The Fiftyfaces Podcast

Tony Dalwood is Chief Executive Officer of Gresham House, an alternatives asset management business based in London. Its product range includes forestry, renewables, infrastructure, housing, private equity and strategic public equity funds. Prior to this he spent time at a range of leading asset management firms where his investment activities included both public and private equity. He holds a number of investment committee and NED roles and is a former rugby player and current rugby coach. Our conversation traces Tony's career in investing, the lessons he learned from his time playing rugby and how they transfer to finance and investment. We talk about how his interest in ESG and sustainable investing evolved and why the ability to adapt is a key skill to have in the world of investing.

In Series 3 of the Fiftyfaces Podcast we hear the stories of another 10 inspiring investors from around the world. Some started early - from an internship at JP Morgan at the age of 15, to another who attended Notre Dame university at the age of 16. One pivoted from a PhD in Medieval History to a career in investing, while one turned to one mid-career, and is brutally honest about the toll it took. One played professional rugby, another was a professor in AI. Some careers are meticulously planned, some happen almost by accident. Five have built their own businesses. People and relationships are key - often parents, colleagues, and sometimes clients. Each story is rich with personal experiences, setbacks, learning and wisdom.

Theresa Boyd is a Principal in the Private Markets division of Invesco Ltd., where she constructs portfolios of venture capital funds for mainly institutional clients. Originally from Canada, she went to business school in the UK and now lives and works in the US.Our conversation digs into the mindset required to select and build a portfolio of venture capital funds, and what this teaches one about risk, loss and innovation. We explore what it is that she loves about the world of private equity and venture capital, and why diversity in this area still needs a lot of work, and not just on the investment side of the equation, as tech itself has some notable shortcomings in this area too.

Ayo Ayodele and I got to know each other when he was working as an Assistant Treasurer and Deputy Chief Investment Officer at the City of Chicago. He now works in Global Wealth Management at a large firm in Chicago, and prior to his role at the City of Chicago worked in a series of investment banking roles, including 3 years at Afrinvest West Africa, based in both London and Lagos. He was educated in Nigeria, Harrogate in the UK and the University of Arizona. Our conversation traces his journey from Lagos, to the UK, to Chicago, back to Lagos and back again, and discusses the secrets to success in building a rolodex in private wealth. We also discuss the right of passage of public service, and the insights that that provided. Finally, we examine what it means to be an ally, and which allies are the most helpful, as well as mentors who have influenced him and encouraged him in his current field.

Elissa Bayer is a Senior Investment Director at a large wealth manager based in London, and has held a range of private wealth and investment roles throughout her career. Elissa was one of the first women to take a seat in the London Stock Exchange and blazed a trail through private wealth in London, where she is still active today.Our conversation discusses her journey into investment, how she developed a client base, character traits that helped her to develop her extensive network and how it felt to be in such a minority in the profession.

Arun Kelshiker has held a series of roles in asset managers including head of Asset Allocation and Portfolio Strategy, across Europe and Asia. He is heavily involved in the CFA Society and committed to promoting diversity and inclusion within the investment profession. He has interests in behavioural finance and sustainable and impact investing. Our discussion is very broadranging - touching on the differences between asset allocation in private wealth v. institutional investing and global differences in preferences and approaches. We look to the evolution of the asset management universe and forecast where innovation will lead it. Finally we discuss insights from behavioural finance, and how these can shape the asset manager of tomorrow.

Karen Shackleton is the founder and head of Pensions for Purpose, a collaborative initiative to promote understanding of impact investment for institutional investors. This is in addition to a portfolio career which includes roles as investment adviser to four local authority pension funds, as well as Chair and Non-Executive Director roles. She has spent most of her career in investment, including time as a fund manager, client relationship manager and chief executive of an Investment Advisory Firm. She is a frequent speaker on the institutional investor circuit and a passionate advocate for knowledge and action in impact investment. Our conversation covers Karen's journey into investment, her investment beliefs and how she developed her portfolio career. We examine in particular how she came to be a passionate advocate for investing for impact, what impact investing means to her and the genesis of the Pensions for Purpose platform. Finally, we seek and fail to determine if computers are in fact "mañana or megabucks" . . . you'll just have to listen in to find out more about this conundrum.

Arthur Olunwa is an investment professional based in Chicago, whom I got to know when he worked as a senior fixed income allocator at a large corporate pension plan there. Prior to this he spent time in fixed income risk management as well as a portfolio manager in a multi-asset team. He sits on the advisory committee of the CFA Society of Chicago and is the Chairperson of the Chicago Investment Group as well as a Partner and Mentor of Youth Guidance. Our conversation traces Arthur's career journey from Nigeria, through the United Kingdom and on to US, and discusses his experience in moving through different disciplines to his investment role. Arthur shares why he believes persistence is essential to developing a network, and why just "making the call" and going the extra mile to show a commitment to an opportunity pays dividends.

Justina Etteh is a transaction banking associate at a large global investment bank, based in London. She hails from Ghana and participated in a graduate training program sponsored by that bank that recruited her directly from Ghana. She spends a lot of her time mentoring young black students and colleagues in the world of finance and sharing her experiences in the workplace.Our conversation traces her journey into a role in banking, and her early introduction to financial literacy. She describes how she is committed to passing on what she has learned while she is still young, and to "lifting" as she climbs. I hope you find her as inspiring as I did.

David Hickey is portfolio manager and responsible investment lead at the Lothian Pension Fund, a public pension fund based in Edinburgh. He previously was a fund manager for a European Small Cap Equity team among other investment related roles.David is a prominent voice in furthering the cause of responsible investing and creating diversity within the financial services arena. Our conversation traces his journey from a Yorkshire pit village to his current role, how he transitioned from a sales to a front office investing role, and how he overcame a mid-career setback. David has an extraordinarily nuanced view of the challenges faced by diverse members of the profession and believes in action, not just words, to address it. He also advocates a holistic approach to responsible investing, which we discuss in some detail, and in so doing imagine the investment landscape of the future.