Conversations with Institutional Investors
Conversations with Institutional Investors is a podcast that features in-depth discussions with the masterminds behind leading global investment firms, including key figures from pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds. It explores the evolving landscape of asset allocation, portfolio construction, and investment strategy, offering firsthand insights from industry experts to inspire smarter and more innovative investment approaches. Further insights can be found at i3-invest.com, and a complimentary newsletter is available via subscription.
Episodes
145: From the Archives – UniSuper's John Pearce
Welcome to the i3 podcast. Today, we're revisiting a conversation from 2021 with John Pearce, Chief Investment Officer at UniSuper. From the humble beginnings at the back office of Westpac, John went on to become one of the most influential CIOs of Australia, leadings one of the biggest in-house investment programs, built on what he calls "logical incrementalism." We talked about his best and wors
144: Governance and Safety in Agentic AI – Discussing The Hugging Face Incident with Michael Kollo
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Michael Kollo, who's the author of the book Future Ready with Generative AI: Skills, Mindsets, and Stories in the Age of AI, about the Hugging Face incident, where a cybersecurity experiment went wrong and AI agents found a way to communicate with each other, escape onto the internet and hack the company Hugging Face. What does this incident mean for controlling
143: From the Archives – Tanya Branwhite on TPA
In this From the Archives episode, we revisit a conversation with Tanya Branwhite, former Head of Portfolio Construction at TCorp, which was originally released in March 2023. Tanya takes us through her unconventional path into investing, from her early days as a credit analyst in the "whiz-bang" late 1980s, through more than a decade at Macquarie, to her move into asset owner organisations at t
142: How ASX Companies Are Tackling AI Disruption – A Fidelity International Survey
In episode 142, we take a look at AI disruption among listed Australian companies and their response to the risks arising from this new technology. Fidelity International surveyed 31 ASX-listed companies during the 2025 AGM season to find out how boards are really handling artificial intelligence, beyond the headlines. Portfolio Manager Sam Heithersay and Associate Director Sue Lyn Stubbs of Fidel
141: From the Archives – NZ Super's Matt Whineray
In this interview from November 2023, we speak with Matt Whineray, then CEO of New Zealand Super, to celebrate the fund's 20th anniversary. Established in 2003, with an initial contribution of NZ$2.4 billion, the fund has achieved an impressive average annual return of 9.5 per cent over this 20-year period, adding NZ$40 billion in value. We delve deep into the fund's strategic tilting program,
140: Frontier Advisors' Charles Wu and Elie Saikaly – Launching an ICIO Business
In episode 140 of the [i3] Podcast, Conversations with Institutional Investors, we speak with Charles Wu, Director of Investment, and Elie Saikaly, Head of Liability-driven and Government Investors at Frontier Advisors about the recently launched Independent CIO service, not to be confused with outsourced CIO services. We delve into the background of establishing the new service, the backing by St
139: Neuberger's Steve Meier – Do You Know the Risks You Own? TPA at NYC Retirement Systems
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, Conversations with Institutional Investors, we speak with Steve Meier, who is the Vice Chairman of Neuberger's Institutional Client Group. Before joining Neuberger, Steve was the Chief Investment Officer for the New York City Retirement Systems, the third largest public pension plan in the US, consisting of five different plans. There, he implemented the total
138: From the Archives – JANA's John Coombe
In this episode, we're revisiting a conversation originally published on 6 March 2019, with John Coombe, one of the true veterans of investment consulting in Australia. John joined John A. Nolan and Associates – now known as JANA Investment Advisors – back in 1988, as the firm's very first employee. Over three decades, he helped grow JANA from a single client into a business advising on hundreds
137: Aware Super's Simon Warner – Investment Strategy as a Perspex Box, TPA and the Changing Role of CIO
In this episode of the I3 Podcast, Aware Super CIO Simon Warner joins us to discuss how his unusually broad background across fixed income, equities, public and private markets shapes his approach to investing. Simon explains the realities of implementing a total portfolio approach within Australia's DC superannuation system, balancing risk, liquidity and cost while empowering specialist
136: Circle the Square – Environmental Risk and the Repricing of Stability
In this special episode of the [i3] Podcast, we're partnering with the University of Technology Sydney for the Circle the Square roundtable discussion. Today's topic focuses on environmental risk and the repricing of stability. For most of financial history, the environment was treated pretty much as a given, stable enough to model around, reliable enough to insure against, and predictable enough
135: Funds SA's Con Michalakis – TPA Lite, The Comic Con of Asset Allocation and my Best & Worst Investment
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, Conversations with Institutional Investors, we speak with Con Michalakis, Chief Investment Officer of Funds SA, which is a $50 billion investment manager for South Australian public sector superannuation funds and other approved state authorities. Con is well-known in the Australian investment industry, not in the least, for his outspoken views on a variety of
134: JANA's Jo Leaper – Risk as a Source of Alpha
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, I'm speaking with Jo Leaper, who is the Head of Operational Consulting at asset consultant JANA. We talk about the next evolution of risk management, where risk doesn't reside just with a dedicated team, but is addressed by all functions, including the investment team. When implemented well this form of holistic risk management is not simply a cost, but can lea
133: From the Archives – Gus Sauter and the Early Days of ETFs
In this episode of the From the Archive series, we look at a 2019 interview with Gus Sauter, the former Chief Investment Officer of Vanguard, who worked for more than 25 years at the company. Sauter is also an adviser to the Australian Retirement Trust, then Sunsuper. Index and passive investing have gained momentum in recent years and it is estimated that about 60 per cent of investments follow p
132: Michael Kollo – New Book, Building an AI Equity Analyst and AI as a Review Agent
In this episode, I speak with Michael Kollo, a return guest to the [i3] Podcast. Michael has recently published a book on artificial intelligence, called: Future-ready with Generative AI Skills, Mindsets, and Stories in the Age of AI We speak with Michael about how he build an equity analyst AI agent in a weekend, how AI helps review your work and how you can get it to find solutions that are tai
131: From the Archives – Greg Cooper
Greg Cooper is Chair of financial services giants Perpetual and Colonial First State, but is perhaps best known for his role as the Chief Executive Officer for Schroder Investment Management in Australia. In this interview from late 2019, only weeks before COVID-19 broke out, we spoke with Greg about whether public markets are broken, the state of active management and his interest in the venture
130: RQI Investors' David Walsh – Is A Quant Winter Coming?
In this episode, I'm speaking with David Walsh, who is the Head of Investments of RQI Investors, a First Sentier fund manager. And we delve into the concept of a Quant Winter. Some market participants argue a new Quant Winter is in the making, since growth and momentum factors are compounding with limited breadth, driven partly by the promise of AI. This can lead to distortions in the market and
129: From The Archives – Fiona Trafford-Walker
In this episode, we go into our archive to October 2019, when we interviewed Fiona Trafford-Walker. Fiona was one of the key consultants behind the success of Frontier Advisors and spent 25 years with the asset consultant, advising many of the largest funds in Australia. She has been named several times among the most influential consultants in the world and was a driving force behind the fight fo
128: MLC Asset Management's Dan Farmer – Active Management, Private Equity, AI and the Early Days at Telstra Super
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dan farmer, who is the Chief Investment Officer of MLC Asset Management. We talk about Dan's early days managing an internal Australian equity portfolio and getting involved with derivatives at Telstra Super, almost straight out of university. We talk about some of his mentors, including Steve Merlicek, and the influence they've had on Dan's investment philosophy
127: Frontier Advisors' Kim Bowater – Consultants in a Changing Industry, AI and Gender Diversity
In this podcast, I'm speaking with Kim Bowater, who is the Director of Consulting at Frontier Advisors. Kim has spent 23 years at the firm and saw the asset consultant grow from a small advisory firm with just 13 people when she started in 2002 to the leading asset consultant it is today. She is one of the driving forces behind a number of key initiatives that have supported Frontier's growth, inc
126: Professor Scott Donald – Should Trustees Use AI?
In episode 126, Scott Donald, Professor at the Faculty of Law and Justice of the University of New South Wales, breaks down how artificial intelligence is reshaping the work of superannuation trustees. Efficiency is the big draw, but legal and ethical risks mean trustees are moving carefully. AI is already embedded in parts of the finance sector, from document summarisation to risk management, yet
125: The Devolution of Neoliberalism – UTS Finance Department Roundtable
In this special edition of the [i3] Podcast, in collaboration with the UTS Finance Department, we explore how the neoliberal model of economics, which largely ignored politics and focused on financial metrics, has eroded over time and made way for the rise of populism, which has exerted its influence on economies around the world. Why did the guardrails that neoliberalism provided slowly disappear
124: Fidelity's James Richards – Investing in Energy Transition Materials
In this episode, I'm speaking with James Richards, Co-portfolio Manager of Fidelity International's Transition Materials Strategy. James runs a strategy that invests in stocks of companies that are exposed to materials that will play a crucial role in the energy transition. And it's not all about copper or lithium. James keeps his investment universe wide and includes commodities, such as animal
123: Cbus' Linda Cunningham – Pricing Risk in Debt Investments, Private Credit and the Impact of Retail Investors
Note: This episode was recorded before the release of ASIC's Private Credit Surveillance Report 820. The ASIC report mentioned in the podcast relates to the Private Credit in Australia Report 814, released in September 2025. In this episode of The [i3] podcast, I'm speaking with Linda Cunningham, who is the Head of Debt and Alternatives for Cbus Super. We talk about some of Linda's core beliefs wh
122: Fidelity's Maroun Younes and James Abela – SMIDs in a World of Large Cap Dominance, Are Things About to Change?
In Episode 122 of the [i3] Podcast, Conversations with Institutional Investors, we speak with Maroun Younes and James Abela, co-portfolio managers of the Fidelity Global Future Leaders strategy, about the attractiveness of small and mid-cap investments, a $12 trillion market with significant growth potential. They acknowledge the recent underperformance of small caps due to market concentration i
121: JANA's Mary Power – Offices Market Woes, Liquidity and Blended Approaches to Property
In this episode of the [i3] podcast, I'm speaking with Mary Power, who is the Head of Property Research at asset consultant Jana. We cover the struggles of the property market in the early 90s, when Mary started out in the industry, and the learnings from that time. We take a look at how investors have dealt with 13 consecutive rate rises, starting in 2022 and we cover portfolio construction issue
120: Stanford University's Ashby Monk - The Future of the Pension Industry
In this episode, I speak with Ashby Monk, who is Executive & Research Director at Stanford Long-term Investing, a part of Stanford University in California. Ashby has been advising most of the large superannuation funds in Australia on governance, organisational efficiency and knowledge management. He is a regular visitor to our country, and has been here 55 times. We discuss the future of the sup
119: Janus Henderson's Richard Brown – Small Caps in a Concentrated World
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, I'm speaking with Richard Brown, who is a Client Portfolio Manager with Janus Henderson Investors. And today we are going to talk about global small caps. We look at whether small caps are affected by the increasing concentration of the equity markets, particularly in the US, where technology stocks have dominated returns in recent years. We talk about catalyst
118: National Reconstruction Fund's Mary Manning – Supporting Australian Manufacturing, Quantum Diamonds and Cyber Security
In this episode of the [i3] podcast, "Conversations with Institutional Investors", we speak with Mary Manning, Chief Investment Officer of the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation, a recently established $15 billion fund that has been set up to promote the manufacturing industry in Australia. We speak with Mary about the investment objectives and how to balance investing in innovative new tech
117: Geopolitics with Alan Dupont – Tech wars, Geoeconomics and the Mag 7
In this episode, I'm speaking with Dr Alan Dupont, who is the founder and CEO of Cognoscenti Group. Alan is a highly respected geopolitical strategist and has advised a wide range of governmental and commercial organisations, including the Northern Territory Government, Asia Society, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and Outcomes Australia. He has advised several Australian ministers of de
116: Igneo Infrastructure Partners' Danny Latham – Infrastructure 2.0, Waste to Energy and Transition Assets
In this episode of the [i3] podcast, Conversations with Institutional Investors, we speak with Danny Latham, Partner and Head of Australia and New Zealand for Igneo Infrastructure Partners. We discuss the evolution of infrastructure assets, termed "Infrastructure 2.0," which includes renewable energy, digitalisation, and waste management. Danny highlights the shift from traditional infrastructure
115: Gain Line Analytics' Ben Darwin – Performance Analytics, Team Cohesion and The Wallabies
Ben Darwin is the Co-founder and General Manager of Corporate at Gain Line Analytics and in this episode we're going to take a look at what makes teams successful and stay successful. Ben is a former Wallaby player, having played 28 test matches for Australia. He's a former coach and a performance analyst, having worked with a number of rugby teams, including a Japanese team, the NTT Shining A
114: Bellmont Securities' Michael Block – The Michael Block Roadmap to Investing
Michael Block is Chief Investment Officer of Bellmont Securities and Adjunct Industry Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where he helped establish the UTS Anchor Fund. The UTS Anchor Fund is a live investment portfolio managed by students to give them hands on experience with managing portfolios. In this episode, we take a look at Michael's extensive career in investing, spann
113: FCLT's Eduard van Gelderen – Long Term Investing, Concentrated Portfolios and Decarbonisation
Eduard van Gelderen is Head of Research for Focusing Capital on the Long Term (FCLT), an organisation that was established in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, or Great Recession as it is known in the US, to move away from a so-called "quarterly capitalism", which arguably contributed to the crisis, and towards a true long-term mind-set. Van Gelderen joined FCLT in 2024, after spending over
112: Fulcrum's Suhail Shaikh – Absolute Return Investing, Market Timing and The Role of Luck
Suhail Shaikh is Chief Investment Officer of Fulcrum Asset Management and is the portfolio manager of Fulcrum's Discretionary Macro and Diversified Absolute Return strategies. In today's incredibly volatile environment of tariff wars and deglobalisation, investors tend to be more sensitive about the level of their absolute returns, than their performance against the benchmark. In this episode, we
111: ART's Michael Weaver – The Role of Real Assets in a Pension Portfolio
In episode 111 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Michael Weaver, who is the Head of Global Real Assets with the Australian Retirement Trust. We discussed the role of real assets in the context of a multi-asset, pension portfolio, the ever-lurking threat of inflation, the return of office property and more. Please enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Michael Weaver, Head of Global Real Assets,
110: Allspring Global Investment's Jamie Newton – Is Now The Time to Add Duration?
In episode 110 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Jamie Newton, Head of Global Fixed Income Research and Deputy Head of Sustainability at Allspring Global Investments. We discuss why now is a good time to add duration to fixed income portfolios, concerns over the lack of experience with high default rates in private credit and opportunities in data centres and other digital assets. Enjoy the Show!
109: Is DeepSeek What It Promised To Be? – Will Liang Explains New AI Model
In episode 109, we are back with Will Liang, Executive Director at MA Financial, to discuss the introduction of DeepSeek and the impact on the future development of artificial intelligence and the global economy. Are tech firms going to scale back their investments due to this low cost model, or is it all a bit of a hype? Enjoy the Show! Overview of Podcast with Will Liang on DeepSeek 01:00 First
108: Victory Park Capital's Brendan Carroll – Private Credit, Asset-backed Lending, ChatGPT
Private credit has evolved significantly since the global financial crisis, and Brendan Carroll, Senior Partner at Victory Park Capital, has been at the forefront of that transformation. In this episode, we explore how private credit investments are adapting to meet the needs of insurers, the growing role of asset-backed lending, and why insurance companies are becoming the fastest-growing investo
107: Scott Donald on Governance and Member Meetings
In episode 107 of the [i3] Institutional Investment Podcast, we speak with Scott Donald, Associate Professor at the School of Private and Commercial Law of the University of New South Wales, about his research into governance and the now mandatory annual member meetings of superannuation funds. How do funds field questions from members? How can we check they answer all questions? What impact do th
106: Tuckwell Family Office's Craig Dandurand
In episode 106 of the [i3] Institutional Investment Podcast, I speak with Craig Dandurand, Chief Investment Officer of the Tuckwell Family Office. Craig has an impressive career in the investment industry that spans time with US pension fund CalPERS and Australia's the Future Fund. We talked about his background in credit investing, setting up a hedge fund program and the world of private wealth.
105: T. Rowe Price's Jessica Sclafani
In episode 105 of the [i3] Institutional Investment Podcast, we speak with Jessica Sclafani, a Global Retirement Strategist with US fund manager T. Rowe Price, which manages $1.6 trillion in total assets on behalf of clients. Retirement is a more complex phase than wealth accumulation and it needs a more sophisticated approach to deliver good outcomes. Sclafani discusses a 5 dimensional approach t
104: State Super's John Livanas
John Livanas is the Chief Executive Officer of State Super, the $37 billion superannuation fund for public service and public sector workers in NSW. In this episode, we talk about the use of defensive overlays, dealing with the COVID drawdown and machine learning in investments. Enjoy the show! Overview of podcast with John Livanas, Chief Executive Officer of State Super 01:30 Peter Drucker's book
103: Janus Henderson's Matt Culley
Matthew Culley is a Portfolio Manager on the Emerging Market Equity Team at Janus Henderson Investors. In this podcast, we talk about the best performing markets, tensions around China, the impact of the US elections and fighter jets. Enjoy the Show! Overview of [i3] Podcast with Matt Culley, Janus Henderson Investors 02:00 I initially wanted to become a fighter pilot, but then got glasses and tha
102: Qantas Super's Andrew Spence
In episode 102 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Andrew Spence, Chief Investment Officer of the $9 billion corporate super fund Qantas Super. Qantas Super recently announced to merge with ART and we took the opportunity to look back at the investment strategy that Spence put in place as the fund's first CIO, the innovations along the way and lessons learned. Overview of podcast with Andrew Spence
101: ECP's Damon Callaghan and Sam Byrnes
In episode 101 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Damon Callaghan and Sam Byrnes of asset management firm ECP. ECP was established by Dr. Manny Pohl of Hyperion Asset Management fame and in this episode we talk about the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence when investing in Australian equities. Enjoy the show! 01:00 How we got started in investing 04:00 Sam: My dad was CEO of B
100: Private Equity Co-investments with Neuberger Berman
It is our 100th episode of the [i3] Podcast and we are celebrating this with an in-depth discussion on innovation in private equity, especially mid-life transactions, with David Morse, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Private Equity Co-Investments at Neuberger Berman. Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with David Morse of Neuberger Berman 01:00 Starting in mid-market lending, but liking
99: Global Equities with Janus Henderson
In episode 99 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Julian McManus, who is a Portfolio Manager on the Global Alpha Equity Team at Janus Henderson Investors. We spoke about global equities, the role of the Magnificent 7, Japanese equities and hybrid cars. Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Julian McManus, Janus Henderson Investors 02:00 Getting into Japanese equities fresh out of law school 04:0
98: Artificial Intelligence in Wealth Management
In episode 98 of the [i3] Podcast, we are speaking with Will Liang, who is an executive director at MA Financial Group, but is also well-known for his time with Macquarie Group, where he worked for more than a decade, including as Head of Technology for Macquarie Capital Australia and New Zealand. We discuss the application of AI in financial services and wealth management, ChatGPT and how to deal
97: Talking Leadership with Felicity Walsh
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Felicity Walsh, Managing Director and Head of Australia & New Zealand for Franklin Templeton about leadership, fostering a great work culture, mentorship and lab coats. Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Felicity Walsh, Franklin Templeton 01:00 Hanging up the chemistry lab coat and safety specs, and joining Watson Wyatt 05:00 Defined benefit
96: T Rowe Price's Maria Elena Drew – Towards Net Zero Portfolios
In episode 96 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Maria Elena Drew, Director of Research – Responsible Investing, at T. Rowe Price about the challenges and opportunities of transforming investments into net zero portfolios. How does it affect your objectives and engagement with companies? Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Maria Elena Drew, T. Rowe Price 01:00 When I was at school, I didn't t
95: CAIA's John Bowman – Alternatives, ESG and TPA
John Bowman is President of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association. In this episode we look back at the growth of the alternative investment industry, in particular private equity, discuss ESG and take a look at the upcoming paper on the total portfolio approach Overview of podcast with John Bowman, CAIA 02:00 I got involved in international equity investing through a few
94: ART's Andrew Fisher on Scale
Andrew Fisher is the Head of Investment Strategy at the Australian Retirement Trust (ART), a $260 billion pension fund in Australia. In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, we reflected on the merger with QSuper and the implications the larger scale of the fund has on the investment strategy. Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Andrew Fisher, 2024 01:00 Merging two funds with different investmen
93: NextEnergy Capital's Mike Bonte-Friedheim
In episode 93 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Michael Bonte-Friedheim, the Founding Partner and Group CEO of NextEnergy Capital, a firm that specialises in investing in solar energy plants. We talk about the role of subsidies, the growth of the sector and the fact that ESG in solar isn't just about renewable energy Overview of Podcast with Michael Bonte-Friedheim 01:00 The genesis of NextEnergy
92: Benefit Street Partners' Mike Comparato
Mike Comparato is Managing Director and Head of Real Estate at Benefit Street Partners, a credit-focused alternative asset management firm owned by Franklin Templeton. In this episode, we cover Mike's views on the turmoil that the commercial real estate market is facing and the impending debt maturity wall that could set off a hurricane. Overview of Podcast with Benefit Street Partners' Mike Compa
91: Celebrating 20 Years of NZ Super
This year we celebrate 20 years of New Zealand Super. We speak to the fund's CEO, Matt Whineray, about the evolution of the fund throughout the years, do a deep dive into its strategic tilting program and cover responsible investing, AI and much more. Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Matt Whineray, CEO of NZ Super on 20 years of the fund 01:00 NZ Super started investing in September 2003 a
90: Janus Henderson 2023 Australian Insurance Report
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Jay Sivapalan, Head of Australian Fixed Income at Janus Henderson about the company's 2023 Australian Insurance Report, a survey of insurance companies and their plans for their investment portfolios. The survey found that no less than 9 out of every 10 insurers plan to change their strategic asset allocation! Overview of podcast with Jay Sivapala
89: Michael Kollo on Artificial Intelligence
In episode 88 of the [i3] Podcast we speak with Dr. Michael Kollo about artificial intelligence and large language models such as chatGPT. We talk about their application to the institutional investment industry and discuss why Australia is so distrustful of AI. Please enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Dr. Michael Kollo 01:00 Getting involved in artificial intelligence 03:30 Australia doesn
88: HMC Capital's David Di Pilla
David Di Pilla is Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of HMC Capital, a diversified alternative investment firm. In this episode, we speak about the challenges of building a new investment firm during the COVID-19, the attraction of healthcare real estate and the taking a private equity approach to listed markets. Please enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with David Di Pilla: 1:00
87: Janus Hendersons' Thomas Haugaard – Emerging Market Debt
In this episode, we speak with Thomas Haugaard, Portfolio Manager for Emerging Market Debt at Janus Henderson Investors. Haugaard, a former economist, talks passionately about why emerging markets form such an interesting investment universe, the influence of geopolitics on debt securities and the risks from climate change. Please enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Thomas Haugaard: 01:00 My
86: Deloitte's Craig Roodt – APRA, performance test and good governance
Craig Roodt is Director of Investment Governance and Risk at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and is also known for his time with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). In this episode, we speak about the governance challenges of in-sourcing asset management functions by pension funds, the Your Future, Your Super performance test and some the worst governance failures he has seen during hi
85: PGIM's Jakob Wilhelmus on Food Security
In episode 85 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Jakob Wilhelmus, who is Director of Thematic Research at PGIM about their new report into food security and the changing food system. We spoke about the impact on the global economy and investment opportunities for institutional investors. Please enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Jakob Wilhelmus, PGIM 01:00 PGIM published the report 'Food for
84: Lighthouse Infrastructure's Peter Johnston
Peter Johnston is Managing Director of Lighthouse Infrastructure, a sustainable infrastructure and real asset fund management company that has more recently been investing in affordable housing for key workers. In this episode, we delve deep into the issue of affordable housing and how it presents an opportunity for institutional investors. Overview of Podcast with Peter Johnston, Managing Directo
83: David Brown – Unlisted Assets and Cook Islands Super
David Brown is the Chief Investment Officer of the Cook Islands National Superannuation Fund. David is also well known for his involvement in the private asset markets in his previous role as Head of Private Markets for Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC). In this episode, we cover both the unlisted space, his time working with Leo de Bever and the unique set of circumstances when invest
82: ChatGPT_Machine Learning and Venture Capital
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, we look at machine learning and artificial intelligence. Our guests are Kaggle Founder Anthony Goldbloom and Stanford CS Professor Chris Manning, who are both involved in venture capital firm AIX Ventures, as investment directors. We speak about the state of play in machine learning and artificial intelligence, the most interesting applications, including ChatG
81: TCorp's Tanya Branwhite – Total Portfolio Approach and Diversification
Tanya Branwhite is the Head of Portfolio Construction at the asset manager for the state of New South Wales, TCorp. In this episode, we speak about Tanya's early career, including ruffling some feathers at Macquarie Group, TCorp's interpretation of a Total Portfolio Approach and the lessons we should have learned from the GFC. Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Tanya Branwhite, TCorp: 01:00
80: Mine Super's Sean Anthonisz – academia, quants and loose graphs
Sean Anthonisz is the Head of Investment Strategy of Mine Super, a pension fund for the mining industry. In this episode, we talk to Sean about his background in academia and the intersection with investment implementation, the use of 'fairly loose graphs' in the industry, P-hacking and decarbonisation in a mining fund. Please enjoy the show. Overview of Podcast with Sean Anthonisz, Mine Super 01:
79: Dr Warren McKenzie on Nuclear Fusion
Last month, scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a defence facility that sits under the US Department of Energy, announced that they had achieved a nuclear fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to ignite it, using high-powered lasers. The announcement was both celebrated as a milestone in science and criticised as an overhyped media spectacle. In this episod
78: ART's Ian Patrick - Merger, Internalisation and Decarbonisation
In episode 78 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Ian Patrick, Chief Investment Officer at the Australian Retirement Trust. We delve into the latest developments of the merger between legacy funds Sunsuper and Qsuper, we discussed inhouse asset management and the impact of decarbonisation. Enjoy the show! Overview of Podcast with Ian Patrick, CIO of the Australian Retirement Trust 01:00 Coming to A
77: Maple Brown Abbott's Geoff Bazzan
Geoff Bazzan is Head of Asia-Pacific Equities at Maple-Brown Abbott. In this episode of the [i3] podcast, we speak about the Asian equity markets, whether value-style investing is suited to the Chinese market and the recent geopolitical upheaval. Please enjoy the show. Overview of podcast with Geoff Bazzan, Maple Brown Abbott 01:00 Starting at Maple Brown Abbott more than 35 years ago 03:30 Change
76: Allspring's Henrietta Pacquement
Henrietta Pacquement is the Head of the Global Fixed Income Team at Allspring Global Investments (formerly known as Wells Fargo Asset Management). In this episode we look at the differences between the US and European fixed income markets, the likelihood of a recession and how to place portfolios and the impact of the energy transition on credit. Please enjoy the show. Overview of Podcast with Hen
75: Behavioural Finance Australia's Simon Russell – Equities, Selling Discipline and Biases
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Simon Russell, Founder and Director of Behavioural Finance Australia, about his new book: 'Behavioural Finance: A Guide for Listed Equities Teams'. We talk about how institutional investors are not immune to biases, even if they are aware of them. The application of behavioural finance to selling discipline and the relationship between intelligenc
74: Janus Hendersons' David Elms – Hedge funds, Factor Strategies and Protection
In Episode 74 of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with David Elms, Head of Diversified Alternatives and Portfolio Manager, Janus Henderson Investors. David, an Australian based in London, discusses the changing nature of bonds and their correlation to equities, trend-following versus option strategies and he tackles the idea that illiquidity stabilises portfolios. "You can paint illiquidity as a feature
73: PERSI's Bob Maynard – Retirement and Reflections on Career
In this episode of the [i3] Podcast, we speak with Bob Maynard, Chief Investment Officer of the Public Employees Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI) at the eve of his retirement, after 30 years with the fund. We look back at how a job as the deputy attorney of Alaska saw him getting involved with investing and how he has stuck to his mantra of keeping it simple. "Whenever I get a bright idea, I go
72: Federated Hermes' Caroline Cantor – Biodiversity
Why should institutional investors care about biodiversity in their investment strategy, when they are still embarking on the net zero journey? Because it is most likely to be the next area of focus for regulators and society more broadly, Caroline Cantor of Federated Hermes says. BTW, did you know the average person eats about a credit card worth of plastic a week through micro plastic pollution?
71: Digital Assets with Nick Abrahams
Nick Abrahams is the Global co-leader of Norton Rose Fulbright's Digital Transformation Practice and a futurist. In this episode, we talk about digital assets, the value drivers behind non-fungible tokens (NFTs), cybersecurity and negotiating with ransomware attackers. Overview of Podcast with Nick Abrahams, Norton Rose Fulbright 01:00 You are a lawyer by trade. How did you get involved in the dig
70: World Gold Council's John Reade – Gold as a Long Term Asset
John Reade is the Chief Market Strategist for the World Gold Council. John is not only a former investor with a well-known US hedge fund and strategist with investment bank UBS, he actually started out in the mines of South Africa as an engineer. In this podcast, we talk about gold as a long term asset, the potential as an inflation hedge and discuss some of the common criticisms of gold voiced by
69: Stewart Investors' Pablo Berrutti - Bottom Up Sustainability
Pablo Berrutti is Senior Investment Specialist, Sustainable Funds Group at Stewart Investors. Starting as a risk specialist, Pablo became quickly aware of the dangers of climate change, even before he knew what ESG was. In this conversation, we discuss the likelihood of fossil fuel-based companies making the transition to low carbon business models and pose the question whether companies' quick re
68: Future Fund's Sue Brake – 15 Years of the Future Fund
Sue Brake is the Chief Investment Officer of the Future Fund. In this episode, we talk about the fund's 15 year celebration, looking at the early days of how the fund started to invest just as the global financial crisis began to impact markets. We also discuss the recent investment strategy review and look at the years ahead. Please enjoy the show! To access the book 'Celebrating 15 Years of the
67: Janus Henderson's Hamish Chamberlayne – sustainable investing & technological reliance
Hamish Chamberlayne is Head of Global Sustainable Equities at Janus Henderson Investors. In this podcast, we talk about Hamish' background in analysing energy companies, the sense and nonsense of ESG ratings, reliance on technology and opportunities in Australian listed companies. Please enjoy the show. Overview of Podcast with Hamish Chamberlayne 2:30 I've always been interested in how the natura
66: Gilmour Space's Adam Gilmour – The Industry of Space, Insto Interest and Chinese spies
Adam Gilmour is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Australian rocket company Gilmour Space. His business is backed by some of the largest institutional investors in Australia, including Hostplus, HESTA and NGS Super, as well as several venture capital firms. In this interview, we talk about the business of rocket launches, space cargo, interest from institutional investors and Chinese s
