The HPScast

AI may be the most talked-about theme in markets today, but what does it actually mean for private credit investors? In this podcast, Grishma Parekh, Vikas Keswani, and Rob Kostow discuss how AI is changing company fundamentals, influencing investment opportunities, and creating both risks and rewards across the private credit landscape.

On this week's episode of The HPScast, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Sergio Méndez, Country Head of BlackRock Mexico, to explore his role in the country's investing landscape and its mandatory pension system, the Afores. Sergio traces his path into finance—from the trading floor during Mexico's 1994 tequila crisis, through a formative stint in the U.S.—and the lessons he carried home while running investments for Mexico's largest pension fund before joining BlackRock. Then, he offers a deep dive into the Mexican financial landscape: its evolving pension system, a robust and growing retail business, and how BlackRock is helping connect investors with opportunities in energy and infrastructure to meet the rising energy demand from data centers and the broader technology transition.

Learn more about Sergio and his work at BlackRock Mexico here. Check out Sergio's Best Idea for this week, the book The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes by Zachary Carter, here.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with Seth Cohen, a leader of HPS's asset-based finance business. Seth traces his unconventional path from criminal investigator with the D.C. Public Defender to the Legal Aid Society, and eventually the business world, where he scaled specialty finance platforms at MagnaCare and Franklin Credit before moving to the investing side at Silver Point and building CarVal's asset-based finance business over 15 years. He and Colbert discuss what asset-based finance means, how the BlackRock combination impacts sourcing, and where Seth sees new opportunities as the platform scales. 

Learn more about Seth and his work at HPS here. Explore HPS's Asset-Based Finance platform here. Watch Colbert's Best Idea for this week, True Romance, the 1993 cult classic directed by Tony Scott from Quentin Tarantino's first screenplay, streaming now on Netflix here.

Welcome to Season 14 of The HPScast. This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Rob Kapito, co-founder and President of BlackRock. Rob shares his path from pumping gas at his family's garage to the trading floors of First Boston, and the eventual decision to join Larry Fink and a small group to build what would become the world's largest asset manager with $15+ trillion currently under management. Rob walks through the pivotal chapters of the BlackRock story, including the transformative Merrill Lynch and Barclays Global Investors deals, and the firm's latest evolution in private markets through the acquisitions of GIP and HPS. Plus, Rob discusses how he continues to focus on impact outside of work through Hope & Heroes, an organization that funds life-saving work on childhood cancer and blood disorders.

Learn more about Rob and his work at BlackRock here. You can find out how to get involved with Hope and Heroes here. Check out Rob's Best Idea for this week, the book Margin by Richard Swenson, here—and watch Colbert's Best Idea for this week, Somm, here.

We’ve reached the end of Season 13 of The HPScast. To close out a fantastic run, host Colbert Cannon revisits some of the season’s most memorable moments. This year, we heard from leaders at the top of their fields, including a legendary global financial executive, an American fashion icon, and a powerhouse in the hospitality industry, as well as colleagues from across HPS and BlackRock who shared valuable insights.

The entire HPS team extends a sincere thank you to our guests and listeners for joining us. We’ll be taking a short break, but we look forward to returning soon with all-new conversations in Season 14.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jim Koman, Founder and CEO of ElmTree Funds, a triple-net-lease real estate investment platform that recently combined with BlackRock. Jim reflects on growing up in St. Louis, studying economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and building a career in commercial real estate that led to founding ElmTree. Jim shares his perspective on how the current interest rate environment is affecting the net-lease market.

Learn more about Jim and his work with ElmTree Funds here. Read Project Hail Mary, a science fiction novel by Andy Weir, Jim’s Best Idea, here. Read Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, The Carolina Way, by legendary University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, co-authored with Gerald D. Bell and John Kilgo, here.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with Elyce Arons, the co-founder of Kate Spade and co-founder and CEO of Frances Valentine. Elyce traces her journey from a Kansas farm kid to building two iconic American fashion brands with her best friend, the late Kate Spade. She reflects on losing Kate in 2018 and finding the resolve to keep their second fashion and lifestyle label, Frances Valentine, flourishing in her honor. She also shares what’s coming up for the brand, including a truly full-circle collaboration with the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative. 

Learn more about Elyce and her work at Frances Valentine here. Read Elyce’s memoir, We Might Just Make It After All, here—or, her Best Idea, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, here. Watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, Dept. Q, a British crime thriller television series created by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani, here.

Every season, we spend one episode breaking down current credit market trends. In this season’s episode, we discuss the macro backdrop for credit, private and public credit’s exposure to software amidst concerns of AI disruption, and the types of businesses we believe are the most resilient in challenging environments. Our discussion, hosted by Colbert Cannon, features Vikas Keswani, Head of Direct Lending at HPS, and Scott Crocombe, a Managing Director from the HPS Liquid Credit team, as well as Dominique Bly, Macro Credit Research Strategist with BlackRock’s Private Financing Solutions platform.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Eva Pilgrim, the newest host of Inside Edition, television's longest-running syndicated television newsmagazine. Eva discusses her path from local reporter to international correspondent, and her eventual leap to anchoring GMA3 before assuming the role at Inside Edition, previously helmed by Deborah Norville for 30 years. Eva shares the behind-the-scenes of broadcast television and offers lessons in juggling a demanding work life while building a family. She also reflects on how media continues to evolve, and the discipline required to stay authentic in a rapidly changing landscape, offering insights into what keeps Inside Edition relevant in today’s fragmented news environment.

Learn more about Eva and her reporting at Inside Edition here. Read Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here—or watch the Apple TV adaptation here.

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with HPS Senior Advisor and Operating Partner Paul Achleitner, former CFO of Allianz and Chair of Deutsche Bank. Paul reflects on his distinguished career in global finance—from his formative years at Goldman Sachs to his leadership through the 2008 financial crisis. He shares lessons on risk management, disciplined decision-making, and effective governance in a rapidly changing world. 

You can find Paul’s book, Accelerate Your Experience, here. Plan a visit to Nikko Yumoto-Onsen Ski Park, Paul's Best Idea, here. Read Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the novel Measuring the World, by  German-Austrian Daniel Kehlmann, here.