There has to be a better way to invest in alternative funds. Meredith Moss and her team at Finomial have found one. Meredith has been leading Finomial as CEO since its start in 2011. The company has created a client lifecycle management platform enabling digital client onboarding for investors and their fund managers and administrators. In this episode, Meredith explains the persistent problem with a paper-based system for completing investor subscription documents and why it has been such an in...
Nov 18, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Pete Cherecwich serves as the President of Northern Trust Asset Servicing where he oversees 10,000 employees and multiple business lines. From this position, he has a unique perspective on the asset management business. In this episode, Pete provides background on the evolution of the asset servicing business from custodian to fund administration and to outsourced services such as data analytics and trading. He also provides his views on the future of the buy side firm and what he sees as the in...
Nov 11, 2020•25 min•Season 2Ep. 10
The quest for alternative data has grown exponentially over the past few years, and so have the challenges of identifying and assessing the value of alternative data sources. Rado Lipuš and his team at Neudata have been at the forefront of helping investment management clients find, evaluate and select new data sources that will advance their investment processes. In this episode, Rado shares his experience working in the alternative data field. He explains what constitutes alternative data, how...
Nov 04, 2020•25 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Over the course of his 40-year career in FinTech, Mike DeSanti has been at the forefront of almost every technological advance in the business. He believes we are in the midst of another great movement forward. In this episode, Mike talks about his role as President of LightPoint Financial Technology, a firm he joined in 2017 to help build a flexible and modern trading, risk and accounting platform using the latest software design and infrastructure technologies. He explains some of the key driv...
Oct 28, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 8
For the past 20 years, Melissa Kelley-Hilton learned her investigative skills in a variety of roles and increasing leadership positions. She recently decided to strike out on her own and start Hilton Global Associates, an investigative due diligence firm. In this episode, Melissa talks about her experience in the business, what lead her to start her own firm and the types of assignments her firm performs in the investment management space. She is also joined in this episode by her firm’s new Chi...
Oct 21, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In 2003, Frank Byrd served as co-portfolio manager for one of the year’s biggest hedge fund launches. Today he is the Founder and CEO of Fielder Capital Group, a firm that serves as an outsourced family office. In this episode, Frank discusses his journey and transition to an outsourced family office, including some of the key moments along the way. He also explains why he is excited about the financial advisory role that he plays at Fielder Capital, the advantages he sees in the family office m...
Oct 14, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Leslie Picker spends her days steeped in the investment management industry looking for the next big story – whether breaking news, identifying an emerging theme or landing an exclusive interview. In this episode, Leslie talks about her career and how this rising star went from Kansas to New York City. She discusses her passion for journalism, her transition from print media to television and digital media, and how reporting through different formats requires slightly different skill sets. She a...
Oct 07, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Sometimes the decision to make an investment can turn on the contents of a fund’s offering documents. Few people understand that better than Ed Kless. Ed has been a trusted advisor to some of the nation’s top endowments and other leading institutional allocators for over 25 years. He has held the position of General Counsel at the University of Virginia Investment Management Company, and for the past five years, he has served his clients as outside counsel and partner at the Hirschler law firm. ...
Sep 30, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Christine Chang has spent the better part of her career in the investment management business, and a significant amount of that time working in family office organizations. Most recently, she held the position of Chief Executive Officer. In this episode, Christine recaps her career. She explains how, with a liberal arts background, she rose to the position of CEO by consistently seeking out roles involving the most quantitative challenges. She also talks about her experience in family offices, i...
Sep 23, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Jason Duffy started selling insurance to hedge funds in 2000. At about the same time, he founded Fieldstone Investment Group, a specialized insurance and benefits brokerage focusing primarily on alternative asset managers, as well as family offices, investment advisors and other professional firms. His firm brokers a full range of insurance products. In this episode, Jason take time to discuss one of the more critical but complicated products – employee health insurance. He provides an overview ...
Sep 16, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In 2005, Anthony Scaramucci founded the investment management firm SkyBridge Capital. It was the culmination of 15 years in the industry that began at Goldman Sachs. Since then, Anthony and his team have weathered the ups and downs of the financial markets to turn SkyBridge into one of the industry’s leading firms specializing in fund of hedge funds products and hedge fund advisory solutions. In this episode, Anthony talks about his career in the investment management industry and some of the le...
Sep 09, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Gregory Zuckerman has spent more than twenty-five years covering some of the biggest stories in the private fund industry. Along the way, he developed a keen interest in the incredible investing prowess of Jim Simons and his firm Renaissance Technologies. And Greg wanted to write a book about it. Though reluctant at first, Simons and dozens of current and former Renaissance employees eventually gave Greg unprecedented access. The result was his latest book and New York Times Best Seller, “The Ma...
Jul 21, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Thanks for listening to Season One of the Operational Leaders podcast. To wrap things up on a lighter note, we put together a brief episode featuring outtakes and bloopers. Enjoy. And please check back over the summer for the occasional pop-up episode. We’ll see you again in the fall for Season Two.
Jul 09, 2020•11 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Over the past two plus decades, the alternative fund industry has seen its share of changes, including on the operational side of the business. Michael C. Neus has been there to help guide some of the top firms through these changes. He has served as a General Counsel, a Chief Compliance Officer and a Chief Operating Officer. And he recently co-authored/edited a book, “The Insiders’ Guide to Hedge Funds: Successfully Managing the Middle and Back Office.” In this episode, Mike shares his views on...
Jul 02, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 23
For more than two decades, Katherine Burton has been a groundbreaking journalist for Bloomberg News. She has been at the forefront of every major story involving the alternative fund business, often breaking major stories of the day. She also wrote a watershed book chronicling some of the leading managers in the 2000’s and their response to the 2008 financial crisis, Hedge Hunters, After the Credit Crisis: How Hedge Fund Masters Survived . In this episode, Kathy brings her unique perspective to ...
Jun 25, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 22
The world of listed derivatives and futures is a place not well known to many in the asset management industry. For those on the outside, it can seem quite distant and opaque. Tim O’Shea joins this episode to help shed light on listed derivatives and the futures market. Tim has spent the better part of 30 year in the business and now serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Thalēs Trading Solutions. He provides a broad overview of financial instruments falling in the category of listed...
Jun 18, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 21
The journalists who write the stories are often as interesting as the industry they cover. They can also help shape public perceptions about firms, managers and investors. This episode marks the first in a series of periodic interviews with leading journalists who cover the alternative fund business. In this episode, we hear from three top professionals at HFM: Jennifer Banzaca, the Compliance Editor, Michael Paterakis, the Investment Editor, and Thomas Duffell, the U.S. News Editor. Each has a ...
Jun 11, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Technology can be a great thing. But harnessing its possibilities requires the right professionals and the right protections. Bart McDonough, the CEO and Founder of Agio, has spent more than 20 years working in cybersecurity, business development and IT management within the alternative fund industry. Ten years ago, he founded Agio a hybrid managed IT and cybersecurity services provider for the financial services industry. He also launched his debut book, Cyber Smart: Five Habits to Protect Your...
Jun 04, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 19
It all rolls up to the Chief Operating Officer. For over 15 years, Joe Signorile has held the COO position in the private fund industry. He also founded Our Peer Group (“OPG”), a leading best-in-class private network of COOs and CFOs that enables peer-to-peer communications. Joe joins this episode to discuss the responsibilities and challenges presented by the Chief Operating Officer role. He talks about the qualities that make a good COO - understand all areas of the business, managing people a...
May 28, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Trading agreements are lengthy and complicated. The consequences of missing an issue or getting bad terms can be significant, particularly in times of turbulent markets. Getting the best terms requires focus, dedication and deep industry knowledge that is not always easy to find. Attorney and business person, Poseidon Retsinas, saw an opportunity. In 2019, he launched a law firm called HedgeLegal that specializes in helping the buy side negotiate its trading agreements. In this episode, Poseidon...
May 21, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Outsourced trading isn’t new. Twenty years ago, Scott Chace and his business partner, Robert Fleming, co-founded CF Global Trading. The firm has since grown into one of the leading outsourced trading solutions for institutional asset managers. In this episode, Scott talks about the origins of outsourced trading, and why its appeal has grown in recent years. He also looks at trends in the business, provides thoughts on what managers should consider when looking for an outsourced trading firm and ...
May 14, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Josh Barlow spent over twelve years at PAAMCO where he led Operational Due Diligence and Accounting. This experience reinforced his view on the importance of fund governance and the value of independent directors who can deliver both oversight and practical guidance. In 2018, Josh left PAAMCO to become the founder of Valhalla Fiduciary, a consulting firm whose core service is to provide independent non-executive directorships within the asset management industry. In this episode, Josh discusses ...
May 07, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 15
As firms grow and counterparties multiply, the job of tracking and managing cash, collateral and other aspects of treasury becomes increasingly challenging – and critical. Paul Calderone, the Chief Operating Officer at Hazeltree, joins this week’s episode to discuss treasury management for alternative investment firms. With over 30 years of experience in the alternative space, Paul has gained a unique perspective on treasury management and technology. He shares his experience in this episode, in...
Apr 30, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 14
One day, we’ll all be able to get together again, maybe at some sunny tropical location to attend a top industry conference. When we do, Cosimo Montagu, Editor and Organizer of the GAIM Ops event series, will be ready. In this episode, Cosimo provides a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to pull off one of the top conferences in the investment management industry. Planning starts up to six months in advance, with endless hours of coordinating, hundreds of calls with the industry’s top pro...
Apr 23, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Insurance can be a world unto itself, with It’s own language, all sorts of different players and multiple types of coverages. Kimberly Patlis Walsh, President and Managing Director at Corporate Risk Solutions, has spent the better part of her 20+ year career helping investment management clients navigate the insurance landscape. In this episode, Kim talks about the role of Corporate Risk Solutions as an independent advisor and explains the range of different market participants from brokers to i...
Apr 16, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Compliance veteran Fizza Khan started Silver Regulatory Associates in 2018. As CEO of a now ten-person firm, Fizza saw an opportunity to establish a consultancy that capitalized on her compliance experience and her views on the best model for delivering compliance advice. In this episode, Fizza discusses the impact of Coronavirus on her firm and on the compliance function generally, including how her firm and her clients are overcoming the challenges of social distancing. She also shares her tho...
Apr 09, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Outsourcing back office functions has been a growing trend in the investment management field. The coronavirus pandemic will likely accelerate that trend. 2912 Advisors sits at the top of a new generation of outsourcing firms, providing a high-quality, high-touch option with the added benefits of operating remotely and creating functional redundancy. Brian Shanly, co-founder of 2912 Advisors, joins this episode to talk about outsourcing. In our interview – originally conducted in early February ...
Apr 02, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Jack Inglis leads the alternative investment industry’s top international trade association, with around 2,000 corporate members in more than 60 countries. Jack spent 25 years in a variety of senior executive roles throughout the alternatives business before becoming the CEO at AIMA in 2014. Jack joins the Operational Leaders podcast to discuss what it means to be an industry association and the importance of fostering collaboration, peer-group interactions and best practices. He also gives his ...
Mar 26, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Leader and innovator, Monel Amin, saw a problem and set out to fix it. The due diligence process of exchanging information between allocators and managers was manually intensive, administratively burdensome and most importantly, a two-sided problem. Together with her team of experts, Monel created DiligenceVault, the first two-sided digital diligence platform for investment managers, asset owners and allocators. In this episode, Monel describes the events that lead to the creation of DiligenceVa...
Mar 19, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 8
William J. “Bill” Kelly is the CEO of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (“CAIA”). Formed in 2002, the CAIA Association has 12,000 members worldwide, 31+ CAIA chapters and sponsors over 250 events annually. Its Charter designation has become the globally-recognized credential for professionals managing, analyzing, distributing, or regulating alternative investments. In this episode, Bill covers a wide-range of issues involving the current state of the alternatives industry ...
Mar 12, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 7
