Finance Friends

Season four is officially wrapped, and we’re taking a moment to pause, reflect, and revisit some of the standout moments. From the unique stories our guests shared to the invaluable insights from some of Australia’s top-performing fund managers, it’s been an incredible journey. We’ve unpacked not just their successes, but also what they’ve gotten wrong—and the frameworks they rely on to stay steady when markets get noisy.

Whether you’ve been with us since Season 1 or have recently joined the Finance Friends community, this episode is the perfect chance to catch up, reflect, and get excited for what’s ahead.

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This week we’re joined by Martyn Simpson, Senior Portfolio Manager at Colchester Global Investors, a global fixed income manager focused on government bonds and currencies. 

We dive into the key drivers of bond performance, including inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical events, and explore why governance and strong institutions matter more than ever when allocating capital across countries.

We also break down major market moments from the GFC to the UK gilt crisis and discuss how bond markets can quickly force governments to change course. Martyn offers practical insights into how professional investors think through uncertainty, why having a clear investment framework matters, and how to avoid simply reacting to headlines.

Beyond markets, Martyn shares his unique career journey from studying in South Korea to serving in Iraq and the lessons he’s taken into investing, particularly around staying calm under pressure and thinking long-term.

Whether you’re an investor or just looking to better understand how the global financial system works, this episode is packed with insights on markets, risk, and building a career in finance.

Follow Martyn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martyn-simpson-708a5664/

Visit the Colchester Website today: https://colchesterglobal.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!

**EPISODE DISCLAIMER: This podcast exists for informational and entertainment purposes only. The personal opinions of the speaker and guest do not represent the view of any other party. If this recording contains reference to financial products, that reference does not constitute advice nor recommendations, and may not be relied upon. Information relating to Colchester Global Investors is only relevant to wholesale clients or wholesale investors and is not suitable for retail investors**

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/

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 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/

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 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!