In this episode of the Dakota Live! Podcast, host Robert Morier welcomes Sean Poe, Director of Investment Manager Research at Key Private Bank, for an insightful conversation about investment philosophy, rethinking career paths, and the art of selecting managers across public and private markets.

With a dynamic background that spans equity research, private investing, and operating roles at firms like Wayfair and Lowe’s, Sean brings a unique perspective to portfolio construction and manager evaluation. Listen in to explore how Sean’s unconventional path has shaped his views on risk, alignment, and long-term partnerships—and how he's applying those lessons at Key Private Bank, where he oversees manager research and multi-strategy portfolios within a $60 billion platform.

Listeners will gain insight into:
• Key’s seven P’s framework for manager research—from people to partnership
• How "Poe’s Alpha" measures real-world investment friction
• Building trust and alignment in manager relationships
• Why operational experience makes for sharper allocators
• The evolving role of fund structures, from SMAs to evergreen private equity
• Lessons in networking, career pivots, and transparent storytelling

Whether you’re an asset manager seeking to stand out or an allocator curious about evaluating skill vs. luck in today’s markets, this episode offers practical wisdom and fresh perspective from a seasoned decision-maker who's been on both sides of the table.

In this episode of Dakota Live!, host Robert Morier sits down with Nick Gentile, Interim President and Chief Investment Officer of Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, to explore how a mission-driven $29 billion organization navigates today’s complex fixed income and alternative markets.

Nick Gentile, a seasoned fixed income specialist, offers an inside look at how his team approaches asset allocation, manager selection, and liquidity management while staying true to the Knights’ Catholic investing principles. From private credit and securitized products to real estate debt and duration positioning, Nick shares how the firm balances stewardship with innovation in a volatile rate environment.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into:

• How a values-based investment philosophy informs portfolio construction.
  
  
• The evolving role of private credit and real assets in institutional portfolios.
  
  
• What CIOs look for in external managers during the due diligence process.
  
  
• How insurers and asset allocators are adapting fixed income strategies post–rate cycle.
  
  
• Lessons in leadership, communication, and risk discipline from a CIO who rose through the ranks.
  
  

Whether you’re an allocator, asset manager, or student of investment strategy, this episode offers a masterclass in CIO decision-making, fixed income portfolio design, and faith-driven investing.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube to understand how one of America’s most enduring institutions is redefining stewardship for the modern markets.

• The Role of Character: Why courage, patience, and integrity in leadership remain irreplaceable, especially as artificial intelligence takes over technical tasks.
• The Pitfalls of Pattern Recognition: How overreliance on short-term performance and surface-level communication can mask deeper organizational weaknesses, and how allocators can uncover them during due diligence.
• The Value of Information: Why decision quality should be judged in the context of information available at the time (not just outcomes) and how allocators can fairly assess managers’ choices through this lens.
• Trust in Fundraising and Asset Allocation: Moving beyond interaction-based trust toward vision-based trust—and why boutique managers who clearly articulate a differentiated future are more likely to stand out with investment committees.
• Cognitive Diversity & Early Warning Signs: How giving analysts a voice, fostering psychological safety, and embracing cognitive diversity can prevent blind spots and strengthen investment teams.