CFA UK

In our first Future Proofing Finance podcast of the year, hosts Ben Ashby and Tom Threlfall, CFA, spoke to Robby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands, about the evolving nature of ownership in the tech space.

Covering new frontiers in Web3, they talk about the true value of blockchain technology beyond the hype. Digging deeper, they discuss closer integration of hardware and software rights in things like cars and smartphones, and the opportunities and pitfalls to look out for in the world of crypto.

In this episode, Maha Khan Phillips had a broad conversation with Furio Pietribiasi, CEO of Mediolanum International Funds, which is the European Asset Management platform of Banca Mediolanum Group. He is responsible for Mediolanum Business Operations in Ireland, and is a member of the Board of Mediolanum International Life.

Maha and Furio explore the market landscape for boutique firms and their common characteristics, alongside the key driving themes and forces throughout Furio’s storied career in the Irish financial services industry. Lastly, they discuss nurturing younger talent to become their best selves in the workplace, and the personal lessons Furio would pass on.

John Teahan, CFA, portfolio manager at Redwheel speaks to James Alexander, CEO of UKSIF, charting his career from student politics, to megacity projects and finally to his position as CEO. Within the UK financial industry, James and John map the sustainability landscape across the most influential government departments, to the regulators and task forces that are shaping standards and disclosures.

James Alexander, CEO of UKSIF describes the mission led mandate of UKSIF, how it works with its members and how the organisation has an influence on policy and regulation in the UK. He then talks about the political scene as political positioning starts to impact government decisions as a UK general election appears on the horizon, and the potential for over-reliance on the finance industry to solve sustainability.

Suzanne Hsu, CFA, Director and MLRO for Project Imagine, and Professionalism Steering Committee Chair for CFA UK, caught up with Serena Espeute to talk about her research with the CFA Institute on financial promotions on social media. Focusing on unregulated ‘finfluencers’ and the borderless nature of their audiences, Serena and Suzanne discuss their trends, impacts, and the dangers they may pose.

In this week’s episode, hosts Ben Ashby and Tom Threlfall spoke with Patrick Bloomfield, who sadly passed away in September. Patrick was a leading figure in the pensions industry for more than 25 years, joining Humans Robertson in 2004 and being made a partner of the firm in 2006. Alongside his work at Hymans Robertson, he chaired the Association of Consulting Actuaries between 2020 and 2022.

In this conversation, Ben, Tom, and Patrick covered a broad range of topics, from the endemic effects of Covid-19 on life expectancy and the data used to map it, to the ongoing ramifications of the conflict in Ukraine, to what the pensions industry may look like in decades to come. As you’ll hear from the conversation, Patrick was a joy to speak to, and while podcasts like these often focus on the technologies and new frontiers of our industry, it’s important to remember that it’s the people and connections you make that make working in investment worthwhile.

Arun Kelshiker, CFA and vice-chair of the CFA UK DEI committee, caught up with Natalie Gill, Head of DEI Strategy & Industry Engagement, PGIM, and Sarah Maynard, Global Senior Head, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, CFA Institute, about Sexism in the City - a new inquiry looking at barriers faced by women in financial services.

In this conversation, they discuss what the inquiry is looking into, what it includes and why it’s happening now. The discussion also picks up on what the inquiry means, the idea of gender as the universal diversifier, and the complexities in the difference between equality and equity.

Meet John Cummins - Managing Director, Group Investments at Aviva Group plc. Over the last 30 years, John has been brought in to solve some of the trickiest banking situations in the UK. In this episode, John talks to Ben Ashby and Tom Threlfall, CFA to discuss the future of banking and some of the key learnings on treasury management he's learned over the years. Plus, he reveals his predictions for what the global investment space will look like in 18 months, as well as 10 years, including the potential reduction in inflation rates and the emerging opportunities in India and Africa.

Natalie Gregoire-Skeete, HSBC’s Head of Sustainability in Europe caught up with Pamela Hutchinson OBE, Global head of Diversity at Bloomberg. From working out of a portacabin in Folkstone as part of a legal team for Eurotunnel to heading up DEI for a global institution, Pamela is one of the pioneers embracing DEI in the UK and working for real industry change. Pamela’s parents’ invaluable advice of ‘You have to be it in order for others to see it’ was an impetus as a black woman to succeed in industries dominated by white men.

In this insightful and open discussion Pamela shares what inspires her to keep going every day. Pamela and Natalie discuss the impact of Windrush on UK society and multi-generational experiences of being black and British.

Christian Koch is on the portfolio management team at BB Biotech, the Swiss-based investment company. For CFA UK’s ‘In Conversation Podcast’, Koch talked to Maha Khan Phillips about innovations in the world of biotechnology, and the opportunities it presents for investors.