Enterprising Investor

With the release of the Enhancing Investor Trust: 2022 CFA Institute Investor Trust Study, Gary DeMoss, director at Invesco Consulting, and Adrienne Penta, executive director of the BBH Center for Women & Wealth at Brown Brothers Harriman, discuss the factors that are driving higher trust in financial services. While there is certainly cause for optimism, Gary and Adrienne share what the industry must do to sustain that trust even during periods of volatility. To view the full survey and results, visit https://trust.cfainstitute.org/.

Investment management professionals face a complex and rapidly evolving landscape that can often be challenging to navigate. At the same time, the shift to focusing on innovation and technology presents an incredible opportunity in the form of efficiency, diversity, and stewardship. CEO of CFA Institute, Marg Franklin, CFA, shares four trends for which she believes the investment industry will need to prepare in order to make an impact in the most material and tangible ways for clients and society.

We're excited to launch this spring with a brand new season featuring conversations with some of the most interesting names in the investment management world.

We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear. You love the high-quality guests and industry insights but prefer episodes that are shorter and more focused. That’s why we’ve going to be taking a short break to revamp the show’s format, aiming to debut a new and improved version of the show this fall. We want to make a show that is both entertaining and enlightening but more condensed with clearly defined takeaways.   Thank you and keep following us, we will be back soon!

In this conversation about the economy and monetary policy, Cheryl I. Smith, CFA, economist and portfolio manager at Trillium Asset Management, discusses the Federal Reserve’s strategy of flexible average inflation targeting, the role of Central Banks in solving social problems, and what history teaches us about tackling financial crises.   ▶️ Subscribe to the Take 15 Podcast YouTube channel   📃 Transcript   📧 Email us for comments, questions, or appearance requests ___________________________________________________________________________  Episode Breakdown: 1:30 How have financial crises shaped policy and where we are today? 4:46 One piece of wisdom Cheryl would impart to investors. 7:00 Cheryl explains what prompted the major shift in the Federal Reserve and the new approach to monetary policy and why it’s significant. 11:46 Should central banks take an active role in tackling wider societal change challenges? 13:56 Lauren asks Cheryl what she will be listening for at the next Jackson Hall Conference and if she expects to hear anything different than before.  15:05 If you were the playwright, what would the narrative be in Act II? 18:16 Are we going back to the 1970s? Are we entering the post-financialization era? Are we in a new era of globalization or regionalization?  22:50 Cheryl’s origin story: how she got involved in investing and how she ended at Trillion.  27:00 Cheryl shares her approach at Trillium to socially responsible investing. 29: 15 Closing questions - One positive, long-lasting change that Cheryl hopes to see as a result of the pandemic.  - What one object would Cheryl take with her on a long-duration space flight.  - Flight or invisibility? ___________________________________________________________________________   Related Articles and Links: Bloomberg article FT article Cheryl’s origin story ___________________________________________________________________________   Find Cheryl here: LinkedIn   Find Lauren Foster here: LinkedIn   Twitter: @laurenfosternyc

Daniela Mardarovici, CFA, Managing Director, Co-Head of US Multisector Fixed Income at Macquarie Asset Management, discusses her approach to investing and offers perspective on the bond markets and how to add value in this environment.   ▶️ Subscribe to the Take 15 Podcast YouTube channel   📃 Transcript   📧 Email us for comments, questions, or appearance requests ___________________________________________________________________________  Episode Breakdown: 1:15 The journey from Moldova to the bond markets 3:07 What made Daniela fall in love with the markets 4:14 Daniela’s experience in the market over the past year 7:45 The bond market has not been following the script that we expected this summer: Daniela’s view on how we should be thinking about events now and long-term 12:20 What is Mutant Capitalism, and why should we be thinking about it? 16:51 How Daniela gets her team to think this way of standing against the tide 19:37 Why should investors own bonds, what is the role of fixed income and how do you add value in this environment? 24:14 Closing questions:  1. One long-lasting change that you hope will stick around because of the pandemic or as a result of the pandemic? 2. The one item Daniela would take with her on a long-duration space flight 3. Flight or invisibility? ___________________________________________________________________________ Find Daniela here: LinkedIn Find Lauren here: LinkedIn Twitter

David Littleton and Alex Morris co-founders of F/m Acceleration discuss the Boutique advantage, what is it like to set up your own shop, the considerations for going independent, and the skills and traits necessary for successfully managing an independent firm. ▶️ Subscribe to the Take 15 Podcast YouTube channel 📃 Transcript 📧 Email us for comments, questions, or appearance requests ___________________________________________________________________________ Episode Breakdown: 1:35 The skill sets that people need to have to be successful in going independent and what they should consider before doing so. 4:09 The natural steps that someone would need to go through to start a new boutique firm 8:20 The characteristics that they are looking for to make an investment and to support a new team and firm 11:44 How difficult is the due diligence process? 13:47 Characteristics that make boutiques better or available to create better investment outcomes? 16:41 Crucial ideas and thoughts you would like people to take away ___________________________________________________________________________ Related articles and links: F/m Acceleration ___________________________________________________________________________ Find David Littleton here: LinkedIn Find Alex Morris here: LinkedIn Find Bob Stammers, CFA here: LinkedIn Twitter Find Lauren Foster here: LinkedIn Twitter

Sébastien Page, CFA, head of the Global Multi-Asset division at T. Rowe Price and author of “Beyond Diversification,” discusses the importance of asset allocation and diversification, why investors should go beyond diversification, and whether the 60/40 portfolio is dead. ▶️ Subscribe to the Take 15 Podcast YouTube channel: 📃 Transcript 📧 Email us for comments, questions, or appearance requests: ___________________________________________________________________________ Episode Breakdown: 1:43 Why Sébastien decided to write the book, “Beyond Diversification” 4:44 The motivation behind giving all proceeds from the book to the T. Rowe Price Foundation 5:45 Key themes that both advisors and investors can learn from the book 7:33 Why should investors go beyond diversification, and what wrong with diversification? 10:56 How can investors determine stock-bond mix? 14:13 Is the 60/40 portfolio alive or dead? 22:39 Are we paying enough attention to fat tails? 26:36 Sébastien’s tactical views on capital markets? 32:01 Sébastien’s LinkedIn view of teaching his daughter the basics of investing 34:40 Closing questions: One positive, long-lasting change that Sébastien hopes to see as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic One item Sébastien would take with him on a long-duration space flight Flight vs. invisibility? Which do you pick, and what do you do with your superpower? ___________________________________________________________________________ Related articles and links: Book: Beyond Diversification Kiplinger PIMCO Forbes Morningstar LinkedIn post Sébastien’s LinkedIn video with his daughter ___________________________________________________________________________ Find Sébastien here: LinkedIn Find Lauren here: LinkedIn Twitter

In episode #466 Robert C. Pozen, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and renowned corporate speaker on productivity, discusses his latest book, “Remote Inc.: How to Thrive at Work Wherever You Are.” He explains how employees should decide which days to come to the office and what challenges managers will face leading teams in a hybrid model.   ▶️ Subscribe to the Take 15 Podcast YouTube channel   📃 Transcript   📧 Email us for comments, questions, or appearance requests ___________________________________________________________________________  Episode Breakdown: 2:43 Thrive: what the word means to Robert and a time he felt like he was thriving in his career 6:21 How Robert thrives in his personal life 7:15 Robert’s most satisfying course that he teaches and what he enjoys most in his teaching career 10:03 The financial innovation that Robert is most excited about for this year 11:08 How to boost your productivity? 15:27 Can your thinking time be part of your workout time? 16:45 Saying “no” to more things 17:59 How did Roberts new book come about 20:20 How to decide which days to come to the office and what are the challenges that managers will face when they have a hybrid team model? 25:13 Robert’s recommended strategies for a team manager to be a more effective leader 29: 14 Advice to those who aren’t the best at communication 32:35 Closing questions •       What is one positive long-lasting change resulting from the pandemic? •        What one item would you take with you on a NASA flight? •        Flight v. invisibility: which would you choose? ___________________________________________________________________________ Related articles and links:   Book: Remote Inc.   Book: Extreme Productivity   Goldilocks plan: “After the pandemic ends, most employees will prefer a Goldilocks plan of not too much and not too little remote work. Very few employees want to return to the office five days a week, but most employees also do not want to stay at home all the time. How should employees decide which days to come to the office? What challenges will managers face in running teams under a hybrid model?”   ___________________________________________________________________________ Find Robert here: LinkedIn Twitter Find Lauren here: LinkedIn Twitter  

Awareness of biodiversity loss is increasing, but climate change still dominates investors’ discourse on the environment. Joel Clement, a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, explains why we need to focus urgently on the biodiversity crisis. He also discusses why he came a whistleblower in 2017 and the aftermath of that decision. ▶️ Subscribe to the Take 15 Podcast YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3HUMuK4FSp_CvQH_2Ji7g?app=desktop 📃 Transcript: https://cfainst.is/3g5Umcz 📧 Email us for comments, questions, or appearance requests:Take15podcast@cfainstitute.org ___________________________________________________________________________ Episode Breakdown: 2:20 What’s life like in Maine 3:55 The basics of biodiversity 7:30 The biodiversity crisis 9:16 Why the wider population needs to act on biodiversity 11:30 Joel’s decision to blow the whistle 16:39 The response after Joel blew the whistle 18:36 Was the experience of blowing the whistle lonely? 20:00 Is the word, “whistleblower” negative? 21:40 Joel’s advice to whistleblowers 22:53 What Joel has been working on over the past few years 24:00 Global implications for what is happening in the artic 25:47 Has the Biden administration gotten America back in the climate game? 27:21 America The Beautiful Report 29:33 What Joel tells the skeptics 32:49 Wrap up questions • What is one positive long-lasting change resulting from the pandemic? • What one item would you take with you on a NASA flight? • Flight v. invisibility: which would you choose? ___________________________________________________________________________ Related articles and links: UNPRI paper: https://www.unpri.org/environmental-issues/investor-action-on-biodiversity-discussion-paper/6335.article Joel’s whistleblower article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/im-a-scientist-the-trump-administration-reassigned-me-for-speaking-up-about-climate-change/2017/07/19/389b8dce-6b12-11e7-9c15-177740635e83_story.html Joel’s resignation letter: https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/national/read-joel-clements-resignation-letter/2566/ Joel’s recent speech where he said: “There is another crisis that gets a bit lost in all the talk of climate action, and that’s the biodiversity crisis.” https://www.pressherald.com/2021/04/23/joel-clement-keynote-speech-from-the-2021-source-awards/ Stephanie Gibaud’s comment: “This word, whistleblower, is so negative,” she said. “It’s really like radioactive when someone says he or she is a whistleblower.” https://blogs.cfainstitute.org/investor/2018/12/12/whistleblowing-the-risks-and-rewards/ Ethics learning lab: https://cfainstitute.nomadic.fm CFA report on climate change analysis: https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/research/industry-research/climate-change-analysis ___________________________________________________________________________ Find Joel here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelclement/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jclementmaine?lang=en Find Lauren here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren- foster/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenfosternyc