Capital Allocators – Inside the Institutional Investment Industry

We are excited to launch our latest initiative - Capital Allocators Coaching. We've brought together a team of retired CIOs and asset management executives to coach managers on telling their story.

Learn more and schedule a consultation here.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Ed Grefenstette is the CIO of The Dietrich Foundation, which supports charitable organizations in Western Pennsylvania through a truly unique investment strategy that seeks to first, last, and always grow the assets. Bill Dietrich, a successful industrialist, published historian, international investor, and innovative philanthropist, formed the foundation after selling his business for $170 million in 1997. Since then, the pool has grown 11.5x to $1.5 billion after distributing $400 million to supported charities, including contributions that make it among the largest donors every year to Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Over the last twenty years, the Dietrich Foundation's performance sits at the very top of all endowments and foundations.

Our conversation covers Ed's journey to investing and mentorship by Bill Dietrich, which led to him taking the helm at the Foundation in 2007. We discuss the Foundation's bold approach to illiquid investments, with 90% of assets invested in venture capital and private equity, its governance structure, and its thematic focus on innovation and emerging markets. Along the way, Ed shares insights into managing liquidity, constructing the portfolio, selecting managers, and navigating geopolitical risk to maintain conviction in an uncomfortably different strategy.

Ed's approach and results will open your aperture to what's possible in an institutional portfolio with the right goals, structure, and governance in place.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Alex Sacerdote is the founder of Whale Rock Capital Management, a technology-focused investment firm that manages $8 billion across hedge fund, long only, and hybrid strategies.

Our conversation covers Alex's path to running Whale Rock, shaped by early exposure to the markets through his father, a longtime partner at Goldman Sachs, and his formative years at Fidelity. We dive into the key lessons he learned at Fidelity, the development of his investment framework centered around S-curves, competitive advantages, and underappreciated earnings power, and the application of the framework to AI, Mag 7, cloud computing, electronic vehicles, and blockchain technologies.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Shannon O'Leary is the CIO of the St Paul & Minnesota Foundation, where she oversees $1.8 billion for the community foundation that aspires to create an equitable, just, and vibrant Minnesota. Shannon took the post six years ago after twenty years working with families. She describes herself as 'blunt,' comfortably speaking her mind, including in her LinkedIn newsletter entitled 'Say It Out Loud'.

Our conversation covers Shannon's relationship-driven approach to investing across families, Boards, team members, and managers. We discuss the value of frank communication in every aspect of the investment process, from setting policy to manager access, research, selection, and partnership.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

David Zorub is the Founder and CIO of Parsifal Capital Management, a $1.5 billion hedge fund that invests in a concentrated portfolio of longs and shorts across geographies, sectors, and capital structures. David joined me on the show a few months before he launched Parsifal six years ago to discuss his plans. We got back together to talk about what's happened since.

Our conversation covers the headwinds facing fundamental investing, Parsifal's approach to counter those challenges, and the investment and business processes that led the firm to reach this point. Along the way, David shares keen insights into research, portfolio construction, and partner relationships that have combined to take Parsifal from a start-up hedge fund to a thriving organization in a difficult environment to do so.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

David Zorub is the founder of Parsifal Capital, a new hedge fund he is launching later this year. Before founding Parsifal, Dave spent fifteen years in research and portfolio management at hedge funds and another few in investment banking and private equity.

I interviewed David recently at Columbia University's Student Investment Management Conference and that conversation follows. We cover his career path and his insights into the philosophy and structure of a hedge fund business and investment portfolio. It's not easy starting a hedge fund these days, and those eager to try will get a sense of the challenges ahead by listening to an experienced investor who's making a go of it.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Brett Barth and Evan Roth are co-founders and Co-CEOs of BBR Partners, a multi-family office that oversees $32 billion on behalf of 180 families and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Brett appeared on episode 3 of Capital Allocators eight years ago and is a regular contributor in our Friends Reunion shows. I've observed BBR's growth since first meeting Brett and Evan twenty-four years ago and was excited to hear more about their journey.

Our conversation covers BBR's successes, missteps, and key lessons over the years. We discuss their investment philosophy and cultural principles, the "turbulent regimes" that cemented their approach with clients, and their shift in mindset from scrappy entrepreneurs to managers of an enduring business. Evan and Brett describe the business and investment decisions that allowed BBR to sustain success, create peace of mind for clients, and prepare for the next long chapter in BBR's story.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Brett Barth is a founder and the CIO of BBR Partners. BBR manages north of $12.5B on behalf of 125 families in its multi-family office. In this episode, we start talking about raising twins, a family issue close to both of our hearts. From there we learn about how Brett came to form BBR. We spend a lot of time going into depth on his firm's asset allocation process and on the decision-making process of manager selection. Along the way we touch on inefficiencies in Asia in the early days and in music royalties today. Brett offers nuggets of practical substance for allocators of all types – from financial advisors to large institutional managers. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

What are the implications of consolidation in the private markets? The leading firms, which are mostly public companies, raised an insane amount of money last year, while the rest of the industry mostly struggled. What will this mean for private markets going forward? Have a listen to find out.

Read Ted's blog here.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Michael Choe is the CEO and Co-Head of Flagship private equity strategy at Charlesbank Capital Partners, a $22B manager of middle-market private equity, credit, and technology opportunities that spun out of the Harvard Management Company in 1998. Our conversation covers Mike's path from science to finance, including an immigrant story and a draw to decision-making at a young age. We discuss Charlesbank's history and aspiration to manufacture sound decision-making as a path to investment success, applying its "fan of outcomes" thinking to talent, research, diligence, sourcing, and company operations. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)