Geopolitical change, product disruption, and technological transformation have all made this the most complicated moment in history to navigate capital markets. CAIA Association spent the last 12 months finding out why. After convening 120 global executives across eight financial centers we're proud to introduce: The World Rewired, a blueprint for the decade ahead. In this episode, we unpack the three structural shifts at its core with four practitioners who were in the room with us, including Sebastian Mallaby, Stuart Wrigley, Yingwen Chin, and Muneera Aldossary.

Guests:

Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow in International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations

Stuart Wrigley, Partner, Head of Asia Pacific and Head of Capital Formation and Strategy International, Sixth Street

Yingwen Chin, Partner - Private Markets IDD, Albourne Partners

Muneera Aldossary, CEO & Board Member, Franklin Templeton, Saudi Arabia

Episode Sources

(00:00) Artificial intelligence as a transformational force, with adaptability and curiosity as enduring traits of successful investors.

(01:36) Traditional capital allocation models are becoming outdated amid rapid innovation in products, technology, and investment approaches.

(06:40) Global roundtables with industry leaders reveal interconnected themes pointing to a systemic rewiring of capital markets.

(18:28) Introduction of three major shifts: macro (geopolitics), industry (market convergence), and organizational (talent and AI).

(18:28) Geopolitics moves from background noise to a central driver of capital flows and investment decision-making.

(25:45) Geopolitical considerations become embedded in underwriting, with firms building internal expertise and advisory capabilities.

(30:22) Long-duration investments such as venture capital and infrastructure require deeper integration of political and regulatory analysis.

(35:05) Emergence of new centers of capital, particularly in the Middle East and Asia, driven by sovereign wealth funds.

(40:42) Growing debate around US exceptionalism and the potential for a more multipolar global financial system.

(46:58) The convergence of public and private markets reshapes investment access, structures, and asset class boundaries.

(49:43) Rapid product innovation raises concerns around investor education, alignment, and long-term suitability.

(55:34) Industry consolidation and the rise of multi-strategy platforms alter competition and access to top-tier opportunities.

(01:02:12) Organizational shifts driven by technology redistribute tasks and reshape roles within investment firms.

(01:06:09) Adaptability, intellectual curiosity, and cross-disciplinary thinking emerge as critical traits for investment professionals.

(01:09:53) Concerns around AI reducing critical thinking and eliminating traditional entry-level training pathways.

(01:13:40) AI impacts all levels of the workforce, increasing the importance of judgment, relationships, and credibility.

(01:18:34) Shift from technical skill-based training toward systems thinking, communication, and leadership capabilities

What happens when governments can't fund infrastructure anymore? A $1.6 trillion private asset class that doesn't recognize itself in the mirror. In the 2020s, infrastructure has entered a battlefield where geopolitics, government agendas, and investor returns collide. We trace infrastructure's evolution from nation-building mechanism to one of the most integrated asset classes in modern investing. In this episode, we explore a central tension: is infrastructure still a stable, boring, income-generating asset, or has it become a bigger bet on which governments can actually execute their vision? Joined by Peter Blue of Franklin Templeton and Gautam Bhandari of I Squared, we dive into one of the oldest asset classes in human history.

Guests:

Peter Blue, CFA, CAIA, FRM, Head of Private Market Solutions, Franklin Templeton

Gautam Bhandari, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, I Squared Capital

Episode Sources

(00:00) Infrastructure as an invisible but essential backbone of daily life and economic activity.

(01:24)Introduction to infrastructure as a paradox: ancient in practice, modern as an institutional asset class.

(03:43) The projected $100 trillion global infrastructure investment need through 2040 and the funding gap.

(06:06) Infrastructure allocations remain modest despite structural tailwinds and capital demand.

(10:32) Infrastructure as both inanimate and “alive” through its system-wide economic impact.

(12:04) Roman publicani as early private infrastructure investors and the blending of public and private capital.

(16:24) Infrastructure historically used as a tool of statecraft, control, and regime stability.

(20:35) The Gilded Age, robber barons, and the rise of private capital in U.S. infrastructure development.

(24:50) Australia’s superannuation system and privatization wave as the birthplace of institutional infrastructure investing.

(27:52) Macquarie’s listed infrastructure vehicles and the financialization of the asset class.

(29:43) The contrast between Australia’s GP-led model and Canada’s direct “Canadian model.”

(35:49) Post-GFC surge in infrastructure AUM and its appeal as a stable, inflation-linked asset class.

(41:59) “Suffering from success”: record fundraising, rising valuations, and expanding risk profiles in the 2020s.

(42:20) Redefining infrastructure through resiliency rather than rigid asset definitions.

(46:17) Expansion into digital infrastructure, renewables, and social infrastructure beyond traditional core assets.

(50:52) Data centers as the new “highways” of productivity and the complexities of underwriting digital infrastructure.

(55:32) Energy transition investing and the scale of renewable and grid infrastructure needs.

(57:43) Talent evolution and systems thinking as infrastructure becomes increasingly cross-disciplinary.

(01:01:18) The re-politicization of infrastructure and its return as a strategic instrument of global power.

(01:05:58) China’s Belt and Road Initiative and infrastructure as influence diplomacy.

(01:10:46) Local alignment, commercial contracts, and operating “below the radar” in politically sensitive environments

The asset management industry is knocking on the door of the 401(k) system in the U.S.. While it has been the driving argument for inclusion, access alone doesn’t answer the harder questions. We step back from product hype to examine whether defined contribution plans are structurally equipped to handle illiquidity, complexity, and risk at scale. Joined by Dan Cahill of Partners Group and Drew Carrington of iCapital, we explore how global pension models, governance trade-offs, and participant behavior complicate the debate.  

Guests:

Drew Carrington, CFA, CAIA, Managing Director, Alternatives in Retirement Portfolios, iCapital

Dan Cahill, Head of US Defined Contribution, Partners Group

Episode Sources

What happens when asset owners stop managing asset classes and start managing the whole fund? How do portfolios change, and how does the industry reorient their business models around them? In this episode, a practical sequel to Season 1's introduction, we break down how TPA changes investment processes, how portfolios differ under an SAA framework, and what this means for external managers. With insights from CPP Investments, NZ Super, Blue Owl, and Capital Group, the conversation highlights how partnership, transparency, and solution-oriented relationships reshape the manager-investor relationship in a TPA world.

Guests:

Geoffrey Rubin, Chief Investment Strategist, Total Portfolio Management, CPP Investment Board

Charles Hyde, Head of Asset Allocation, New Zealand Superannuation Fund

Eugene Podkaminer, Institutional Solutions, Capital Group

James Clarke, Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Institutional Capital, Blue Owl Capital

Episode Sources

Growth equity has evolved from the “middle child” between venture and buyout into a distinct and increasingly institutionalized part of the private markets ecosystem. Its role in capital formation, the characteristics of the companies it targets, and the ways value is created have sharpened its identity in a post-COVID market. In this episode, we are joined by Steve McCourt of Meketa and Suzanne Gauron of General Atlantic as they unpack the modern growth equity playbook, how managers compete and differentiate themselves today, and why the strategy’s repositioning matters for investors.

Guests:

Suzanne Gauron, Managing Director of Capital Solutions, General Atlantic

Stephen P. McCourt, CFA, Managing Principal and Co-CEO, Meketa Investment Group

Episode Sources

Space exploration has historically been viewed as a lofty and prideful goal of governments and the old space economy has been led by legacy private sector telecom companies. But what happens when innovation and competition heats up, launch costs are dramatically pushed down, and geopolitical tensions arise amongst nations? Are we in a new space race? What will the outcome be? Join us and guests Luke Ward of Baillie Gifford and Emma Norchet of T. Rowe Price as we explore what the future space economy might entail.

Guests:

Luke Ward, Investment Manager, Baillie Gifford

Emma Norchet, Lead Private Technology Investor, T. Rowe Price

Episode Sources

Say goodbye to tired market takes and superficial sound bites. Because here, instead of skimming the surface, we dive into the heart of capital allocation — striking the perfect balance and exposing the subtleties that reveal the topic’s true essence.
Prepare to have your perspectives challenged as we open up the issues that resonate with the hearts and minds of those shaping capital allocation.

Today’s asset management business has quickly transformed into a race to build out a stable of thoroughbreds--investment strategies across a spectrum of conventional public equity and debt as well as offerings across the continuum of private capital--equity, credit, secondaries, real estate, infrastructure etc. What makes recent history particularly unique are the crossover deals from traditional managers with alternative managers. For several decades, traditional long only mutual fund shops and institutional firms stayed in their lane and idiosyncratic, complex private capital partnerships lived in a different world---there was a peaceful co-existence and mutual exclusivity. Those distinctions and parallel worlds have evaporated. We explore why with two of the most revered leaders in the industry and compare and contrast their different approaches to meeting this challenge.

Introduction: (2:09)

Halftime: (48:25)

Guests: (54:36)

Guests:

Jean Hynes, CEO, Wellington Management

Jenny Johnson, CEO, Franklin Templeton