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Conversations with Institutional Investors

Conversations with Institutional Investors

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Conversations with Institutional Investors is your gateway to in-depth discussions with the masterminds behind leading global investment firms, including key figures from pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds. Our podcast explores the evolving landscape of asset allocation, portfolio construction, and investment strategy, offering you firsthand insights from industry experts to inspire smarter, more innovative investment approaches. For further insights go to i3-invest.com. You can also subscribe to our complimentary newsletter at: i3-invest.com/subscribe/2025 Economía Finanzas Personales
Episodios
  • 126: Professor Scott Donald – Should Trustees Use AI?
    Jan 5 2026
    In episode 126, Scott Donald, Professor at the Faculty of Law and Justice of the University of New South Wales, breaks down how artificial intelligence is reshaping the work of superannuation trustees. Efficiency is the big draw, but legal and ethical risks mean trustees are moving carefully. AI is already embedded in parts of the finance sector, from document summarisation to risk management, yet its tendency to hallucinate and behave inconsistently remain serious hurdles. Scott explores where AI can genuinely add value and discusses its application to investment strategy, compliance and even private-market valuations, while stressing the need for strong human oversight. Enjoy the show! Follow the Investment Innovation Institute [i3] on Linkedin Subscribe to our Newsletter Explore our library of insights from leading institutional investors at [i3] Insights Overview of Podcast with Scott Donald, Professor at UNSW 02:00 Using AI as a trustee is a little bit different because you are managing money of somebody else 04:00 AI can be applied where a trustee knows what information to look for, but just asking it to go and look for something can be quite dangerous. 07:30 Trustees have an obligation under the SIS Act to form an investment strategy. I think it would be very dangerous to use AI here. 10:00 Risk is where you don't think to look; AI can help with that 12:30 AI models don't really hallucinate. They don't seem things that are not really there, because they don't care about the truth. 14:30 In contrast to a fund manager, a trustee often has to answer to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) and they will ask you to justify your decision. 'The machine said it', is not an answer that is going to work. 18:00 How human interaction with an AI model occurs is actually quite crucial and we haven't really grappled that to the ground yet 24:00 Should trustees use AI at all? "I think they should consider it, because it can drive down costs" 30:00 Most of the AI systems out there are trained on datasets that are massive, compared the data in a super fund 37:00 As investment and legal professionals, we have to be aware that some of the skills that got us to where we are now are no longer worth the cost to us to acquire Research paper: Donald S, 2025, 'Artificial Intelligence and Super Fund Trusteeship', Company and Securities Law Journal, 41, pp. 137 - 157 Full Transcription of Episode 126 Wouter Klijn 00:00 Welcome to the [i3] Podcast. I'm here today with a return guest, Scott Donald, who is a Professor at the Faculty of Law and Justice at the University of New South Wales. How did you come to research this topic? Scott Donald 00:24 Look, it's very difficult to avoid the issue of AI. It comes up everywhere in the news, talking to trustees about what they're doing, the plans they have for next year, and so on. So for a lot of Trustees, it's a really important issue. Trustees typically don't have enormous resources to spend on things, and they've got an enormous list of things they've got to get through. Yeah, so it's, it's a natural place for them to look for efficiencies and ways to get things done quicker, more rigorously, perhaps cheaper. So just hearing it on the on the grapevine, that they were really interested in this, but, but also a little bit nervous. Yeah, you know, what were the risks? How, what, what, from a legal perspective, might be some of the issues. And so that was really how I started to get engaged in this is to think, Well, we know trusteeship is a little different. Yeah, it's not just about managing your own money. You're managing money for someone else, and that that does change things a bit. So that's how it came about. Wouter Klijn 01:22 So did you find that they were already dabbling in AI, or were they more curious? Scott Donald 01:27 I think most of the big financial institutions are well down the track of thinking about how they can employ AI in different areas. And so the trustees that are part of those big institutions were hearing things or being told that they should consider different ways of organising their operations. But just generally, even at conferences, you'd see people talking in groups, or maybe the presentations from people who are spruiking the advantages of AI. So they were coming across it in lots of different ways, and there'd be very few boards, super fund, boards, managed investment scheme, boards that aren't think, haven't thought about, haven't discussed, how might we use this? Could we do that? Could we do this? Or could we do that? But it's hard to get independent advice on it, because the expertise in the area is so much in the hands of those who are selling the various products that you know you're sitting there as a trustee with lots of other concerns to do with the administration of the trust, to invest and so on. And now you've got, well, hang on, what do I do with AI? It's, it's, it's not an easy area to get into, yeah....
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    40 m
  • 125: The Devolution of Neoliberalism – UTS Finance Department Roundtable
    Dec 3 2025
    In this special edition of the [i3] Podcast, in collaboration with the UTS Finance Department, we explore how the neoliberal model of economics, which largely ignored politics and focused on financial metrics, has eroded over time and made way for the rise of populism, which has exerted its influence on economies around the world. Why did the guardrails that neoliberalism provided slowly disappear and what are the consequences of this? Is there any model that will replace it? Political Economist Elizabeth Humphrys, Geopolitical Specialist Philipp Ivanov and UTS Industry Lecturer Rob Prugue delve deep into this fascinating topic as part of the Circle the Square roundtable series. __________ Follow the Investment Innovation Institute [i3] on Linkedin Subscribe to our Newsletter Explore our library of insights from leading institutional investors at [i3] Insights __________ Overview of Podcast 00:00 – Introduction Wouter introduces the special i3 Podcast edition, produced with UTS Finance. He outlines the episode's theme: how the post-war neoliberal guardrails that long supported economic certainty have eroded, creating persistent uncertainty in markets. He introduces guests Elizabeth Humphrys, Philipp Ivanov and Rob Prugue. 03:04 – Origins of Neoliberal Guardrails (Rob) Rob explains the emergence of post-WWII guardrails: Bretton Woods institutions, NATO, the World Bank, IMF and other frameworks enabling stability and collective economic growth. They created a predictable environment but gradually weakened. 06:05 – Australian Context & Rise of Neoliberalism (Elizabeth) Elizabeth describes the long boom after WWII, its collapse in the 1970s, and neoliberalism's emergence. She explains how the Hawke Government in 1983 implemented major reforms—floating the dollar, tariff cuts, privatisation—enabled by strong political capital and union involvement. 10:09 – Global Perspective (Philipp) Philipp explains the Cold War dynamic: US-led order versus the Soviet bloc, with non-aligned states largely weak. Post-1970s Soviet stagnation and 1990s globalisation cemented US dominance, setting the stage for the "golden age" of the neoliberal order. 14:21 – Pax Americana and the Peace Dividend Rob discusses how guardrails encouraged discipline: countries deviating too far politically were penalised by markets. But global shifts, manufacturing loss and deindustrialisation gradually hollowed out these systems. 16:02 – Contestation of Neoliberalism & Social Impacts (Elizabeth) Elizabeth stresses that neoliberalism was contested from the start. She highlights social movements in the Global South, rising inequality, and sharp pain in Eastern Europe during rapid liberalisation. Domestic consequences—job losses, wage stagnation—fuelled political distrust. 22:03 – Globalisation, Inequality & a Multipolar World Wouter links globalisation to economic displacement. Philipp outlines four major geopolitical mistakes after the Cold War: Assuming China would remain benign Dismissing Russia Taking the developing world for granted Ignoring the power of nationalism and inequality 27:26 – Where Are We Now? Have the Guardrails Fully Collapsed? Rob argues that the guardrails can't simply be rebuilt—political divisiveness and grievance-driven politics are now embedded. Trust in US institutions and commitments (e.g., AUKUS) is eroding. 30:45 – Are We Heading Toward Chaos? (Elizabeth) Elizabeth argues capitalism is resilient but political legitimacy is collapsing. The promise of neoliberalism—trickle-down prosperity, stable institutions—failed large groups of people, fuelling anti-politics, housing unaffordability and climate-related tensions. 37:17 – Beyond Traditional Politics Elizabeth notes the breakdown of mass-membership parties and unions. Declining voter turnout and low trust create fertile ground for populism and fragmented political identities. 40:13 – Global Fractures & Major Trends (Philipp) Philipp highlights five converging forces shaping today's uncertainty: Economic fragmentation Great-power competition Societal divisions Climate change Technological revolution (especially AI) 45:28 – Technology as an Amplifier Rob and Philipp discuss how technology intensifies divisions but is ultimately a human-driven tool. AI raises the stakes of geopolitical competition, especially between the US and China. 53:14 – What Could Future Guardrails Look Like? Rob foresees three emerging forces: Rise of nationalistic policymaking Oligarchic influence filling the institutional vacuum A tri-polar world (US, Europe, BRICS) 55:24 – Can Australia Rebuild Guardrails? (Elizabeth) Elizabeth doubts that politicians currently have the vision for a new national project. She emphasises conflicts between economic growth, climate needs and powerful resource sectors. 59:24 – The Populist Base Rob asks whether a new base of disillusioned voters is forming. Elizabeth agrees: anti-politics creates a vacuum...
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    1 h y 6 m
  • 124: Fidelity's James Richards – Investing in Energy Transition Materials
    Dec 1 2025
    In this episode, I'm speaking with James Richards, Co-portfolio Manager of Fidelity International's Transition Materials Strategy. James runs a strategy that invests in stocks of companies that are exposed to materials that will play a crucial role in the energy transition. And it's not all about copper or lithium. James keeps his investment universe wide and includes commodities, such as animal fats and wood chips. We discussed the spike in rare earth materials earlier this year. We also look at why this is a super-cycle, but unlike the previous, China-led one. And finally, we explore whether this strategy correlates with the Australian economy and its emphasis on materials and style factors, including value. Enjoy the show. Follow the Investment Innovation Institute [i3] on Linkedin Subscribe to our Newsletter Explore our library of insights from leading institutional investors at [i3] Insights Overview of podcast with James Richards, Fidelity 01:00 What are transition materials? 04:00 This was an analyst-driven idea, based on common themes emerging in different materials, rather than a product team idea 06:00 This is a different supercycle from the China-driven supercycle 07:00 There is a school of thought that says iron ore is benefiting from the transition. I don't really believe that 9:00 The energy transition will have an element of decommoditisation to it. There will be pockets of price premiums 11:00 Rare earth prices spiked earlier this year as generalist investors came into this market 14:00 In the first six months of this year, China has installed as much wind and solar as 90 per cent of all wind and solar ever built in the US. 17:00 Are we experiencing a uranium/nuclear renaissance? 21:00 This is not a commodity strategy; you invest in equities. Why? 24:00 We are looking to expand the universe rather than contract it, because we think the opportunity set is wider than even we envisaged. Chemicals is an interesting area. 25:30 Correlations with the commodity-heavy Australian industry. 29:00 You can see the way the world is heading, but when we get there is often unclear. You can lose a lot of money investing in a great demand stories that are just uninvestable at this time 31:00 Is this a value play? Disclaimer: The content in this podcast is for institutional and wholesale investors and is not for distribution to retail investors. This podcast has been prepared without taking into account any person's objectives, financial situation or needs. It is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to constitute advice of any kind. References to specific stocks is for illustrative purposes and is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold those stocks. You should consider the relevant PDS and TMD for any Fidelity Australia product mentioned before making any investment decisions, available at www.fidelity.com.au. Full Episode Transcript Wouter Klijn 01:16 James, welcome to the show. James Richards Hi. Wouter, thanks very much for having me. Wouter Klijn So let's start at the beginning. What are transition materials and why should institutional investors care? James Richards 02:15 You know, I think that the transition is one of the big structural thematics of the next couple of decades, and transition materials are what I call a wide range of commodities and materials that benefit from the process of the transition, and in many cases, the demand driven from the transition, coupled with the fact that it is never been so difficult to bring on new supply of a number of commodities, will create the conditions where, you know what I think could be the next super cycle for a wide range of commodities. And this is a very, very investable thematic, in my view, Wouter Klijn 02:49 Before we get to the super cycle, can you tell me a little bit about where this idea came from? Because I understand this was more of an analyst driven idea to set up the strategy. Is that right? Yeah. James Richards 03:00 I mean, you know, I think normally ideas are born in this, in the product team, and, you know, then they go and find a portfolio manager, you know, this one is something that came out through, you know, hours and meetings and the sort of the work that we were doing around, around the commodity space, and the same themes, you know, started to come up again and again, first of all, in copper. But then, you know, we began to get increasingly excited when we saw the same themes coming up across a wide range of commodities, and, you know, as far afield as vegetable oil and animal fats. And it was then that we saw that there was a sort of wide ranging, quite diversified, investable thematic here. Wouter Klijn 03:41 So what's the story with animal fats? James Richards 03:45 Well, animal fats is so the renewable diesel chain, you know, particularly in the US, but also also wide. What are more widely, you know, is sealed by animal ...
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    40 m
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