This week, we sit down with Mike Harut, Responsible Investment Manager at Munro Partners, to talk about what the energy transition looks like when you treat it as an investing problem, not a political talking point. From ESG integration to stock selection, we keep it practical: what actually matters, what gets misunderstood, and how pros link “sustainability” to earnings, risk and valuation.

We start with Mike’s background in stewardship and corporate governance, including what you learn when you’re across the table from directors and management teams. Then we zoom in on Munro Partners’ Climate Change Leaders Fund and the core climate change investing thesis.

If you’re researching sustainable investing in Australia, ESG in global equities, or climate transition funds that focus on fundamentals, this chat will no doubt sharpen your framework.

Follow Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeharut/
Visit the Munro Partners website today: https://www.munropartners.com/

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!

This week we’re joined by Ryan McMillin, co-founder of Merkle Tree Capital, who went from being a crypto sceptic to running a digital assets strategy that went on to become Australia’s best-performing fund in 2023. 

Ryan explains the shift: Bitcoin has become a macro asset, and the real question for investors is how to think about risk, liquidity, and time horizon when prices can swing hard.

We dig into the “debasement trade” and why Ryan pairs Bitcoin with gold as complementary hedges against excess government spending, inflation pressure, and growing sovereign risk. 

If you have been curious about digital assets or how Australian investors are approaching crypto investing via managed funds and ETFs, this episode will sharpen your framework.

Follow Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-mcmillin-6896b616/ 
Visit the Merkle Tree Capital website today: https://merkle.com.au/

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What if financial literacy spoke every language, ran on verified data, and let you act the moment insight strikes? 

This week, we sit down with Steven Orr, Founder and CEO of Quasar Markets, whose career spans the White House, sports media, and Wall Street, to unpack his plan to build the “Amazon of FinTech” where market research, AI, and trading live in one place.

Steven shares how his unique background shaped his vision, from working at the highest levels of government to building tech platforms in professional sports and finance. We dive into how Quasar Markets combines institutional and retail data, multi‑AI systems, and global insights to give everyone from a casual investor to an institutional trader the tools to make smarter decisions.

Along the way, we explore how weather, sports, and geopolitical events can move markets, the role of AI in generating better questions and answers you didn’t even know to ask, and why access to high-quality financial data is the future of leveling the playing field.

Follow Steven on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qmbigbeat/
Visit Quasar Markets website today:https://www.quasarmarkets.com/

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This week we’re joined by Rick Squire, Portfolio Manager of Acorn Capital, to get inside the toolkit he’s built across geology, academia, and global mining finance!

Rick shares the travel and field perspective that most investors never get, after visiting more than a dozen African countries, travelling across South America and more to see assets up close.

We dig into what “risk” really means in resources investing: why countries with established large scale mining industries can permit and operate faster, how bureaucracy and education systems shape timelines, and where corruption or social tension can make even a world class mine a no go. 

Visit Acorn Capital's website today: https://www.acorncapital.com.au/

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!

What if the most reliable signal for long-term returns isn’t price action but the quiet march of rising dividends? 

This week, we sit down with DivGro co-founder and CIO Jonathan Nurick to unpack an approach that treats dividend growth as both a compass for value and a behavioural anchor that helps you stay invested through storms.

Jonathan traces his journey from a family office background to building a strategy that targets companies capable of raising payouts at double-digit rates for decades. We get into the core thesis: firms that consistently grow dividends often see share prices follow the same slope over time. 

If you care about compounding, dividend growth investing, quick service restaurant economics, and the psychology of long-term ownership, this is the episode for you! 

Visit the DivGro website today: https://www.divgro.com.au/

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!

In this episode of the Finance Friends Podcast, we sit down with Tom Waterhouse to unpack his journey from racetrack bookmaker to venture capital investor. 

Tom grew up in Australia’s most well-known racing and betting family. He begun working the rails at horse races while studying at University, then built one of Australia’s fastest-growing online bookmakers with a unique twist.

If you’re curious about investing in the growing wagering industry, how AI is effecting the industry, and why equity options can be a powerful leveraged tool for investing in early-stage companies, this conversation delivers practical insights and hard-won lessons.

This is a true masterclass. 

Visit https://tomwaterhouse.com/ and for more information on their VC fund visit https://www.waterhousevc.com/ today. 

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!

Season 4 of the Finance Friends podcast is officially back! 🎙️

We thought there was no better way to launch back into this season than with a re-run of one of our most beloved guests, the legend himself, Chris Judd! And just in time for the first round of the 2026 AFL season.

In this episode, Chris retraces his path from buying his first shares at sixteen to crystallising a philosophy anchored to probabilities. He draws vivid lines between the locker room and the trading floor: at West Coast and Carlton, a culture obsessed with endurance became a true competitive edge; in business, a firm’s behaviour must fit its stated advantage or the story breaks.

Chris dives into why doing something different carries both the biggest wins and losses, how to judge management against promises, and why being disagreeable can help investors resist consensus without becoming reckless.

If you haven't listened to this episode yet, now's the time.

We’re gearing up for a season filled with brilliant minds, diverse investment philosophies, and conversations guaranteed to challenge and inspire. Stay tuned... there’s plenty more to come.

Visit the Cerutty Macro Fund website today: https://ceruttymacrofund.com.au/

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!

This week we’re throwing it back to one of our favourite Season 1 episodes. We sat down with Vas, the CIO and co-founder of Collins Street Asset Management, to explore a value-investing philosophy built on focus, conviction, and the courage to look where everyone else isn’t.

From cracking open his piggy bank at twelve, to running a concentrated Australian equities fund, which has returned 13.8% p.a after fees since inception. Vas walks us through what real value investing looks like: intrinsic value over momentum, fundamentals over noise, and the freedom a boutique structure gives to take true contrarian positions.

What makes this conversation timeless is Vas’ process. He shares the routines that keep his decision-making sharp: batching emails, avoiding unsolicited calls, steering clear of social feeds, journaling every investment, and revisiting his own thinking to separate luck from skill. It’s a masterclass in staying disciplined when markets get loud.

If you care about value investing, concentrated portfolios, and building conviction without the noise, this conversation will sharpen how you think and how you allocate. 

Follow Vas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasilios-piperoglou-3122a3225/
Visit the Collins Street Asset Management Website: https://www.csvf.com.au/

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!

An Australian, nationally recognised, retail super fund investing in Bitcoin? That’s not a headline grab; it’s a measured, research-led step that says a lot about where money is going. This week, we sit down with AMP quantitative researcher Jonas Benner to unpack why a quant team that runs dynamic overlays across equities, bonds, and commodities now includes Bitcoin, and what it took to get there.

Jonas brings a rare blend of skills and perspective. He charts his path from Germany to Australia, the scramble after a COVID layoff, and the decision to rebuild his career in quantitative finance. 

His resilience sets the stage for a clear, rigorous explanation of how Bitcoin actually works—open-source code, global nodes, and miners assembling transactions into blocks every 10 minutes. We dig into the halving schedule, the difficulty adjustment, and the 21 million cap, showing why supply cannot speed up when price rises, unlike gold or any other commodity. 

Whether you’re sceptical or curious, this conversation gives you the mechanics, the incentives, and the institutional context to think like a professional investor. 

Follow Jonas Benner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-benner/
Visit the AMP Website: https://www.amp.com.au/ 

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!

We are kicking off Season 4 with a powerhouse conversation as Fabian sits down with Andrew McKie, Co-Founder and Portfolio Manager at Elston Asset Management! 

With two decades of experience navigating markets, constructing portfolios, and guiding clients through every economic cycle, Andrew brings unmatched clarity to a world that often feels overly complicated.

In this episode, we unpack how monopolistic advantages, culture, and execution compound far beyond any short‑term chart. Andrew’s path from recession‑era credit collections to stockbroking and on to building a specialist managed accounts platform sets the stage for a masterclass in investing.

If you want a clearer way to weigh value versus growth, judge management by outcomes, whether you're just starting your wealth journey or looking to sharpen your strategy, Andrew’s insights give you the tools and perspective to make smarter, more confident investment decisions

Follow Andrew McKie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-mckie-cfa-99949b40/
Visit the Elston Asset Management website: https://www.elston.com.au/asset-management/elston-asset-management/

Enjoyed the episode? Follow Finance Friends Podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for daily updates and more inspiring conversations. Got questions or ideas for future episodes? Send us a DM @financefriendspodcast!