CFA DFW Charterholder Chatter

With so much negative news and uncertainty with current market and economic conditions around the world, you will enjoy hearing the perspective of Dhruv Maniktala, CIO at True North Advisors, who sees volatility and dislocation as opportunities in areas such as real estate private credit, and closed-end fund arbitrage. We talk about the costs and level of protection of certain hedging strategies, along with investing in private equity and energy.

Dhruv is the Chief Investment Officer at True North Advisors & Western Alternative Strategies and has over two decades of experience in the investment industry, spanning both public and private markets. He manages the initiatives of the investment team across traditional and alternative investments, including private equity, energy, real estate, and hedge funds.

Dhruv has served in various capacities across a broad spectrum of private and public markets. His Project finance and M&A roles in the private markets were focused on acquisitions of power and water infrastructure assets in Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and the US, including the acquisition and nationalization of the water and power assets of Jamaica.

Dhruv received his Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the globally renowned Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) that counts the CEOs of Google and Twitter, among others, as its graduates, and attended the University of Georgia where he earned his MBA and majored in Corporate Finance, Investments and Quantitative Analysis. Dhruv is a CFA Charter holder and a member of the CFA Society of DFW. He serves on the RIA Advisory Board of Research Affiliates and is on the Investment Committee of IFG.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

Join us for a quick and fun discussion with Gregg Ballew, who tells us all about corporate governance, its relevancy to investment managers, best practices and not so best, and why we should pay more attention to the G in ESG. Gregg was in the banking and investment management business for 38 years prior to joining the University of Texas at Dallas in July 2020. He currently serves as a Professor of Practice in Accounting, Business Valuation, and Corporate Governance and is Executive Director of the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance at the Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas. He previously led the Family Wealth Advisory business for ten years at Westwood Management and was Regional Managing Director of the Wealth Advisory Group for Northern Trust in Texas. Previously, he served as President of the North Texas market for Northern Trust and on the bank's Texas Board of Directors and Management Committee. Gregg has been active in the community over the course of his career and currently serves in leadership roles on several non-profit boards, including the CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth, Dallas Symphony Association, and the Alzheimer's Association. In addition, he serves on the Gift Planning Advisory Council at UT Dallas, and he is a Lifetime Honorary Director of The Senior Source. He earned his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin and his BBA from Baylor University. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the National Association of Corporate Directors and is a CFA Charterholder.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

This episode's guest is Kelly Hohertz with View Capital Advisors, and she challenges the traditional 60/40 model, along with the benefits of incorporating alternatives and non-correlated strategies, not only for large endowments but for a broader set of investment pools, including high net worth individuals and families. Kelly also shares her perspective as a female investment professional with the challenges of work/life balance and our progress with diversity.

Kelly has over a decade of experience providing an in-depth and thoughtful approach to portfolio management on behalf of her clients. Currently, she serves as an Investment Advisor at View Capital Advisors, a multi-billion-dollar Registered Investment Advisor that specializes in institutional-quality, tailored portfolios for Ultra High Net Worth individuals and families. Prior to View Capital, Kelly worked for an investment bank in their prime brokerage services group. She also spent several years as a research analyst specializing in non-traditional investments at both registered investment advisors and a premier single-family office. She has also authored white papers on investing in hedge funds and secondary private equity strategies. Kelly graduated magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University with a BBA in Finance and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

Join us for an interesting take on how and where bonds fit into an investment allocation for 2022, thanks to our guest, Emma Muhleman, Senior Equity Analyst & Global Macro Strategist at Ascent Investment Management. She covers the typical questions around expected Fed rate hikes and inflation but also raises questions that aren't being asked.

Emma is currently a Sr. Equity Analyst & Global Macro Strategist at Ascend Investment Management, responsible for fundamental and quantitative research looking for obscure or overlooked investment opportunities globally. Prior to her role at Ascend, Emma was an independent consultant to several former clients in the private equity and venture capital space, held Research Analyst positions at Allianz Global and Pacific View Asset Management, and began her career at Deloitte, focusing on valuation services for venture capital and private equity. Emma has extensive experience in long/short equity stock selection and more sophisticated hedge fund strategies, with a deep understanding of global macroeconomics and geopolitics. She earned her undergraduate degree and Master of Science at Notre Dame and will complete her master's in data science at NYU this year. Emma is a CFA and CPA.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

Sharon joins the Chat to share her incredible journey, which inspired her along the way, how to get the younger generation interested in a finance career, and why she is so excited about the future of our industry.

Most folks in our industry think of Sharon as the ultimate volunteer who consistently gives her time and heart to too many initiatives to name but the CFA Society locally, regionally, nationally, and globally, has greatly benefited from her commitment to giving back. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and SMU earned the CFA charter in 2000 and has been volunteering since. She held positions at Fidelity where she managed the Money Market Information Center, Citigroup (formerly Associates), and ALM First Financial Advisors where she retired from the position of Chief Operating Officer. Sharon served on the boards of the CFA Society of Austin, Dallas Fort-Worth (serving as President), and Texas, in addition to serving as the Presidents Council Representative for the South-Central US and Latin America Region. In 2014, Sharon retired to the Hill Country, while continuing to do what she does best -volunteering for various CFA projects and societies, and enjoying her grandkids, friends, and family. Sharon's legacy in the asset management industry is her unlimited amount of compassion, empathy, and kindness with everyone she interacts with.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

Local Investment Legend Series, featuring Dan Meader, long-time advocate, and leader of the CFA Society and CFA Institute and co-founder and managing partner of Trinity Private Equity Group. Dan shares key moments and people of his incredible journey, including how the CFA charter played a significant role in his professional growth and success. His legacy is well defined and excitement for the future of our industry makes us all a little more motivated to make our own mark.

Many of us in the investment community know him for his leadership roles, first serving as president of the local CFA Society, and then spending 7 years on the CFA Institute Board of Governors, serving as Chairman of the CFA Institute in 2012. A successful entrepreneur, Dan is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Trinity Private Equity Group, which focuses on direct investments in small-cap private equity, real estate, and energy with a proven record of helping businesses across a variety of industries transform their operations. The firm has a portfolio of over $3 billion and invested over $800 million in 2020, returning over $160 million to investors. He is a graduate of SMU, earning his BBA in Finance, and holds the CFA charter and CPA designation.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

This episode's guest is Rick Lear, Founder and Managing Partner at Lear Investment Management in Dallas, Texas, who talks about investment opportunities and potential risks with investing in China and India. You don't want to miss hearing Rick's perspective on what an emerging middle class and innovation means for India's GDP, clean energy, chip shortage, and the continuing challenges of Covid.

Rick Lear has been in the investment management business for two decades. Prior to founding Lear Investment Management, he was a Partner and Portfolio Manager with a Dallas-based investment firm. From 2009 to 2015, Mr. Lear managed portfolios in a global, tactical, asset allocation strategy. His ability to identify global trends and tactically express with investments has led to superior outcomes for investors. His creative and intelligent research spans both fundamental and quantitative disciplines.

Previously, Mr. Lear served as Vice President at Neuberger Berman and as a Senior Investment Planning Analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. While at Bernstein, Mr. Lear was tapped to participate in the firm's Wealth Management Group to help solve complex investment dilemmas for high-net-worth families across the nation. He also served as a Portfolio Manager for US Trust on a team responsible for a multi-billion dollar quantitative, equity investment strategy. Mr. Lear now resides in Dallas, his hometown, with his wife, Laura, and their four children. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and the Securities Industry Institute of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Lear serves on the board of trustees of Lamplighter School, the board of trustees of Vogel Alcove, and the board of trustees of Positive Coaching Alliance. Always a student, Mr. Lear recently completed a program with the Harvard Business School Executive Education in India.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

For this segment, we go beyond definitions and justifications and address the proliferation of ESG products, human rights implications, climate, and various methods of greenwashing with our resident expert, Ross Campbell, Director of Responsible Investing at Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss.

Ross Campbell is the Director of Responsible Investing at Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, one of the few remaining firms dedicated exclusively to value investing and based in Dallas. Ross joined Barrow Hanley in 2017 from SRI Research Group, where he was president of the consulting firm, focused on assisting companies with their corporate disclosures and corporate sustainability reports. Before founding the SRI Research Group, Ross managed the sustainability and investor relations efforts for AECOM and Denbury Resources Inc. His investment career includes serving as a senior analyst for Wells Capital Management and as an investment management senior consultant for FactSet Research Systems. Mr. Campbell earned a BA from Franklin and Marshall College and an MBA from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He earned the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting credential from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, has completed three levels of training offered by the PRI Academy and earned the Certificate in ESG Investing with the CFA Institute.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.

Local Investment Legend Series, featuring Jim Hille, former long-time CIO at the TCU Endowment. Jim shares his unique perspective and pearls of wisdom going back to his military background and successfully managing large pools of assets and people, and even in retirement how he continues to impact our industry through mentoring and serving on various boards.

Jim Hille has over 30 years of experience in investment management. Mr. Hille recently retired as a chief investment officer at Texas Christian University (TCU) and was responsible for the day-to-day management of its multibillion-dollar investment program, which included the operation and fiduciary oversight of the university's endowment assets. Prior to joining TCU, Mr. Hille was chief investment officer of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, the state's largest public pension plan. Earlier in his career, he managed portfolios for the Employees Retirement System of Texas. He currently serves on the investment advisory and trustee boards of the Employees Retirement System of Texas and the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company, as well as on the board of trustees of the Communities Foundation of Texas. Mr. Hille has served as president of the Austin Society of Financial Analysts and as an adjunct professor of finance at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charterholder.

Disclaimer: All podcast discussions represent only the views and opinions of the host and guests. This podcast in no way constitutes investment advice and is not an offer to buy or sell any products or services.