Alt Goes Mainstream: The Latest on Alternative Investments, WealthTech, & Private Markets

• Live from New York with Oaktree's Armen Panossian - "don't reach for risk to deliver the right return"

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode was filmed live at an event during a Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions RIA Council meeting in New York.Armen Panossian, the Co-CEO and Head of Performing Credit at Oaktree, and I sat down for a conversation in a Brookfield-owned building with a group of RIAs in the audience.Armen, who joined Oaktree in 2007, has been an integral part of scaling Oaktree to over $209B in AUM. Oaktree, a storied firm, particularly in distressed credit, was recently fully acquired by Brookfield, the $1T AUM alternative asset manager.Armen has a wealth of experience across different areas of credit. He is the Head of Performing Credit, where his responsibilities include oversight of the firm’s liquid and private credit strategies and as a portfolio manager within the Global Private Debt and Global Credit strategies. He also led the development of Oaktree’s CLO business.Armen and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation. We covered:The evolution of Oaktree’s business.How the acquisition by Brookfield has helped scale Oaktree’s business.Why private credit is more than direct lending.The nuances of asset-based finance.The current state of the credit markets.How Oaktree has approached distressed credit investing.What Armen’s memo would be if he were to write a memo like his colleague Howard Marks. And, why his memo might be titled “this is not your grandma’s private credit” or “don’t reach for risk to deliver the right return.”Thanks Armen and the Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions team for a fantastic night and Armen for sharing your wisdom and expertise with us.Show Notes00:00 Message from Ultimus, our Sponsor01:59 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast04:02 Armen Panossian’s Background04:22 Early Career and Education05:42 Transition to Finance08:04 Joining Oaktree08:25 Oaktree's Early Days09:25 Investment Philosophy and Growth12:05 Balancing Pessimism and Business Building14:49 Private Credit Market Overview15:45 Core vs. Alpha in Private Credit20:06 Public vs. Private Credit21:39 Technicals and Fundamentals in Credit Markets24:17 Valuation and Risk Management25:22 Consumer Impact on Private Credit25:46 Public Markets as Indicators26:38 Oaktree's Historical Success26:48 Howard Marks' Investment Philosophy26:58 Market Dynamics and Investment Strategies27:18 Opportunities in Life Sciences27:58 Public vs. Private Market Solutions28:27 Understanding Private Credit Risks29:05 Credit Market Technicals29:41 Fraud Vigilance in Credit Markets30:07 Oaktree's Opportunistic Credit Approach31:56 Rescue Lending and Sector-Specific Opportunities32:37 Asset-Backed Finance Explained34:52 Impact of Banking Regulations35:24 Current Trends in Asset-Backed Finance39:47 Navigating the Private Credit Ecosystem40:50 Brookfield and Oaktree Partnership42:09 Wealth Channel Investment Strategies43:40 Brookfield and Oaktree: A Unique Partnership45:45 Concerns in Private Credit48:03 Advisors' Guide to Private Credit50:47 Howard's Memos and Investment Philosophy52:44 Evolving Private Credit Landscape53:48 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

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• Franklin Templeton's George Stephan - bringing public and private together

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode brings the perspective of an asset management veteran who has sat on both sides of the table.We sat down in Franklin Templeton’s New York City office with George Stephan, COO of Global Wealth Management Alternatives at Franklin Templeton.George joined Franklin to continue the buildout of the firm’s Alternatives capabilities, which boasts over $264B AUM in private markets strategies that include Lexington Partners, Benefit Street Partners, and Clarion Partners. George came from KKR, where he was Head of Strategy and Business Development for the firm’s Global Client Solutions business and was also COO and Head of Investor Relations for KKR’s Global Wealth Solutions business in the Americas. Prior to KKR, George spent nine years in Morgan Stanley’s wealth management division. George is also a Board Observer at CAIS.George and I had a fascinating conversation about how to build a wealth solutions business and how advisors approach private markets. We discussed:How has the adoption of private markets by the wealth channel evolved over the course of George’s career?The benefits and challenges of being a traditional asset manager building out its private markets capabilities.The breadth and depth of Franklin Templeton’s reach as a firm and how that brand and history have helped Franklin partner with the wealth channel in private markets.How has Franklin Templeton’s family of specialists enabled the firm to leverage the expertise of specialist alternative asset managers within a larger platform?How does the wealth channel approach private markets?How will model portfolios be constructed and adopted by the wealth channel?Will evergreen funds be the structure of choice for most advisors?Thanks George for coming on the show to share your expertise and wisdom at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus01:55 Welcome to the Podcast02:03 Guest Introduction: George Stephan03:59 George's Career Journey04:12 Building Wealth Solutions at Franklin Templeton06:06 Key Pillars for Success in Wealth Management07:31 Client Service and Operational Excellence09:04 Strategic Approach to Wealth Management10:15 Convergence of Public and Private Markets10:48 Advisor Needs and Solutions13:31 Franklin Templeton's Private Markets Business14:23 Unifying Private Markets Business15:01 Cross Collaboration and Investment Decisions15:43 Cultural Alignment in Acquisitions16:35 Franklin Templeton's Core Principles17:15 Heritage and Long-Term Thinking21:30 Brand Evolution and Market Perception24:19 Strategic Partnerships in Private Markets25:56 Future of Partnerships and Acquisitions26:57 Winners and Losers in Partnerships27:10 Advisor's Perspective on Productization27:43 Allocating to Public and Private Markets28:21 Innovation in Private Markets29:05 Challenges and Opportunities in Wealth Management29:56 The Future of Multi-Asset Solutions30:17 Operational Complexity in Private Markets31:27 The Need for Digital Transformation31:59 Adoption of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)32:46 Evolving Technology in Wealth Management33:49 Impact of Market Efficiency on Returns35:13 Dispersion in Private Markets Performance37:17 Scale and Investment Integrity38:44 Building Capabilities in Franklin Alternatives40:10 Partnering with Asset Managers41:36 Keys to Building a Wealth Solutions Business42:16 Hiring for Private Markets Expertise43:39 Educating the Industry on Private Markets45:48 Evergreen Structures in Private Markets49:45 Exciting Trends in Private MarketsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

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• iAltA's Bill Crager - from building Envestnet to a "transformational moment" in wealth management

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s interview is with a wealth management entrepreneur who created one of the most consequential wealth management technology companies that has helped to shape the industry into what it is today.Bill Crager is the Co-Founder of Envestnet, which he and his co-founder, the late Jud Bergman, grew into a public company. Bill was the CEO of Envestnet during the company’s time as both a public company and following Bain Capital’s acquisition to take the company private for $4.5B.Bill is now back at it again, joining iAltA Holdings as a Founding Partner to build a suite of businesses at the intersection of private markets and private wealth management infrastructure alongside former Ipreo CEO Scott Ganeles, former Ipreo Executive Bill Sherman, and former Blackstone CFO and WestCap Founder Laurence Tosi.Bill and I had a fascinating conversation about wealth management and private markets. We covered:The evolution of wealthtech.What advisors are looking for when it comes to technology.How technology can help advisors deliver a high-quality experience to clients.Why private markets are now playing such a big role in the business of wealth management.What is missing in private markets infrastructure.The role of AI in financial planning.Why Bill wanted to go back to building again.What is in store for iAltA.Thanks Bill for sharing your wisdom and expertise on private wealth and private markets.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to Early Technology00:12 Sponsorship Message from Ultimus02:09 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:12 Introduction to Bill Crager04:19 Building Envestnet and Early Challenges05:06 Evolution of Wealth Management07:00 Adoption of Technology in Wealth Management08:39 Private Equity's Role in Wealth Management10:17 Horizontal vs. Vertical Solutions14:11 Challenges in Wealth Management Technology16:22 Data and Technology in Wealth Management22:41 Customization and Future of UMA24:30 Impact of Data on Private Markets26:30 Evergreen Funds and UMAs27:45 Fusion of Public and Private Markets28:07 Data Inputs for Financial Advice28:33 Building Financial Plans at Scale28:59 The Need for Holistic Financial Connectivity29:35 Challenges in Data Flow and Infrastructure30:29 The Role of AI in Financial Planning30:49 Balancing Machine Learning with Human Assurance31:35 AI's Impact on Financial Advice32:40 Future of Financial Planning with AI35:06 Trust in Technology vs. Human Advisors35:19 The Emotional Component of Financial Advice36:31 The Evolution of Wealth Management37:02 Tokenization in Wealth Management37:46 Adoption Challenges of Tokenization38:56 Leveraging Technology in Wealth Management39:27 The Future of Financial Advisors40:59 Advice for Young Financial Advisors42:10 The Role of Technology in Private Markets43:48 The Vision Behind iAltA44:46 Building Horizontal Solutions46:14 Creating Bridges in Financial Infrastructure51:00 The Future of Financial Advice IndustryEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

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• Vista Equity Partners' Robert F. Smith - on who will benefit from AI

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode welcomes a pioneer and visionary in enterprise software investing to Alt Goes Mainstream.Robert F. Smith is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of $100B AUM Vista Equity Partners. He sits on the firm’s Investment Committees for Vista’s Flagship, Foundation, Endeavor, and Perennial Funds and serves as a member of Vista’s Executive committee. Vista’s portfolio spans 90 enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled companies that employ over 100,000 people worldwide.He’s also heavily involved and committed to the firm’s wealth channel efforts, serving as the Chairman and Investment Committee member for VistaOne, the firm’s evergreen private equity vehicle. Since Vista’s founding, Robert has supervised on over 600 completed transactions that represent more than $330B in aggregate transaction value.Robert founded Vista after a career at Goldman Sachs in tech investment banking, where he was Co-Head of Enterprise Systems and Storage, executing and advising on over $50B in M&A activity with companies that were foundational players in the early days of the internet and technology, including Apple, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, eBay, and Yahoo.Robert has an innate understanding of technology and the trends that are shaping the way that companies and people interact with the world and conduct business. It’s no surprise that he was early in seeing the rise and impact of AI because he was early in seeing the dawn of the internet in the 1990s.Robert and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation about the evolution of both enterprise software and Vista as a firm. We covered:The early days of enterprise software and what Robert saw then that gave him conviction to focus on enterprise software as a banker and then as an investor building Vista.The investment characteristics of enterprise software.The power of product superiority in enterprise software.Why “sovereignty and dominion of data” are so important — and why it matters for AI.Can the “Rule of 40” become the “Rule of 50, 60, 70” with AI?What aspect of AI is most impactful for companies.How Vista approaches value creation.What it took to scale Vista to a $100B investment platform.Why the wealth channel is core to Vista’s business and the firm’s DNA.Thanks Robert for coming on the show to share your expertise, wisdom, and passion for enterprise software and building businesses.Show Notes00:00 Introduction to Ultimus, Our Sponsor01:20 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:05 Robert F. Smith's Background and Career04:33 Robert's Engineering Background04:58 Chemical Engineering and Business Management05:25 Early Career Projects and Productivity06:42 Vista's Systemic Process Improvement07:08 Enterprise Software Investment Strategy11:11 Product Superiority and Execution Excellence16:03 AI's Impact on Enterprise Software22:58 Cultural Importance in Enterprise Software28:05 Enterprise Software Investment Profile28:45 Founding Vista and Early Market Insights29:08 Mission Criticality in Enterprise Software29:57 Economic Rent Capture Opportunities30:36 Transitioning to Hosted Environments31:37 Rule of 40 and Gen AI Efficiency32:56 Cost Dynamics and Gen AI33:35 Customer Support and Sales Efficiency35:04 Agentic AI and Exponential Opportunities36:37 Challenges in Enterprise AI Implementation39:08 Internal Use of AI at Vista43:49 Managing Agents vs. Human Interaction44:31 Creative Uses of AI45:00 Defining Gen AI and Agentic AI46:28 Enterprise Software and Agentic AI47:30 Impact of AI on Companies50:17 Evolution of Vista and New Investors50:42 Democratizing Investment Opportunities51:47 AI in Wealth Management52:55 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

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• Nomura Capital Management's Robert Stark - building a private credit business within a global bank

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode dives into private credit and building an asset management business inside of a leading global bank.We sat down in Nomura’s NYC office with Robert Stark, the CEO of Nomura Capital Management LLC (NCM) and Head of Investment Management in the Americas for the Nomura Group.Robert brings deep experience in financial services to Nomura. He was previously the Founder & CEO of Alterum Capital Partners LLC, where he focused on building an investment management business at the intersection of private markets and RIAs. Prior to Alterum, he was a Senior Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee at FS Investments, where he was responsible for Corporate Development. He also spent 7 years at JP Morgan across Asset & Wealth Management. He joined JP Morgan from Russell Investments, where he was a member of the Executive Committee. He started his professional career at McKinsey & Company, where he was a Partner serving clients in asset management, investment banking, insurance, and private equity.Robert brings both a consultant’s analytical perspective and an operator’s practical approach to his work building the credit business at Nomura Capital Management.Robert and I had a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion about building an asset management business in a fast-growing segment of private markets: private credit. We covered:The state of the private credit market.How to build an asset management business.What it takes to work with the wealth channel.The entrepreneurial spirit of RIAs.Open architecture vs closed architecture in private credit.Keys to success in the evergreen fund space.Thanks Robert for coming on the show to share your wisdom and expertise on private markets and wealth management.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Message from Ultimus, our Sponsor01:57 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast02:06 Guest Introduction: Robert Stark03:18 Building an Asset Management Business03:42 Evolution of Asset Management Industry04:01 Regulatory Environment and Market Structure05:12 Challenges in Asset Management08:24 Importance of the Right People08:44 Private Credit Business at Nomura09:59 Diversification in Private Credit10:47 Secular Trends in Private Credit11:15 Client-Centric Solutions19:00 Origination in Private Credit20:07 Open vs. Closed Architecture22:45 Product Development and Client Feedback24:22 Early Stages of Private Credit Solutions25:43 Future of Evergreen Funds27:29 Investor Interests and Needs27:47 Building a Trusted Brand28:18 Challenges of Entrepreneurship28:46 Capital and Talent Requirements29:23 Nomura's Long-Term Vision30:12 Nomura's Wealth Management Legacy30:49 Expanding in the US Market31:32 Japanese Investment Culture32:07 Open Architecture Strategy32:34 Global Network and Client Access34:32 Challenges of Working with RIAs36:19 Fiduciary Alignment37:04 Partnerships and Client Success37:56 Strategic Acquisitions39:50 Evolution of the RIA Segment44:44 Long-Term Business Planning46:39 Future of Private MarketsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

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