Financial Perspectives

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Heidi Ridley, CFA, Co-Founder and CEO of Radiant Global Investors, on ESG 3.0 and its application to small cap investing. Radiant is a female-owned, independent asset management firm focused on active equity strategies and thematic listed-impact investment solutions for institutional and wealth management clients.

Prior to establishing Radiant, Heidi spent 18 years at AXA Investment Managers, rising to Global Chief Executive of Rosenberg Equities, and serving on the AXA Rosenberg Group and AXA IM Management Boards. Under her direction, Rosenberg Equities substantially added to its reputation by becoming the first ESG-integrated quantitative equity investor to be focused on the intersection of ESG insights and advanced factor solutions.

She is a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Equity Gender and Leadership at the UC Berkeley HAAS School of Business, an Advisory Board member for DiversityQ, and a member of the Stewardship Council for the ACT Standard of Corporate Culture created by City Hive UK. Heidi is a champion of ESG investing and a two-time finalist for Woman of the Year in asset management.

Listen to the full interview, where Heidi discusses ESG 3.0 and the next evolution in investing.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Pooja Malik, CFA, Founding Partner and Managing Member at Nipun Capital. Nipun Capital is a specialized asset management firm that focuses on alpha extraction from Asia and emerging markets.

Pooja founded Nipun based on the outlook that Asia ex-Japan equity markets would double in size from 2010 to 2030 as a portion of global market cap. She is a strong advocate for sustainability and impact investing which she integrates into Nipun’s investment process with the goal of outperforming benchmarks and delivering above average market returns. She has over 20 years of asset management experience, with a focus on portfolio management and research.

Prior to Nipun, Pooja was a Managing Director at Barclays Global Investors (BGI)/BlackRock in the Active/Scientific Equities group, where she led teams that managed various long-only and long-short portfolios in excess of $100 billion for institutional investors. Pooja graduated from Delhi University and received an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and has earned the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing.

Listen to the full interview, where Pooja discusses emerging markets.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Julian Vogel, Assistant Professor of Finance at San Jose State University.

Dr. Vogel earned his PhD in Business Administration, Finance from The University of Texas at El Paso, and has lived, studied, and worked in several countries and regions across Europe and the United States. In his research and teaching, he focuses on corporate finance - especially capital structure - corporate payout policy, diversity, and corporate governance, as well as investments, and capital markets and institutions.

Listen to the full interview, where Julian discusses new trends in financial research.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Nadia Patel, CFA, Executive Director at Pacific Alliance Group (PAG). PAG is an Asian investment firm that manages multiple asset classes, including private equity, private debt, real estate and hedge funds.

Prior to joining PAG, Nadia served as director and head of west coast distribution for BlackRock’s Financial Institutions Group, where she was responsible for overseeing the firm’s investment management relationships and activities with insurers. She serves as the Chair of Finance on the board for Pivotal, a Silicon Valley non-profit that supports foster youth to realize their educational and career goals and ensure their equitable access to opportunity.

Listen to the full interview, where Nadia discusses trends impacting insurance investment portfolios. 

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Don Hejna, CFA, CAIA, FDP, Sr. Principal Data Scientist at Accenture and Managing Director at Stantum LLC. He specializes in quantitative finance, big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and portfolio optimization. 

He is an active member of CFA Society San Francisco and serves as co-chair on the Member Programming Advisory Council (MPAC).

Listen to the full interview, where Don discusses all things generative AI including large language models such as chatGPT and the impact of AI on careers.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Firestone, CFA, Founder and Managing Partner at Fire Capital Management ("FCM"). FCM is a boutique investment management firm that provides High Net Worth private wealth management, Ultra High Net Worth multi-family office advisory, and private foundation investment & impact OCIO services.

In addition to his leadership and management responsibilities, Michael serves as lead Client Advisor, Portfolio Manager, and Investment Strategist. Prior to founding FCM, he served as Portfolio Manager and Managing Director at Fiduciary Trust International, a HNW wealth management and trust company. 

Listen to the full interview, where Michael discusses entrepreneurship and starting his own investment management firm.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Jennie Chen, Managing Director at X1 Asset Management LLC - an algorithm driven alternative investment firm specializing in spot Forex. 

At X1, Jennie plays a key role in developing and managing client-risk-profile specific investment strategies with quantitative portfolio optimization, dynamic risk mitigation, and algo-driven capital allocation. Prior to X1, she was a management consultant at PwC, covering technology, financial, and healthcare sectors.

She is an active member of CFA Society San Francisco and serves on the Member Programming Advisory Council (MPAC). 

Listen to the full interview, where Jennie discusses all things foreign exchange markets including fintech, algorithm-based trading, and alternative investing.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

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On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Biggs, CFA, CFP, CAIA, Managing Director - Head of Alternative Investments at The Mather Group. 

Steve joined The Mather Group through the acquisition of HC Financial Advisors in August 2022, where he operated as the Chief Investment Officer and a Principal. Prior to HC Financial Advisors, he was a Senior Analyst of Zacks Investment Research, Senior Equity Analyst of Manning & Napier, and Principal of Wells Capital Management.

He is is an active member of CFA Society San Francisco and serves as Co-Chair for the Member Programming Advisory Council (MPAC). 

Listen to the full interview, where Steve discusses alternative investing and private markets.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

Send us a message!

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Liz Morley Olinger, CFA, Treasury Manager at Zscaler. Prior to joining Zscaler, she was a Treasury Manager on the Capital Markets team at Cisco. 

In addition to holding the CFA designation, Liz is pursuing her MBA at Berkeley Haas. She is an active member of the CFA Society San Francisco Young Leaders Council (YLC). 

Listen to the full interview, where Liz discusses all things treasury including career opportunities for CFA charterholders and roles within corporate treasury.

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.

Send us a message!

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lily Taft, CFA, Portfolio Manager for Main Street Research.

Lily serves on the Investment Policy Committee for Main Street Research where she analyzes client-specific asset allocations, sector exposures, and security selections. She is also actively involved in decision-making related to managing, executing, and implementing trading strategies.

Listen to the full interview, where Lily discusses RIA trends in wealth management and client relationships. 

If you'd like to learn more about the show, have a topic or speaker to suggest, or would like to leave us a comment, email [email protected].


This podcast is produced by CFA Society San Francisco, a not-for-profit professional association, providing professional learning and career resources to over 13,000 investment industry professionals worldwide. To learn more about CFA Society San Francisco, visit our website or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The information contained in this podcast does not constitute financial or investment advice. Please consult your own financial advisor for information concerning your specific situation.