LSE Focal Point Podcast

Join us for another enlightening episode at Focal Point, where today we are joined by Benoit Valentin, Head of Private Equity Fund Investments, Head of Impact Investing, Head of Partnership Solutions and Deputy Head of EMEA at Temasek. Prior to his current role, he was a Partner at Cinven, a European private equity fund, and held key roles at Goldman Sachs. Benoit holds a distinguished career in finance and is committed to utilising finance as a force for positive change. Recorded in February 2024

Join us for another engaging episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by André Lacroix, the CEO at Intertek Group, one of the world’s leading FTSE 100 companies. Prior to his current role, he was the Chairman and CEO of Disneyland Paris, the President of Burger King International, and the CEO of Inchcape. André holds a degree from ESCP Europe, Paris’ premier business school, graduating in 1983. Recorded in September 2024

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Sasha Wiggins, the CEO of Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management. Prior to her current role, Sasha Wiggins joined Barclays in 2002 after working at a stockbroking firm and has since held various roles including CEO of Barclays Ireland, Chief of Staff to the Group CEO, and Head of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility. Recorded in June, 2024

Join us for another brilliant episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Xavier Robert, CIO of Bridgepoint. Xavier has a long and successful career in private equity, having joined Bridgepoint in 1998. Before that, he had worked at Total and Ernest and Young. He is a graduate of Ecole des Mines studying Engineering.  Recorded in April, 2024

Join us for another insightful episode of Focal Point, where today we are joined by Sanjit Biswas, CEO of Samsara. Prior to his current role, Sanjit was the co-founder and CEO of the wireless networking company Meraki, which was acquired by Cisco for $1.2 billion in 2012. Sanjit has been recognized as an MIT Technology Review “Innovator Under 35” honoree. He holds a B.S. in Computer Systems Engineering from Stanford and an S.M. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. Recorded in May, 2024

Join us for another engaging episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Renaud de Lesquen, CEO of Givenchy. Prior to his current role, de Lesquen began his career at Lancôme, a L'Oréal brand. He joined Dior in 2012, taking control of the brand's operations in China. In 2019, he was promoted to CEO of Dior Americas. He is a graduate of ESCP Business School. Recorded in February, 2024

Join us for another superb episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Lisa Petrelli, Country Head and Head of Global Markets for Canada at UBS. Before her current role, Lisa started her career at Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Goldman Sachs as an Equity Trader. She obtained her Bachelor’s at the University of Toronto in Political Science and her Master’s in Political Economy at Wilfrid Laurier University. Recorded in March, 2024

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Terri Loska, CEO at Dartmouth Partners. Before her current role, Terri has a rich background in recruitment, having joined the Cornell Partnership, a consulting and PE recruitment company out of university. Terri graduated from The Queen’s College, Oxford University with a 2.1 degree in Literae Humaniores. Recorded in March, 2024

Join us for another fabulous episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Peter Oppenheimer, chief global equity strategist, and head of Macro Research in Europe at Goldman Sachs. Before his current role, Peter worked at HSBC and James Capel. He had a long and successful career in research, having joined Goldman in 2002. Peter is also an LSE alum, having graduated from here in 1985 with a first. Recorded in March, 2024

Join us for another thought-provoking episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Heather Kennedy Miner, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at Advent International. She started her career in investment banking at UBS, before starting a nearly two-decade journey at Goldman Sachs. Heather completed her Bachelor’s in Finance at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, and she is also an LSE alumni. She obtained her MBA at the Stern School of Business at NYU. Recorded in March, 2024