Private markets is built on performance, but the industry often treats performance as purely output-based: deals closed, returns delivered, targets hit. In this episode, Alice sits down with Emily Cook, founder of FOUND and a certified performance coach, to explore what sits underneath those outcomes: brain health, cognitive performance, and the emerging concept of “brain capital”. Emily shares why measuring brain skills and brain health can help individuals, teams and firms make smarter decisions, reduce burnout risk, and build sustainable high performance in a “do more with less” market.

Key topics covered

• Emily’s journey from finance to performance coaching, and why she became focused on sustainable high performance
• What “brain capital” means and why it matters in private markets
• The two sides of brain capital: brain skills (cognitive capabilities) and brain health (lifestyle pillars)
• Why cognitive ability is assessed at hiring, then rarely discussed again
• Making the invisible visible: clinically validated cognitive testing for performance optimisation
• Why personalisation matters, especially for time-poor professionals
• What changes when firms take a team-wide approach: shared language, reduced taboo, better conversations
• The common pressure points in PE and private credit: sleep, stress, and attention
• How constant interruption and hyper-connectivity erode deep thinking and judgement
• What happens in the brain under overload: prefrontal cortex impairment and an overactive amygdala
• Why brain capital is also a risk management issue for firms and portfolio companies
• Practical starting points: awareness, identifying bottlenecks, and protecting focused time

Practical takeaways for listeners

For individuals

• Treat your brain like a performance asset, not an afterthought.
• Identify your own bottlenecks (sleep, stress, attention, overwhelm) and focus on the highest-leverage changes rather than trying to “do everything”.
• Create a weekly distraction-free block (Emily suggests 60 to 90 minutes) to support deep thinking and higher-value work.

For leaders and teams

• Build shared vocabulary around brain health and performance, so people can speak openly without fear of judgement.
• Look for systemic performance blockers such as meeting culture, constant interruptions, and unsustainable workload expectations.
• Create team-wide protected focus time to improve attention, deep work and decision quality.

For firms

• Consider brain capital as both an optimisation lever and a risk management lens, especially in “do more with less” operating conditions.
• Extend the thinking beyond the fund to portfolio companies: stretched management teams may struggle to execute value creation plans even when strategy is sound.

About the guest

Emily Cook is the founder of FOUND, a performance coaching business working with private equity, private credit and broader financial professional services. Her work focuses on helping individuals and organisations understand, measure and improve brain health and brain performance as a foundation for sustainable high performance.