Improving Alpha: Innovation in Investing, ESG and Technology

Michael Oliver Weinberg

The Improving Alpha: Innovation in Investing, ESG and Technology podcast with host Michael Oliver Weinberg, is built to engage with innovative allocators on forward thinking investment management business strategies and the challenges across alternative investment sectors. Through each of these discussions we will explore achievements, lessons learned and future advice for dealing with today’s financial markets. This podcast series is being powered by Vidrio. Learn more at Vidrio.com. read less

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Improving Alpha: Scott Chan on ‘Gearing Up’ a Collaborative Model to Mitigate Risks and Generate Returns

Improving Alpha: Scott Chan on ‘Gearing Up’ a Collaborative Model to Mitigate Risks and Generate Returns

Last year, we were honored to have Chris Ailman as a guest on the Improving Alpha podcast. Fast forward 12 months, and lightning has struck twice for the Improving Alpha team, as we welcome Scott Chan, the current CIO of CalSTRS, to the guest chair. As the second-largest pension fund in the United States and … Read More Read More

Episodes

Improving Alpha: Scott Chan on ‘Gearing Up’ a Collaborative Model to Mitigate Risks and Generate Returns

Improving Alpha: Scott Chan on ‘Gearing Up’ a Collaborative Model to Mitigate Risks and Generate Returns

Last year, we were honored to have Chris Ailman as a guest on the Improving Alpha podcast. Fast forward 12 months, and lightning has struck twice for the Improving Alpha team, as we welcome Scott Chan, the current CIO of CalSTRS, to the guest chair. As the second-largest pension fund in the United States and … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Shivaram Rajgopal on Ways to Eliminate Governance Disengagement and Zombie Organizations

Improving Alpha: Shivaram Rajgopal on Ways to Eliminate Governance Disengagement and Zombie Organizations

If you are a CEO at a large public company, who do you speak with when concerned about strategy, formulation of innovative ideas, or even execution of a plan to scale your business investments? Many believe that unless there’s a large activist event or news story, decision-making is solely your own. Is there a way … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Catherine Ulozas on Innovating a Billion Dollar Endowment

Improving Alpha: Catherine Ulozas on Innovating a Billion Dollar Endowment

Information overload can occur in even the most skilled institutional investor when considering the amount of managers and intelligence competing for their time and attention. How can a leading endowment CIO or portfolio manager navigate the volume of financial statements, capital calls, risk/reward ratios, and more? How can they mentor junior analysts to find the … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: TC Wilson on Advancing the Practice of Good Medicine through Better Asset Allocation Strategies

Improving Alpha: TC Wilson on Advancing the Practice of Good Medicine through Better Asset Allocation Strategies

Today there’s tremendous focus around the practice of good medicine, the advancement of healthcare innovations, and positive patient outcomes. One company that embodies these characteristics and provides services to the healthcare industry is The Doctor’s Company. The Doctors Company began in 1976 during a crisis period in medical malpractice claims that were skyrocketing. Formed out … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Chris Wiggins Exploring and Exploiting the Value of Artificial Intelligence

Improving Alpha: Chris Wiggins Exploring and Exploiting the Value of Artificial Intelligence

Allocators face a barrage of ideas and debates around the use of artificial intelligence and large language models, better known as LLMs. How can huge amounts of investor data be transformed and enriched to solve challenges in asset allocations and improve an investment team’s strategy? Better yet, have we accumulated enough ‘scar tissue’ in artificial … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Olivier Toubia and the Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence

Improving Alpha: Olivier Toubia and the Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence

In an age of artificial intelligence, (AI) many allocators are realizing that humans alone, or software alone, can’t match or exceed the gains that occur when software and human expertise combine. Layer that into the ability of generative AI to do something better, faster, and more cheaply, and investors can begin to see a game-changing … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: David Teten on the Future of VC Models, Tools for Improving Alpha and the Portfolio Diversification Game

Improving Alpha: David Teten on the Future of VC Models, Tools for Improving Alpha and the Portfolio Diversification Game

The portfolio diversification game takes a ton of time, energy, effort, and even during the best of times companies that you might be super bullish about can flame out, just as easily as those that are near death, can suddenly rebound. This is certainly the case in areas of venture capital (VC) or angel investing. … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Mazen Jabban on the Dangers of Delegating Away Allocator Innovation

Improving Alpha: Mazen Jabban on the Dangers of Delegating Away Allocator Innovation

Navigating the world of technology innovations as a chief investment officer or portfolio manager is akin to a thrilling game of high-stakes poker or a graceful tango. Your success hinges on your ability to not just welcome incoming innovations but also effectively implement them, enhancing data transparency, boosting portfolio returns, and more. In this episode … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Karen Yeyinmen on Strengthening the Institutional Investment Toolkit through Action Research

Improving Alpha: Karen Yeyinmen on Strengthening the Institutional Investment Toolkit through Action Research

Can a culture of growth and experimentation in institutional investing unlock deeper-level benefits to improving alpha? Would you be able to risk the old conception of yourself or your organization by exploring new forms of action and inquiry to help identify the best talent through due diligence or to combine two cultures post-Merger & Acquisition? … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Ciamac Moallemi on the Black Box of Systematic Investing, Bitcoin, and Neural Networks

Improving Alpha: Ciamac Moallemi on the Black Box of Systematic Investing, Bitcoin, and Neural Networks

Is bitcoin a ‘safe-haven’ or still too risky for institutional investors to include as part of a larger portfolio allocation? How is systematic investing changing today with the influence of neural networks and artificial intelligence? Michael Oliver Weinberg, host of the Improving Alpha: Innovation in Investing ESG, and Technology podcast invites Ciamac Moallemi, William von … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Russ Carson on the ‘lucky accident’ of a career in Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Philanthropy

Improving Alpha: Russ Carson on the ‘lucky accident’ of a career in Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Philanthropy

Be careful what you wish for, is a critical statement for those entering the field of private equity, and venture capital today. As the industry accelerates, increased government scrutiny, regulation, and a greater need to prove that your business is providing a productive service to society will come into play. In our latest episode of … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Sandro Salsano exploring synergies in investments, philanthropy and deep value strategies

Improving Alpha: Sandro Salsano exploring synergies in investments, philanthropy and deep value strategies

When it comes to geopolitical risk, company risk, or even balancing the costs of capital with the desire for quick profits, institutional investors are now taking a long-term approach to their future investments. How does this perspective impact the risk-reward dynamic for future returns, and are there sectors that may not be as flashy but … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: William J. Kelly, CAIA on disrupting data transparency in the institutional markets

Improving Alpha: William J. Kelly, CAIA on disrupting data transparency in the institutional markets

As institutional investments become increasingly intricate, it is crucial to bring transparency (and perhaps even enlightenment) to both GPs and LPs. Large data sets and the scale of innovative technology shows no signs of decelerating for those seeking alpha. Serving as a cautionary tale for this installment of Improving Alpha, a famous quote by renowned … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Paul C. Sohn on targeting the ‘fat pitch’ in institutional investing

Improving Alpha: Paul C. Sohn on targeting the ‘fat pitch’ in institutional investing

Mastering the timing of investment markets is a formidable challenge that demands unwavering commitment to a well-defined methodology. It entails navigating through risks, optimizing volatility, and steering clear of managers who adopt a reckless “spray and pray” approach. Today, allocators must carefully consider the current market cycle, strategically position their incentives, and strike the right … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Christopher Ailman, CalSTRS on Catching the Big Waves in Institutional Investing

Improving Alpha: Christopher Ailman, CalSTRS on Catching the Big Waves in Institutional Investing

Since its establishment in 1913, CalSTRS has been fully committed to maximizing the retirement benefits for its extensive network of educators throughout California. With a staggering $310 billion in assets under management through its defined benefit plan, the pension scheme continuously strives to strike a harmonious balance between achieving targeted returns and addressing industry-wide challenges … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Scott Pittman on Maintaining Convictions and Balancing Portfolio Diversification at Mount Sinai’s Endowment

Improving Alpha: Scott Pittman on Maintaining Convictions and Balancing Portfolio Diversification at Mount Sinai’s Endowment

In today’s ever-changing investment landscape, not all institutional investors can conform to a one-size-fits-all approach. This is particularly evident in the healthcare endowment sector, where our esteemed specialist oversees a staggering $2.3 billion portfolio of endowed funds and long-term capital. When you add in the support for insurance-related assets, totaling approximately $4.0 billion, and benefit … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Tobias Read on Removing Political Grandstanding from Oregon’s Hybrid Pension Plan

Improving Alpha: Tobias Read on Removing Political Grandstanding from Oregon’s Hybrid Pension Plan

Warren Buffet has been quoted in the past about what happens to investors when the tide goes out and we see who’s been swimming naked. This quote can be aligned quite well to the environment that many institutional investors find themselves in today, given inflation, net zero regulations, fiduciary responsibilities, and more. In our latest … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Jose Eduardo Siman on Succession Planning Challenges and Innovating the Family Office

Improving Alpha: Jose Eduardo Siman on Succession Planning Challenges and Innovating the Family Office

Given the continued volatility and inflationary pressures in the financial markets, many family offices are looking to shift their asset allocation to help provide better performance and lower overall risk. With pressures mounting, we wanted to get a sense of how global family offices are answering the innovation question for not only their current technology … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Gitanjali Swamy Building a Collective Intelligence Throughout the Asset Community

Improving Alpha: Gitanjali Swamy Building a Collective Intelligence Throughout the Asset Community

How can leaders in asset management and strategic asset allocators help improve the collective intelligence at their organizations by leveraging the power of diversity? In our latest episode of the Improving Alpha podcast, Michael Oliver Weinberg speaks with Gitanjali Swamy, PH.D., Senior Legislative and Policy Advisor, Massachusetts State Senate, Managing Partner, IoTask on how leaders … Read More Read More

Improving Alpha: Tensie Whelan Discusses Extracting Value from Sustainability

Improving Alpha: Tensie Whelan Discusses Extracting Value from Sustainability

For those working on asset allocations in today’s volatile markets, are there ways to differentiate between sustainability and ESG? Furthermore, how do you create a harmonization in a triple bottom-line approach that deals with job growth and creation, taking care of your employees and the planet, and ensuring profitability? In this episode, Michael Oliver Weinberg, … Read More Read More