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Oliver Mueller is Chief Investment Officer at Acresco Investment Management in Mauritius, a seasoned value investor with 25+ years at JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, and Deutsche Bank who uniquely combines traditional value investing principles with sustainable investing practices.

3:00 - Oliver's German Mittelstand upbringing shaped his relationship with money; parents bought house, rising interest rates created financial strain, taught him value of careful planning

6:00 - First jobs at 15: wastewater treatment plant to buy Hi-Fi system, construction work for interrail trip through Europe - learned physical value of earning money

9:00 - Deutsche Bank apprenticeship sparked passion for investing; mandatory social service with elderly taught him "wealth is not just about money, but dignity, time, empathy"

12:00 - Move to Mauritius in 2014 driven by work-life balance: "When I left house she was sleeping, when I came home she was sleeping" - needed presence as father

18:00 - Key influences: Hungarian investor Kostolani's encouragement, Aswath Damodaran's valuation course, Paul Polman's stakeholder capitalism vision

25:00 - Sustainable value investing philosophy: Start with quality financials, add responsibility filter, then seek margin of safety - "responsibility as source of returns, not constraint"

35:00 - Crisis lessons from dot-com, 2008, COVID: "When narrative drifts from fundamentals, gravity always wins" - reinforced belief in simplicity over financial engineering

50:00 - Tai Chi principles mirror investing: true power comes from stillness and patience, explosive "Fajin" moments when opportunity appears

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Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

EPISODE NOTESPodcast Program – Disclosure Statement

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P.V. Ramanathan is a Dubai-based entrepreneur, chartered accountant, and fund-of-funds manager who led a successful leveraged buyout in 2003, founded Neeti Fund, and hosts the prestigious ValueX Middle East conference annually.

3:00 - Ram's middle-class Indian upbringing and early exposure to family finances through banking errands with his father, sparking entrepreneurial drive

6:00 - Career journey from Ernst & Young Dubai to Schlumberger, learning business operations by spending weekends on oil rigs in coveralls

9:30 - "Money has always been an enabler for me" - philosophy shaped by helping replenish father's education investment

13:00 - Transition from CFO role to leading a management buyout of corrosion services business, discovering value investing simultaneously

18:00 - Building Corrosion Technology Services (CTS) without leverage: "We are bottom feeders. Anyone who works for us six years is potential competitor"

25:00 - Investment philosophy: Four-bucket approach (value, growth, ballast funds) targeting steady single-digit returns with downside protection

32:00 - Contrarian belief: "Don't fixate on short-term results" - explains why quarterly obsession drives counterproductive business behavior

41:00 - Business survival principles: Zero leverage, conservative revenue recognition, maintaining cash reserves through all cycles

50:00 - Global investment opportunities: Highlighting undervalued Korean market and biotech sector despite volatility

57:00 - ValueX Middle East origins and Toastmasters impact: "All of us are better than some of us" - community building philosophy

63:00 - Definition of success: "Making positive difference in every endeavor I undertake" - touching lives through business, investing, and relationships

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

If you downloaded the episode before Wednesday, please remove it and download it again. Thank you!

Find me on Substack: https://bogumilbaranowski.substack.com/

GUEST PROFILE: Nancy Burger is a leading workplace communication strategist, executive coach, and founder of the Fear Finding Project who helps leaders overcome fear-based thinking after leaving her own Wall Street career to transform her expertise in human psychology into practical strategies for building emotionally healthy, high-performing cultures.

EPISODE NOTES:

3:00 - Nancy shares her stable suburban upbringing but reveals the hidden family dynamics that shaped her fear-based thinking patterns and career trajectory

6:00 - The courage to leave Wall Street: Nancy discusses conquering multi-layered fears to end a 27-year marriage and completely rebuild her life in her 50s

9:00 - Key insight: Fear as information tool - "Fear can become a tool. Notice this without judging it...use it as information instead of recoiling and avoiding the thing because it's scary"

12:00 - Brain science of fear: Understanding limbic system vs prefrontal cortex responses and why we need both pathways for survival and growth

15:00 - Imposter syndrome focus: Nancy's passion project - helping leaders understand "that is something they're making a choice about and they can change it"

18:00 - The power of words in building confidence: How feedback can either destroy or empower, drawing parallels to pilot training methodologies

24:00 - Difficult conversations strategy: Using "I statements" to avoid defensiveness - "I'm noticing" vs "You did this"

35:00 - Career evolution: From finance to writing to music to keynote speaking - "an iterative process...like the inner workings of a massive clock"

42:00 - Communication failure story: Learning to consider your audience's experience rather than just your own emotional state

55:00 - AI as tool, not threat: "Learn about it and understand that it is a tool...don't let machines help you interact with loved ones"

60:00 - Success definition: Impact over achievement - "Did I touch the people in my sphere of influence in a way that left an impact that's positive?"Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.