Money Maze Podcast
The Money Maze Podcast explores the world of finance through interviews with investment professionals. It offers insights on capital allocation, business decisions, and career strategies. The show aims to demystify the investing business for listeners ranging from professionals to students.
Episodes
What Does It Take to Run One of the World’s Most Powerful Law Firms? With Alan Mason, Global Managing Partner, Freshfields
For the first time in our 6-year existence, the MMP wanted to dive into this somewhat opaque world, in line with our mission to de-mystify areas of business and finance vital to us all.Alan discusses the evolution of the top law firms, why US competition is ferocious, why he relocated to the US to help drive their business, and how they can advise global tech clients simultaneously.He answers the
“The Craft of Active Equity Ownership.” The Cevian Approach to Activism, with Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Lars Förberg.
“Activism” might be one of the less helpful terms in modern investing, a label that conjures everything from boardroom bust-ups, to terse exchanges between disgruntled shareholders and incumbent managements. However, in this conversation, Lars explains the early insights gained from collaborations with the great Carl Icahn, to building Cevian, and creating a long-term, extremely successful fund,
Is the 60/40 Portfolio Still Fit for Purpose? State Street Investment Management’s CEO, Yie Hsin Hung, Discusses Flows, Valuations, EM, Private Equity Returns and Tokenisation, the Next Investment Frontier
We were surprised, when researching for this interview, to learn that State Street Investment Management are the fourth largest asset manager globally, with circa $6 Trillion of assets. Size confers both opportunity and challenges, however, and in this conversation Yie-Hsin talks about the global savings gap and the evolution of Asset Management. She addresses the place of the historic 60/40 allo
Can A.I. Improve Investment Results? With Rob Arnott, Founder & Chair of Research Affiliates.
Rob Arnott, Founder & Chair of Research Affiliates, discusses where AI works well & can assist across the money management ecosystem, the risk of ‘AI hallucination’ & over-reliance, quant vs human judgement, and the future of work. Amidst the volumes written about AI’s impact on the business and investing worlds, we wanted to ask some specific questions about adoption, learning, imple
Inside Saudi Arabia’s Sports and Investment Strategy: The Why, Where and How, with Danny Townsend, CEO.
Sport is one the world’s most powerful convening forces, but the way fans connect and engage is evolving, technology is offering new experiences and the investing world increasingly wants a piece of the action. One of the powerful new players, is SURJ, Saudi Arabia’s sports investment arm, and leading their team is Danny Townsend, CEO, whose career has moved from professional football, to leading
From the Shadow of the Death Camps to Leading Sequoia: A Family’s Journey Through Peril & Possibility (With Sir Michael Moritz)
Some lives trace the currents of history; a childhood in Wales, growing up in the shadow of parents who had escaped Nazi Germany, academic distinction at Oxford and Wharton, followed by a career that moved from journalism to the apex of Silicon Valley venture capital and a philanthropic record that speaks quietly, but profoundly. In this episode, we also welcome co-interviewer, Sandra Robertson,
Scale, Strategy, and Stewardship: Rachel Elwell, CEO, on Border to Coast’s Growing Power in UK Pensions
Moreover, if executed well, it offers the potential to act with a long-term horizon as true asset owners, and to unlock investment opportunities that individual funds might struggle to access alone. Today in the UK, one of the most consequential organisations in UK pensions, is Border to Coast. They sit at the centre of one of the most significant shifts in UK institutional investing in a generat
From Battlefield to Boardroom: Assessing the Cyber War Frontlines - Jen Easterly on the New Era of Cyber Risk
We have had some extremely distinguished guests over the last 6 years, but we haven’t secured one who combines, a Rhodes Scholar, US Army Colonel, Counter terrorism expert, leading the US’s cyber intelligence defence agency, and a lecturer at Oxford and beyond, whilst also having worked at Morgan Stanley, and now CEO at RSAC. Jen plots a journey from Oxford to Westpoint, from Colonel of the US’s
General David Petraeus: Inside a World Glowing Red
A first! For the first time since our inception 6 years ago, we welcome back a guest for their third visit. General David Petraeus, once described by Simon Sebag Montefiore as the ultimate soldier-scholar, is Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. Prior to this, David had a distinguished US military career and was the CIA Director during the Obama administration. He assesses the heat map of geopol
From Hedge Fund Roots to Alternative Credit Leadership: Soraya Chabarek, President & CEO, MCQS
While women leaders in finance are gradually becoming more common, that cannot be said the alternatives industry. But as traditional investment firms increasingly acquire alternatives and private markets firms, their leaders, styles and backgrounds are experiencing a changing topography. One of those to have been instrumental in helping build some well-known alts firms, from GLG to Moore Capital
Emerging and Frontier Markets: Cyclical Bounce or the Beginning of a Secular Advance? A discussion with Peter Elam Håkansson, CEO and Founder of East Capital.
Emerging Markets, once the darling of the asset allocators world, have found themselves increasingly discarded by those same allocators. Such became the re-allocation away from them and the magnetism of the US & its technology companies, that as recently as the end of 2024, Emerging Markets were at a 50 year low, relative to the S&P 500. With some improved relative performance, it may be
Can We Live Longer? What it Might Mean for Medicine, Money, & Markets - With Dr Andrew Steele
As Mike Milken said on this podcast, “the greatest achievement of humankind in the 20th century, was the doubling of life expectancy.” If living longer seems a powerful goal, the caveat would be only if it goes hand in hand with being healthy whilst being older, AND in not running out of money!In this conversation, Dr Andrew Steele examines, diagnoses, evaluates, and prescribes the implications,
Marketing God. With Nicky Gumbel, Pioneer of the Alpha Course
In this Christmas special, we reshare our conversation with Nicky Gumbel! Very occasionally one individual can have a disproportionately powerful impact on a collection of people, but very rarely does that person’s impact grow in time and reach, and expand beyond anyone’s expectations and for millions, be responsible for enhancing their lives.In this episode we explore a slightly different realm:
From Vision to Valuation: Disrupting the Future - With Cathie Wood, Founder & CEO of ARK Invest
When we interviewed Howard Marks in March of 2025, he observed, “It's the pioneers who get the arrows”. Many consider a 21st century investment pioneer to be Cathie Wood.She embraces disruptive innovation themes early, has faced intense criticism during large drawdowns, has reshaped ETF thinking and is characterised as bold, influential, and controversial. Cathie explains why studying under Arthur
Yield, Shield, and Scale: Inside the Ares Management Playbook (With Blair Jacobson, Co-President)
Ares is recognised as one of the leading global alternative investment managers, investing across credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure.Listed on the NYSE, it has over 4,000 employees, $595billion in assets* and a substantial geographical footprint.Blair explains the high yielding Ares-managed listed vehicle, ARCC, which as a business development company (BDC) structure must distr
Investing & Philanthropy - With Sir Chris Hohn, Founder, TCI Fund Management & CIFF
In September we held our inaugural Money Maze Allocator Summit and over the two days there was fantastic discussion, debate, insights, disagreement and a lot of learning.It proved incredibly popular & much of that was a result of the quality of panels, moderators & topics. Of all the conversations, one that particularly resonated with us was the chance to interview Sir Chris Hohn about two
Rare Earths, Energy, and the Green Agenda (Money Maze Allocator Summit 2025)
On 30th September and 1st October 2025 we held our inaugural Money Maze Allocator Summit (MMAS). We gathered 120+ global investors & allocators - many of whom have been previous guests - for 2 days of fascinating investment discussions.It proved incredibly popular & much of that was a result of the quality of panels, moderators & topics!The moderator was the brilliant Annachiara Marcan
RIT Capital Partners: Global, Unconstrained, Undervalued? A Conversation with Maggie Fanari (RIT CEO)
Founded in 1971 as the Rothschild Investment Trust, RIT Capital Partners PLC, continues today with a mandate to preserve and grow capital across generations through a multi-asset, global and unconstrained strategy.As one of the UK’s largest investment trusts, with total assets of approximately £4bn (over 20% of which is owned by family members), RIT targets CPI + 3% as one of its benchmarks, aimin
From Westminster to Silicon Valley: A Connected World at Risk - Sir Nick Clegg on threat to Global Connection in the Age of AI & Political Conflict.
It’s not every guest who would admit in their new book, with brutal honesty, “I’ve been vilified, satirised, protested against- a hate figure both on left and right.” But it is also uncommon, if not without precedent, for someone who has led their political party, been deputy Prime Minister for 5 years, to then re-invent themselves, chameleon-like, move to silicon valley and join the senior ranks
How Good of a Communicator Are You? Messaging, Reputation, Trust & Strategy in the Age of AI - With Jen Prosek, CEO and Founder of Prosek
Today’s episode started as “Good Investor, Poor Communicator”, but as we researched this topic ahead of the conversation it became a bigger theme than simply, why at times, great investment managers are often less effective communicators. In this conversation, we explore how communication is changing; first in the asset management community as firms adapt, and acknowledge the importance of their b
Private Credit: Hype, Hazard, or the Next Big Thing in Long-Term Growth? With Huw Van Steenis, Vice Chair of Oliver Wyman.
When someone speaks with a deep of understanding of the banking and finance systems, is widely respected, and then expresses a strong but debatable view, about a developing asset class, we think it’s important to hear that voice and to challenge and distil its key messages. So in this episode we welcome back a former guest who appeared on the MMP in March 2023 during the banking storm, during wit
Wisdom From the Battle Hardened: Timeless Life & Career Insights from Top Global Executives
Enjoy a variety of career tips & life lessons from finance leaders in this compilation special. This episode brings together some of the most insightful lessons and perspectives we’ve gleaned from past guests, covering everything from life wisdom to industry-specific strategies. You’ll hear from an extraordinary lineup, including Peter Frankopan, Ron Biscardi, Luba Nikulina, and James Anderso
“News of Our Demise Has Been Greatly Exaggerated.” Why the City of London Remains a Globally Potent Force - With Sir Alastair King, Lord Mayor of the City of London
Has the demise of London's leading financial services been "greatly exaggerated", and does the underlying evidence tell a very different story?In this interview, held at Mansion House in the historic City of London financial district, the Right Honourable Alastair King (696th Lord Mayor of the City of London) explains his view that the UK enjoys an unrivalled position, untouched by other European
Unlocking Global Real Estate Opportunities: Perspectives on Risks & Returns (With Brian Kingston, CEO of Brookfield Real Estate)
Economist John Stuart Mill observed that “landlords grow rich in their sleep". Yet, as evidenced by the failure over the years of many real estate businesses, success is also highly dependent on entry price, debt levels and execution.
Brookfield, based in Toronto, has developed over 120 years into one of the world’s largest alternative investment management companies, with over $1 trillion of ass
The Silk Roads: A Decade On - Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford, on the Changing World Order
Peter Frankopan is a Professor of Global History at Oxford, and author of The Silk Roads.His work has been both profound and enduring, with the book being translated into more than 45 languages and selling nearly 3 million copies worldwide. The updated version has just been published. In this conversation, Peter reflects on the potent forces at work both within and outside of Asia.He assesses the
The Courtship of Investment Allocators & Managers: Inside iConnections - With Ron Biscardi
If you are an asset allocator, what is the most effective way to widen your lens on identifying potential investment managers? And if you are an investment manager, how can you be more effective in meeting some of those key allocators who might transform your business? In April 2020, Ron Biscardi launched iConnections, whose platform allows managers to share fund information with allocators. Ron
Beyond the Silk Roads: Middle Eastern Venture Investing - With Noor Sweid, Founder and Managing Partner of Global Ventures
Today we welcome one of the Middle East’s most successful angel investors and venture capitalists, listed in 'FORBES 100 Most Powerful Business Women 2025'. Noor Sweid explains her journey, from early career in management consultancy and relocating to Dubai, followed by growing and listing a business on the London Stock Exchange and NASDAQ Dubai in 2008 (Depa), through to establishing her VC busin
"The Consultant’s Edge" - Are Investment Consultants Indispensable? With Michael Manning, CEO of NEPC
From the 1950s onwards, the foundations of investment consulting were laid, as pension funds and institutional investors sought professional guidance on asset allocation and portfolio management. This was enhanced in the 1960s & 70s by the introduction of Modern Portfolio Theory by Harry Markowitz and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) by William Sharpe. Today, the investment consulting i
Money Maze Podcast Corporate Trailer
Through direct, entertaining & insightful interviews with masters of the real life money maze, we hope to learn about different approaches to allocating capital, making business decisions and navigating the pitfalls that line the paths to prosperity. Each episode, with invite leading figures from the investment management and finance sector onto the show, who share their investment insights an
The End of US Equity Dominance? With Chris Wood, Global Strategist and Author of 'Greed and Fear'
Chris Wood, former guest and highly respected global strategist, recently made a bold prediction, namely that the US stock market has reached its all-time relative peak, similar to Japan in 1989. His recent commentaries include one describing Trump’s “Liberation Day” as “Impoverishment Day” and that Trump is the “Bull in the China Shop”. In this conversation, Chris gives his take on whether US eq
Heroes or Villains? The Shrinking World of Shorting - With Carson Block, Founder of Muddy Waters
Economic theory suggests that when competition decreases, remaining firms may have more market power, which can lead to increased opportunities to expand, innovate, or capture a larger market share.Does that analogy apply to the world of shorting? And even if you are considered one of the best in the business, can you stay afloat with a rising tide of bullishness and asset inflation?To discuss wha
From Triumph to Trauma: The Dramatic Investment Arc of Neil Woodford, Founder of Woodford Investment Management
Some of our conversations are deliberately different, and the man I interview here has cost me a lot of money! I also consider him a friend and somebody whose perspective I have valued. It could be said that Neil Woodford, CBE, has had a career of two halves, the first of which encompassed extraordinary investment success at Invesco Perpetual and then at Woodford Investment Management (2014-2019)
The Irreversible Convergence of Public & Private Markets – With Scott Kleinman, Co-President of Apollo Asset Management
In the world of mythology, Apollo is one the most revered and significant of all the ancient Greek and Roman Gods. It was also the name given to an asset management business created in 1990 and today with assets of over $750 billion*, it’s a leading provider of alternative asset management and retirement solutions. In this conversation we understand Apollo’s growth, reach and specialisations. Mor
Unlocking Investment Wisdom - With Howard Marks, Co-Founder of Oaktree Capital Management
When Warren Buffet singles you out for praise, it might be fair to say you have summited the investment equivalent of K2, Annapurna and Kangchenjunga, the most challenging of mountain peaks! In a capricious investing world, where success is often transient, reputations easily tarnished and hubris punished, to have not only stayed the course for 55 years, but thrived, built Oaktree Capital into one
From Rare Earths to Broader Metals: Investment Opportunities & Strategic Priorities for the West
In this episode we’ve been very fortunate to find someone who ranks amongst the most qualified anywhere in the world to discuss this topic.He was the former CFO of Billiton, then as CEO, built Xstrata into one of the world’s largest diversified mining companies, helping grow their market value from US$500m to US$60bn, at one point employing over 90,000 people.In this conversation we examine the mo
Space: The Next Frontier of Asset Allocation? With Mark Boggett, CEO of Seraphim Space
Star Trek’s opening lines were potent: "Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its mission? To boldly go where no man has gone before!”Whether Star Trek or Star Wars, such films offered tantalising glimpses of another world. But it’s actually here now! The WEF & McKinsey predict that the space sector will reach a value of $1.8tn by 2035. That’s only 1 deca
Reinventing Equity Investing: James Anderson's Journey, From Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust to Managing Partner & CIO of Lingotto's Innovation Strategy
In today’s episode we have the chance to talk to one of the most successful investors of his generation, James Anderson, Former Partner at Baillie Gifford.I'm joined by Mark Wallace, MD of Rothschild & Co, who brings his expertise on US tech equities to this discussion. From 1987 until 2022 he led their flagship fund, the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. His early investments in Google thro
Life & Career Advice from the World’s Top Financial Executives: Compilation Special
Enjoy a variety of career tips & life lessons from finance leaders in this New Year compilation special. This episode brings together some of the most insightful lessons and perspectives we’ve gleaned from past guests, covering everything from life wisdom to industry-specific strategies.You’ll hear from an extraordinary lineup, including Sir Chris Hohn, Nicolai Tangen, Mathieu Chabran, David N
Infrastructure: From Niche to Mainstream Asset Class - With Luba Nikulina, CSO of IFM Investors
Today is the first time we welcome back a guest who has changed firms between interviews. We recorded Luba Nikulina, on Thanksgiving day, 2022, and our guest was then Head Global of Research at WTW, an organisation advising on over $3 trillion of assets.Today Luba is the Chief Strategy Officer at IFM Investors, a leading asset manager in infrastructure with a significant presence in other asset ma
2024 in Review!
In this episode, Simon shares an update on the show, reflecting on notable interviews and summarising the wide range of initiatives under development beyond the Money Maze Podcast itself. Although we have said this for each of the 5 years since we started, this year has been incredibly exciting, surpassing both out expectations, and 2+ million global downloads, officially releasing over 200 episod
Marketing God: With Nicky Gumbel - Pioneer of the Alpha Course
With Christmas coming up, we thought today would be the perfect time to replay one of our older episodes!Very occasionally one individual can have a disproportionately powerful impact on a collection of people, but very rarely does that person’s impact grow in time and reach, and expand beyond anyone’s expectations and for millions, be responsible for enhancing their lives.In this episode we explo
Who is Scott Bessent? Meet Trump's Incoming Treasury Secretary
Today’s guest is the new US Treasury Secretary, serving under Donald Trump. The role gives him immense responsibility for managing US obligations and finances, including circa. $7 trillion of annual US federal spending, the $35+ trillion fiscal debt pile and continued inflationary pressures on both US businesses and consumers.Prior to this, Scott was a globally respected and market-moving hedge fu
Managing the Largest Public Pension Fund in the U.S. - With CalPERS CEO, Marcie Frost
In 1932, the United States was in the grip of the Great Depression. One in four Americans were unemployed, nearly 9,000 banks had failed.Franklin Roosevelt was elected to the first of his four terms as President of the United States, and a retirement system for state employees was established in California. It became the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS). Today it’s America
Should Your Investment Portfolio Have the Right to Bear Arms? With General Sir Patrick Sanders
The episode brings Sir Patrick Sanders, a British military officer, back to discuss geopolitical issues, specifically focusing on the precarious state of global affairs today compared to the 1930s.The conversation delves into the complexities surrounding Donald Trump's foreign policy perceptions and Norway SWF's approach to defence sector exclusions. This episode was recorded in Norway at the Grie
AI Unleashed: Scott Guthrie of Microsoft, on Transforming Productivity, Finance, Energy, and Regulation
Technological revolutions are by their nature rare events: the printing press, mobile telephony and the internet.The associated excitement can capture the imagination, spur a raft of associated breakthroughs, encourage investors to dream of extraordinary returns, yet their byproduct is often to create excessive short-term exuberance, and expectations that might be correct in time, but invariably e
Gloves Off: Anthony Scaramucci on Trump, Harris, Bitcoin and the US Deficit
Four years ago we had the chance to record a US election special ahead of the vote to determine whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump became President. We welcomed Anthony Scaramucci; Harvard Law, Goldman Sachs, political fundraiser and, for 11 dramatic days, Donald Trump‘s Director of Communications.Since then he has developed his finance business, run the SALT conferences, been a crypto evangelist a
Joel Greenblatt: Legendary Investor and Author on Patience in the Investing Business
This recording took place at the London Value Investor Conference over summer, where Simon hosted a discussion with Joel Greenblatt. Joel not only founded and runs Gotham Asset Management, but was also an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School for 20+ years.Joel previously ran Gotham Capital, where he achieved 50% annualised returns between 1985-1994 (34.4% net). Joel also helped Michael Bu
Super Returns! Australia’s Largest Super Fund’s CIO, Mark Delaney, Describes Their Investment Priorities
Today we travel back to Melbourne, Australia, having had previous conversations with Ben Samild (now CIO of the AFF) & David Neal (CEO of IFM Investors). AustralianSuper, Australia’s largest super fund, manages approximately USD $230bn for 3.4m members. Mark Delaney has been at its helm as CIO for almost 20 years. Mark describes the goals, the organisation and its investment principles. He exp
Sport Meets Finance! Investing in Liverpool FC, PSG, Boston Red Sox and F1 - With Ian Charles, Co-Founder of Arctos
Sovereign wealth funds, private equity, Hollywood actors; the world of sports has been undergoing an investing revolution. The last few years have seen a quantum increase of new investors, investing both in sports and even their governing bodies, raising questions about potential returns, the investment thesis and competition.Arctos is one of world’s largest sports investors, counting amongst its
Colm Kelleher, Chairman of UBS & Former President of Morgan Stanley, Discusses Culture, Leadership, Surviving the Great Financial Crisis and UBS Today
In an interview we had especially looked forward to, and with the Credit Suisse acquisition behind us, the MMP went to Zurich to talk to Colm Kelleher.Described as one of the most influential and capable banking executives of the last several decades, he has been dubbed by the FT as 'Europe’s most powerful banker'. As Chairman of the UBS board, he helps manage an organisation with approximately $5
Sir Tony Blair, Former UK Prime Minister, on Leadership, Immigration, the Middle East & More!
Thought-provoking, amusing, self-critical, rich with anecdotes, laced with good advice, and large servings of humility, you might not automatically assume I’m describing the book, titled 'On Leadership', just published and written by Sir Tony Blair.The discussion starts with the essential need for a leader to identify the priorities, to determine the plan, and to pursue its execution.Sir Tony Blai
Volatility Laundering in Private Equity, the Merits of International Diversification, Value Vs Growth and Systematic Investing - With Cliff Asness
Simon introduces Cliff Asness, Co-Founder and CIO of AQR (Applied Quantitative Research), highlighting the firm's systematic approach to investing in a variety of assets.Cliff Asness shared his background, mentioning that he was initially an underachiever in school but transitioned to a highly driven person during college at the University of Pennsylvania.He explained that market efficiency is a s
War or Peace? Why the World May Be More Dangerous than the 1930s - With General Sir Patrick Sanders, Former UK Chief of the General Staff
In this episode we have the huge pleasure and privilege to talk to General Sir Patrick Sanders, who until June of this year served as Chief of the General Staff.As the professional head of the British Army he had responsibility for over 100,000 troops (including reserves), steering this key component of the UK’s defence apparatus through an increasingly fractured world.The mission in this intervie
The $5 Trillion High Yield Debt Markets: Trouble Ahead or Compelling Returns? - With Victor Khosla, Founder & CIO of Strategic Value Partners
This episode comes from the SuperReturn conference in Berlin, with guest Victor Khosla, Founder of SVP. Set up in 2001, the firm manages $18 billion in credit, with an impressive long-term track record in identifying credit opportunities.Victor describes himself as the ‘Accidental Investor’, initially hired as a strategic consultant for a Citibank project in the 1990s, only then to join them to he
Greed & Fear! What to Own, What to Avoid and Are We Wrong About China? With Chris Wood, Global Head of Equity Strategy, Jefferies (Hong Kong)
If you write a widely followed weekly piece for nearly 30 years, assessing investment risks & rewards, geopolitical implications, and extracting signals from noise, you need experience, good instincts, market nous, and the ability to talk to the right people.The weekly piece in question is GREED & FEAR, and its author, our guest Christopher Wood, Global Head of Equity Strategy for Jefferie
Vista Equity Partners: The $100 Billion Private Equity Software Group - With Rachel Arnold, Co-Head of Vista Equity Partners’ Endeavor Fund
In this shorter interview, recorded at Berlin SuperReturn, Rachel Arnold, Co-Head of Vista’s Endeavour strategy, a fund focused on small-cap private software companies, offers insights that echo Bill Gates comment that “software is the magic thing whose importance only goes up over time”Amazingly, over 90% of software companies are private, and as a former tech operator and CEO, Rachel brings hard
“Running Up That Hill” - Strava’s Co-Founder, Mike Horvath, on Building, Branding and Delivering: An Entrepreneurs’ Story
If you wrote a business plan in the 1990s that was way ahead of its time - a 20th century idea that needed 21st century technology to work - then put it aside and instead built an enterprise software firm that achieved a Goldman Sachs backed blockbuster IPO in 1999, you might say “bravo”.If then, several years later you return to this earlier idea, build it and today have over 100 million athletes
Why the Fed Can’t Forecast, How Zero Rates Were a Huge Mistake and is Nvidia’s $3tn*+ Valuation Sustainable? With Rob Arnott, Founder of Research Affiliates
Rob Arnott has published over 100 academic papers, co-authored several books, and his firm Research Affiliates developed the strategies behind approximately $147bn in AUM (as of March 2024).He has earned a reputation as a highly respected, value-orientated investor with clarity about unrealistic valuations, mean-reversion and where the investment opportunities may lie.In this interview he shares a
Retail in the 21st Century: Seb James, CEO of Boots, Discusses Health, Technology, Data and the Customer
In a world where competitive survival has become rarer, one UK retail institution has survived for 175 years, remains a trusted brand, with over 50,000 employees, 2,000 stores and 4,000 pharmacists.Today Boots is part of the US Walgreens Boots Alliance, an entity with sales of $140 billion (2023/24) and one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs. In this episode we aim to explore
How to Make Money in the $275 Trillion* Energy Transition & Can Tesla Survive?
Whether you’re a believer in the timelines, or sceptical about its urgency, the energy transition is underway, and its ramifications are immense. Both for the climate and for investors, the new order is challenging the old.In this conversation, Per Lekander, a veteran of the energy and utility space, discusses the failings of the wind and solar industries but also the opportunities which exist for
Novo Holdings: Controlling Shareholder of Novo Nordisk, Europe's Most Valuable Company - With CEO, Kasim Kutay
In this interview, we welcome the CEO of Novo Holdings, which manages the assets and wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, one of the world’s largest enterprise foundations.Novo Holdings is part of the Novo Group, which also incorporates Novo Nordisk and Novonesis (who combined are responsible for much of Novo Holdings’ inflows).Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923
The 30% Club and the Future of Institutional Investment Management - With Hanneke Smits, Global Head of Investment Management, BNY Mellon
Research demonstrates that diverse companies outperform their less diverse peers. The 30% Club’s mission, led by Chairs and CEOs, is to increase gender diversity at board and executive committee levels. In this episode, current 30% Club Global Chair Hanneke Smits, assesses the shifts underway to increase female representation across the corporate landscape, why PE lags public investing in this reg
LSEG: Partnering with Microsoft and Why London Remains a Leading Financial Hub - With LSEG CEO, David Schwimmer
If you were asked ‘What is the London Stock Exchange Group, (LSEG)?’, most investors would answer, ‘the London Stock Exchange, of course.’ Yet, the correct answer would be, “well that’s only 5% of revenues today”, and then you might pause and wonder what the rest is…In this conversation with David Schwimmer, a veteran of Goldman Sachs, and CEO of the LSEG since 2018, we examine an organisation tha
Why the World Economy Gets a B Grade - With Baroness Dambisa Moyo (Economist, Legislator & Author)
Armed with a degree, MBA, MPA, and a PhD, the author of 5 bestselling books, a trained economist, a previous employee of Goldmans Sachs, a life peerage in the House of Lords, sought after board member, one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, and on Oprah Winfrey’s “O” Power List, our guest today seems to have it all!Dambisa Moyo has written about why development aid to Afr
Money Maze Podcast 2024 Trailer
Through direct, entertaining & insightful interviews with masters of the real life money maze, we hope to learn about different approaches to allocating capital, making business decisions and navigating the pitfalls that line the paths to prosperity. Each episode, with invite leading figures from the investment management and finance sector onto the show, who share their investment insights an
Cryptocurrencies: Ill-Advised Speculation or an Alternative Asset Class? With Nic Cary, Co-Founder and Vice Chair at Blockchain.com
Back in September 2021, we met with Nic Cary of Blockchain.com, which was already well on its way to becoming one of the world’s leading digital asset platforms. Since then cryptocurrency volatility has been extraordinary, and witness to wild gyrations, the imprisonment Sam Bankman-Fried, SEC action, regulatory hand wringing and then this year, BlackRock’s launch of one of several crypto ETFs (ap
Insights from CPP Investments: Canada’s Largest Global Pension Fund - With Suyi Kim
In this interview, we return to Canada. Having interviewed Jo Taylor of OTPP last year, this time we sought out one of the most well-known and successful women in private equity, someone who is also proving to be a huge role model for young women pursuing careers in the investment industry. Suyi Kim, educated at the University of Seoul and then Stanford, explains the attraction PE had for her as s
Gold! Why & How to Own It, Tokenisation and Investor Positioning - With David Tait, CEO of the World Gold Council
It’s not every day that one of our guests from the world of finance has successfully scaled Everest 5 times, been awarded an MBE by the Queen, raised millions for charity, and is a vocal ambassador for the NSPCC.For his day job, he led trading desks at Goldmans, CS, UBS and Bluecrest. If that wasn’t enough for most people, he then became sufficiently intrigued by the changing world of gold to beco
Marketing God: With Nicky Gumbel - Pioneer of the Alpha Course
In this Easter special we explore a slightly different realm: religion! Very occasionally one individual can have a disproportionately powerful impact on a collection of people, but very rarely does that person’s impact grow in time and reach, and expand beyond anyone’s expectations and for millions, be responsible for enhancing their lives.Our guest, the Reverend Nicky Gumbel, talks of his own od
Why We Need Integrated Energy Companies - With Ann Davies, bp Senior Vice President, Wells
Our guest today earned her master’s degree in physics, captained her rugby team at Oxford, and then a few years later was posted as bp’s engineering manager to Baku, Azerbaijan.She then spent time as Country Head in neighbouring Georgia and COO of Lightsource bp, and is now bp’s Senior Vice President, Wells. In this conversation, Ann explains bp’s mission to become an integrated energy company, bu
Wine, Whisky and Champagne: Buy, Sell or Hold? With Gary Boom, Founder and CEO of Bordeaux Index
In May 2021, we turned our attention to an investor dilemma – Should we view wine as a proper asset class? And how should we think about the wine industry, unmodernised for so long, but ripe for change!A disrupter emerged in 1997, in the shape of Bordeaux Index, set up by Michael Spencer and Gary Boom. In this conversation we learn about the shifting sands of supply and demand. We discuss global c
How Passive Investing May Have Created a Bifurcated Market for Value Investors
In this bitesize feature, David Einhorn, Founder & President of Greenlight Capital, discusses the potential impact passive investing has had on value investors, and where opportunities may lie. David is one of Wall Street's most closely followed hedge fund managers, whose public commentary on stocks has had market moving results ('The Einhorn Effect'). He's perhaps most well-known for his shor
Private Markets Miniseries: Season 2 Highlights
In today’s episode, the Money Maze Podcast takes a short trip back to 2023 to revisit our Second Private Markets Series. We shared fascinating conversations with guests from the likes of TPG, Tikehau Capital, Nasdaq Private Market, CAIS, and IFM Investors. In case you missed those episodes, we have compiled together some of the highlights from those episodes, including David Neal of IFM Investors
Money Maze Vignettes: From Baseball Icon to Warren Buffet 2.0? (With Alex Rodriguez, CEO of A-Rod Corp & Former Baseball Pro)
In this bitesize feature, A-Rod Corp’s CEO, Alex Rodriguez, discusses principal capital, creating opportunities for partners, and A-Rod’s geographical scope.In the full interview, Alex speaks about how he came to dominate his sport, developing a substantial portfolio of investments and businesses through his investment firm, invaluable advice given to him by Warren Buffet. Listen or watch here. Mo
PIMCO: Insights from the CEO of a $1.8 Trillion Fixed Income Manager
With a successful career incorporating 18 years at Goldman Sachs, and then CEO of the Man Group, Emmanuel explains today’s landscape for investors across the fixed income universe.He explains PIMCO’s mission and reach. He discusses how the world is awash with cash and short-term maturities, creating opportunities with interest rates having adjusted upwards.He feels there is a tidal wave of liquidi
Lessons from 5 Decades of Investing – With Rosalind M. Hewsenian, CIO of Helmsley Charitable Trust
Why does a teacher trained to help children with special needs decide to switch, earn an MBA, then work at Pepsi, become an investment consultant, and end up becoming CIO at an $8 billion dollar foundation?In this conversation, Roz recaps on lessons learned with investing organisations, (including CalPERS) before arriving at Helmsley Foundation in 2010.She describes what makes for an effective in
Is Active Management Worth Paying For? With Terry Smith (CEO, CIO & Founder of Fundsmith)
Our guest today has been referred to as "the English Warren Buffett" for his style and success in investing. His book, published in 1992, Accounting for Growth, and its ensuing controversy helped propel it to the top of the bestsellers chart, displacing Stephen Hawking's ’A Brief History of Time’ from the No.1 spot. He’s been head of research, CEO of a public company, a former top banks analyst (w
Can We Eliminate Cancer? The Medical Revolution - With Mike Milken, Chairman of the Milken Institute
What if clearing out early stage cancers from your body could become as routine as going to your dentist, or what if a single vaccine could protect you against multiple viruses?In this episode, we trace Mike Milken’s journey from developing and popularising high yield corporate bonds, to catalysing changes in the world of cancer, and addressing key unmet medical challenges.Mike describes the centr
Oxford University Endowment Management: Purpose, Strategy and Implementation - Sandra Robertson, CEO & CIO of OUem
What do JR Tolkien, Emma Watson, Oscar Wilde, Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Niall Ferguson & Dr. Seuss have in common? They all attended Oxford University, which for nearly 1,000 years has been educating some of the brightest of British and global youth.To have proved so permanent and excellent is testimony to many forces, both financial and educational.In this episode we’re delighted to
2023 in Review!
This week, the Money Maze Podcast is packing up and shutting down for Christmas and New Year.But before we get away, we wanted to catch you up on everything we’ve been up to these last 12 months!Otherwise, we wish all our listeners, sponsors & friends an enjoyable festive break! The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, Bremont Watches, LiveTrade and IFM Investors.Sign up to ou
