Build vs. partner: choosing capabilities

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.

The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.

The 2025 Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm’s recap of its event noted. 

The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. 

Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.

In this special series, we went behind the scenes at the Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.

Our first conversation was with Matt Gibson, who is head of the Client Solutions Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. 

Prior to his current role, Matt served as co-head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Group in the Investment Banking Division from 2021 to 2023. Before that Matt served as co-head of One Goldman Sachs from 2019 to 2021 and served as global co-head of Client Coverage within Investment Banking Services from 2015 to 2020. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2001 as an associate and was named managing director in 2008 and partner in 2010. Prior to joining the firm, Matt was a US naval officer for five years, working in a variety of capacities on two different US Navy ships. During this time, Matt’s service centered on operations in the Western Pacific, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea and Adriatic Sea. Matt serves on the US Naval Academy Board of Trustees and the Global Advisory Board for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Matt earned a BS in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1994 and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2001.

Matt and I had a fascinating conversation about Goldman’s evolution of its private markets strategy and how the firm’s “One Goldman Sachs” initiative has enabled them to bring the entire firm to bear as it helps deliver solutions for both wealth and institutional clients. We covered:

• How Matt’s experiences across the firm inform the way he approaches solving needs for clients.
• The how and the why behind the “One Goldman Sachs” initiative.
• Goldman’s client-centric approach. 
• Why it matters to be an early mover in certain instances in private markets.
• Goldman’s approach to partnerships in private markets.
• The power of the platform and how Goldman leverages its platform to help its private markets efforts.
• The importance of understanding geopolitics in today’s increasingly complicated investing world.

Thanks Matt for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion for private markets and private wealth.

Show Notes

00:42 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast

00:56 Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference Overview

01:09 Interview with Matt Gibson

02:26 Matt Gibson's Career Journey

02:50 The Importance of Client Engagement

03:17 One Goldman Sachs Initiative

04:13 Commercial and Cultural Impact of One Goldman Sachs

05:11 Convergence of Public and Private Markets

06:04 Growth in Retail and Institutional Alternatives

07:44 Balancing Customization with Scale

08:23 Leveraging the Goldman Sachs Platform

10:10 Origination and Investment Banking Synergy

11:23 Infusing Goldman Sachs Culture

12:34 Private Markets Culture and Strategy

13:35 Building Capabilities Through Partnerships

15:19 LP Relationships and Private Markets Evolution

16:44 Strategic Decisions in Private Markets

19:13 Agility in Product Strategy

21:08 Serving Clients in Private Markets

25:41 Geopolitical Considerations in Investing

28:06 Mega Trends and Geopolitics

29:47 Future of Private Markets

30:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.