ETF Working Lunch Podcast

Canada recently beat the U.S. to the punch, welcoming bitcoin ETFs for the first time. Prerna Chandak, VP of ETFs at Canadian asset manager Mackenzie Investments, walks us through why innovation moves fast in Canada, and in what ways that ETF market is similar and different from ours.

The ETF ecosystem is full of opportunities for career growth. The trick is finding that next step. Jillian DelSignore, head of ETFs & Indexing for FLX Distribution, has made several moves in recent years, from a big bank to starting her own firm to landing at a startup platform. Here’s what she’s learned.

The passive versus active debate goes back a long way, and keeps reemerging in the ETF industry as product innovation and new ideas disrupt old norms. Aye Soe, global head of product management at S&P Dow Jones Indices, shares what the data tells us about alpha—and managers’ ability to find it.

DFA entered the ETF space with a splash, launching three funds and announcing the conversion of some of its mutual funds to ETFs. Marlena Lee, head of Investment Solutions at the firm, walks us through that decision and shares fun lessons from her time working with economist Eugene Fama.

The industry saw a record number of ETF launches in 2020, and a record number of closures. Just as first-of-a-kind strategies emerged, some of the shortest-lived funds also made their debut and farewell. We go over the latest “ETF catalog” with FactSet Senior ETF Analyst Lois Gregson, and talk trends in product development.

ETF innovation is great, but not without strong product quality control behind it. Samara Cohen, who oversees that key process as co-head of iShares Markets and Investments, tells us what quality means in product development, and shares how her love of theater prepared her for the ETF role of a lifetime.

In the actively managed ETF space, it all comes down to the active manager. Janet Johnston, co-chief investment officer and portfolio manager at TrimTabs Asset Management, is one of them. She shares the day-to-day challenges of running two active ETFs, and tells us why she loves that hands-on role.

The March market madness taught us a few things about how ETFs work in a moment of crisis—among them, how authorized participants show up en masse when they’re needed most. Shelly Antoniewicz, senior director of industry and financial analysis at the Investment Company Institute, shares the data from ICI’s look into recent ETF market action.

Marketing and public relations are essential to any ETF distribution strategy. It all comes down to communicating the right message to the right investor. Alex Levis, president of Arro Financial Communications, walks us through the day-to-day effort of crafting compelling ETF stories.

ETF boards are an integral part of the ETF ecosystem, but one we rarely talk about. Stephanie Pierce, CEO of ETF, Index & Cash Investment Strategies at BNY Mellon Investment Management, walks us through how boards are put together, how they operate and when they are most important.