long-only fund. Finally Stavros reflects on what has been important in his life, and the role that education has played, and how his greatest impact in life is educating other young people.  

Seema Hingorani is the founder and chair of Girls Who Invest and a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Mangement.  She previously was CIO at her own hedge fund and Chief Investment Officer of NYC Retirement Systems where she spent 4 years following a long career in asset management. Seema's story has been told just recently in this podcast hosted by my friend Susan Soh so we took things in a slightly different direction.  We first looked back at Seema's extraordinary career and asked about her career highs and lows.  One of her high points was her time as CIO in the NYC Retirement Systems and we discuss the surprising benefits of a stint in public service. Another highlight was the starting and success of the Girls Who Invest program (see link: https://www.girlswhoinvest.org/) which went from proof of concept to a program that has placed over 100 scholars into the financial services industry and is expanding rapidly from here.  We discuss the pushback that Seema received at the beginning and how she went about proving some naysayers wrong and continues to "flood the system" with impressive talent.We speak about the advice that the Girls Who Invest scholars receive, about how they are encouraged to optimize for career success and then turn to the particular strains that Covid restrictions and impediments to networking have put on young people at this stage of their career. Series 1 of the 2022 Fiftyfaces Podcast is brought to you with the kind support of Heard Capital, a Chicago-based asset manager invests in public equities in the technology, media, telecommunication, financial and industrial sectors.  The firm was founded in 2011 and manages assets via a long/short fund and a long-only fund.