Beyond Alpha

Featured Guests:

Mike Christman, Managing Director, Operations, RTW Investments

Gerard Miller, Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer, Hedgineer

As investment firms move into new asset classes, they're under pressure to rethink their operating models and build a data architecture that supports complex strategies. We break down the key components of building scalable data systems:

• Creating adaptable data systems that support changing business demands.
• Building a solid data plan that focuses on organization and integration from day one.
• Avoiding future headaches by ensuring consistent data systems with a strategic approach.

Featuring: Carlo di Florio, President, ACA Group

Jennifer Han, Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Regulatory Affairs, Managed Funds Association

We dive into the shifting regulatory landscape under the new administration. We explore the changing priorities of the SEC and the implications for asset managers. Discover how to adapt effectively to this new era. 

Highlights: 

- The SEC's plans under Acting Chair Uyeda and incoming Chair Paul Atkins, and how asset managers can keep pace.

- Regulators' decreased emphasis on policies and procedures and a greater focus on protecting retail investors from bad actors.

- Considerations for emerging technologies like blockchain, tokenization, AI, and how firms can stay ahead.

To kick off season three, we explore how the role of Chief Compliance Officer has evolved from traditional risk management to becoming strategic business partners. Our guests Scott MacDonald from Capital Allocators and George Lin from Enfusion discuss how CCOs are navigating unprecedented regulatory changes, leveraging technology, and transforming compliance into a value driver for investment firms. We dive deep into the impact of recent SEC mandates, developing effective compliance manuals, the integration of alternative and traditional strategies, and how compliance professionals can stay ahead in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

Featured Guests 
Scott MacDonald, Host, Investment Management Operations Podcast
George Lin, Managing Director, Product Management, Enfusion

Featured Guests: Manas Chawla, CEO and Founder of London Politica
Phil Suttle, Founder of Suttle Economics

With dozens of elections impacting billions of voters, 2024 was a year of sweeping political change. The morning after the U.S. election, Labib sat down with two experts to discuss the impact of the electoral results on global markets. Learn how inflation influenced the electorate's decision to unseat incumbents across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. We explore the potential market disruptions and shifts in economic policies. From regulation to geopolitics, central banking policies to trade agreements, we break down what these elections might mean for the future.

Featured Guests: Anton Katz, Co-Founder and CEO at Talos
Michael Ashby, CEO of ALGOQUANT

We dive into the world of blockchain and its growing use cases in financial markets. Labib, Michael, and Anton discuss crypto, stablecoins, tokenization, and how institutional players are adopting blockchain into their portfolios. Learn how this developing tech can enable a 24/7 market and the benefits of instantaneous settlement, which can significantly reduce counterparty risk. We also touch on the search for regulatory clarity around blockchain.

Disclaimer: Neither Talos Global, Inc. nor any of its affiliates is an investment advisor or broker/dealer. This does not constitute an offer to buy or sell, or a promotion or recommendation of, any digital asset, security, derivative, commodity, financial instrument or product or trading strategy. This is not intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such. 

Featured Guest – Ross Tremblay, Managing Director and Asset Management Lead at Accenture

Join Labib and Ross Tremblay as they delve into the transformative changes facing asset managers today. Drawing insights from “The Future of Asset Management,” a comprehensive report co-authored by Ross, they explore the industry's current landscape and the road ahead. 

They cover the rise of alternative investments, the shift from active to passive management, and the increasing role of technology in enhancing operational infrastructures. Learn about key trends shaping asset management for 2025 and beyond.

South African hedge funds attracted record net inflows of $340M in 2023 as regulatory reforms brought new opportunities.   

In episode 20, we sit down with two experts from the South African investment community to explore how managers navigate opportunities and challenges in the region. 

Labib is joined by Yonela Makwetu, CIO of AIP Capital Management based in Cape Town, and Maurice Madiba, Head of Primary Markets for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.   

Our conversation dives deep into regional trends, including new regulations in the South African hedge fund space, the impact on offshore allocations of retirement funds, and the migration of money from public to private markets.

In episode 19, we unlock the secrets of career development in investment management. What are the keys to growing your career in both buy-side and sell-side firms? Join two industry veterans as they unpack the critical decisions and diverse pathways they took to career success. Martin Miner, Managing Director of Operations at Enfusion, shares his lessons from thirty years of building operations teams at buy-side firms. Andrew Gordner, Head of Americas Client Services at Enfusion, describes how he navigated the sell-side world from joining Enfusion as a recent college graduate to a senior leadership role as Head of Client Services in the Americas. 

In this episode, we discuss automation's growing role on the operations side of the investment process with Sara Poldaas, Director of Portfolio Services at Mawer Investment Management. Sara elaborates on how technological advancements revolutionize workflows, making them more efficient and collaborative while eliminating boring, time-consuming tasks. As a result, Sara explains the need to hire professionals with broad skill sets.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of digital assets and cryptocurrency with two industry heavyweights: Ralph Achacoso, Founder and CIO of Factor6 Capital, and Gregg Wysocki, Senior Manager of US Hedge Fund Sales at Coinbase. Our experts unravel the complexities of crypto investing, from its fundamental concepts to advanced strategies employed by institutional players. We explore the operational challenges and regulatory landscape shaping the crypto market, dissect the impact of recent Bitcoin ETF approvals, and examine how the upcoming Bitcoin halving event could influence the ecosystem.