Operational Leaders

One of the most powerful stories on the Street. For a few insider trades and about $46,000 in personal profits, Tom Hardin threw away his bright future as an investment analyst. The FBI tracked him down and tapped his shoulder. Facing inevitable felony charges, Tom became "Tipper X," the government's most productive cooperating witness in Operation Perfect Hedge, a sting set up by the federal government in 2007-2008 targeting the hedge fund industry.

In this episode, Tom recounts his decision to engage in insider trading and its consequence. He then goes on to discuss his life in the ten years since that time and how he has travelled the world to share his cautionary tale. He also observes how the current economic environment could foster similar mistakes.

Tom is now one of the most sought-after speakers in the investment management industry. For more information about Tom Hardin and potential speaking engagements, please visit his website, Tipper X.

Steve Bruce has been referred to as the Dean of Alternative Fund Strategic Communications. For 40 years, he has helped some of the top hedge funds and private equity firms navigate the tricky waters of public relations. And in 2010, he co-founded his own public relations firm, ASC Advisors.

In this episode, Steve talks about some of the key public relations issues facing alternative fund managers – from start-ups to firms with over $100 million in AUM. He also describes some of the historical events that helped shape manager attitudes about public relations. In addition, Steve discusses the importance of branding and industry trends. In particular, Steve highlights the emergence of ESG as a critical consideration for all managers and his firm's recent initiative to begin offering a specialized ESG communications service.

To learn more about Steve Bruce and ASC Advisors, please visit their website.

Where passion, enthusiasm and executive skills combine with the fund administration business, you will find Des Johnson, CE0 of Centaur Fund Services USA. Des has over 20 years of experience in the investment fund industry holding top positions at some of the industry's leading fund administrators in Ireland, Bermuda and the United States.

In this episode, Des recounts the history of the fund administration business, from offshore funds and the "ten commandments" to the Madoff-era scandals and investors' insistence on an independent service provider. He also points out the pitfalls in commoditizing the business and the importance of customizing client services. In addition, Des discusses the need to innovate and respond to client needs, as well as where he sees the industry heading in the future.

To learn more about Des Johnson and Centaur Fund Services, please visit their website.

One of the industry's true Renaissance People. Author. Speaker. Partner at Kirkland & Ellis. And former Director of the SEC's Division of Investment Management.

In this episode, Norm Champ discusses his latest book, Mastering Money. He talks about how his time at the SEC helped inspire the book and shape his views on achieving financial security. Norm also talks about how his career path led to the SEC, some of the challenges of working for a government agency and his accomplishment at the Commission. He also discusses his law practice in the years since leaving the SEC and offers up some sage advice for industry participants dealing with the SEC staff.

To learn more about Norm Champ, his books and potential speaking engagements, please visit his website.

Ten years ago, Andrea Colabella and her business partner, Steve Shapiro, set out to start their own executive search firm, the Cardea Group. They focused their efforts on the operational and infrastructure side of the investment management business. Now Andrea is one of the up and coming leaders in the executive search field.

In this interview, Andrea talks jobs – where they are and how firms can find the right candidates. She also discusses some of the challenges of starting and building a business. Along the way, she offers up some important tips and reminders, and describes what makes a great candidate. She also talks about the ability of individuals to transition from one part of the industry to another.

To learn more about Andrea Colabella and her business, please visit the Cardea Group website

Michael Merrigan officially starts season one of Operational Leaders with a discussion on operational due diligence. Michael is a rising star in the business with 20 years of experience and the founder of Shadmoor Advisors, an independent ODD consulting firm he established in 2014.

Michael covers a broad range of topics including a discussion about the evolution of ODD from operations to a more wholistic review of enterprise risk. He also provides his view on the ODD evaluation deliverable - an assessment of the risks and related market color which individual investors should then use to make their own independent determinations. Michael also notes that some managers can underestimate how several smaller risks can prove more problematic than one large risk.

To learn more about Michael Merrigan and his business, please visit the Shadmoor Advisors website.

John Brennan kicks off the Operational Leaders podcast series with a discussion about information technology and the role of the Chief Technology Officer. John is a 25-year industry veteran and most recently spent nearly 10 years as the Chief Technology Officer at Highfields Capital.

In this episode, John discusses the importance of standards and procedures, managing both the hardware and software sides of an IT department, integrating IT within business units and the importance of speaking to business teams in words and concepts they will understand. He also discusses implementing technology solutions for start-ups.

John is also a co-founder and current board member of AITEC, an organization for technology professionals in the financial services field. He discusses how the organization started, the services it provides and its charity activities. For more information about AITEC, please visit https://www.aitec.org/