Enterprising Investor

In Episode #323, Heather Brilliant, CFA, Managing Director, Americas, at First State Investments, explains what it will take to make that shift and what needs to change for the industry to routinely act in the best interests of the client. She also discusses why we need to rebuild trust in the industry and the importance of assembling diverse investment and leadership teams.

In Episode #322, Elizabeth Corley, non-executive vice chair of Allianz Global Investors, a global asset manager owned by Allianz, has worked in the financial industry for 40 years and helped steer her company through the global financial crisis. In this interview, she discusses why it’s critical that investment firms create a culture of accountability and inclusivity. She also explains why it’s imperative that leaders help employees and clients focus their outlooks on the longer term and discusses the need for more diverse investment and leadership teams. Corley also offers her answers to the questions of what major trends investment firms must adapt to in order to be successful, trends that are most worrisome, and what will be the biggest change to the profession in the next decade.

In Episode #321, Dr. George Friedman, founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures, a firm that specializes in geopolitical forecasting. Dr. Friedman also discusses immigration in Europe, the ramifications of secession movements, and much more, including his view of China five years down the road and why he draws inspiration from Hegel, the German philosopher.

In Episode #320, Andrea Turner Moffitt, a co-founder of Plum Alley Investments, a private investment platform that supports promising women entrepreneurs and gender-diverse teams, provides an overview of early-stage investing — how much was invested in 2016, what is getting funded, and who is making the decisions — and discusses why certain ideas and founders stand out, some of the challenges of being an early stage investor, and why women entrepreneurs need funding. She also shares with viewers the three key takeaways of her book, Harness the Power of Purse: Winning Women Investor, and explains why it is crucial that financial advisers today be “gender smart.”

In Episode #319, Wesley Gray delivers a thorough discussion and analysis of factor investing. Gray explores the limits to arbitrage, making a compelling case for investing using opportunities that others hypothesize should not exist.

In Episode #318, Russell Napier, ASIP, discusses global financial risks. He explores central banking, emerging markets, and global asset allocation. In particular, Napier hones in on the fragility of today’s global debt situation and suggests that the present monetary system may not make it.

In Episode #317, Teresa C. Barger discusses her firm’s approach to successful emerging market investing. Her approach might be best characterized as influential activism, in contrast with adversarial activism. She tries to work with her target companies to persuade them to adopt practices that she believes will unlock hidden value.

In Episode #316, Randall S. Kroszner, Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, discusses his views on fragilities faced by emerging market economies and recommendations to counter them.   

In Episode #315, Ming Shu, CFA, partner at Lingfeng Capital and former chief strategist of Ant Financial, shares his thoughts on the subject with us. Ming Shu’s unique experience of having worked with many aspects of the FinTech ecosystem makes his views particularly interesting. He will discuss how artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data are finding applications in the areas of consumer finance, wealth management, and insurance in China. 

In Episode #314, Jean Brunel, CFA, gives advice and insights for setting up a goals-based wealth management practice.