Money Maze Podcast

Moreover, if executed well, it offers the potential to act with a long-term horizon as true asset owners, and to unlock investment opportunities that individual funds might struggle to access alone. Today in the UK, one of the most consequential organisations in UK pensions, is Border to Coast. They sit at the centre of one of the most significant shifts in UK institutional investing in a generation, and as of April 2026, will oversee nearly £120bn of local authority assets.   Rachel Elwell explains their investment approach, the motivation behind the merged pools and the advantages scale offers. Specifically, she discusses insourcing versus outsourcing, passive v active, where and why, UK v global, and the role of private assets, fees, as well as why Leeds is such a great place to live and work. The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.

Jen Easterly, former U.S. cybersecurity leader and Army colonel now leading RSAC, traces a path from West Point and Oxford to building the nation’s cyber defenses. She discusses commanding the Army’s first cyber battalion, standing up CISA, private sector responsibility for critical infrastructure, AI’s dual role in security and threat amplification, and why boards must treat cyber as an existential business risk.

A first! For the first time since our inception 6 years ago, we welcome back a guest for their third visit. General David Petraeus, once described by Simon Sebag Montefiore as the ultimate soldier-scholar, is Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. Prior to this, David had a distinguished US military career and was the CIA Director during the Obama administration. He assesses the heat map of geopolitical and military tensions which is glowing red. Starting with the Indo-Pacific he assesses President Xi’s removal of his top Generals, what this might mean, and why peace must prevail despite the undercurrent of tensions.Having returned recently from Ukraine, he then gives some fresh perspectives which challenge stale narratives and describes the immense scale of loss of Russian lives and the technological prowess of Ukraine manufacturing and know-how.He then weights Iran’s options; the US’s potential moves and the perspective of other Middle Eastern nations.  Finally he offers advice for leaders in an environment where “just in time” has morphed into “just in case”.The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube 

Soraya Chabarek, President and CEO of Manulife CQS and veteran of GLG and Moore Capital, talks about transforming a hedge fund into an institutional alternative credit platform. She covers scaling beyond star culture, building distribution through relationships, risks and opportunities in private credit, AI’s role versus human judgement, and what she looks for in hires.

Emerging Markets, once the darling of the asset allocators world, have found themselves increasingly discarded by those same allocators. Such became the re-allocation away from them and the magnetism of the US & its technology companies, that as recently as the end of 2024, Emerging Markets were at a 50 year low, relative to the S&P 500. With some improved relative performance, it may be asked if this is a flicker, or are we at the foothills of a bigger reallocation? East Capital’s CEO, Peter Håkansson, discusses the opportunities, the lessons drawn from researching them for 3 decades, and what the drop in EM Government bond yields might be signalling. He explains why no central heating might indicate corporate failure ahead, which fundamentals matter, and why they prefer to take their bets in company position sizing, rather than in the country weights. He also discusses Frontier markets, the impact of foreign exchange and as a music lover he is, “reasons to be cheerful!” (Ian Dury & the Blockheads)The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube 

As Mike Milken said on this podcast, “the greatest achievement of humankind in the 20th century, was the doubling of life expectancy.” If living longer seems a powerful goal, the caveat would be only if it goes hand in hand with being healthy whilst being older, AND in not running out of money!In this conversation, Dr Andrew Steele examines, diagnoses, evaluates, and prescribes the implications, actions, benefits, costs and possibilities associated with living longer, healthier lives. He examines the financial and health aspects, the drugs already breaking new ground, why reasons for optimism are well grounded, and the associated leaps in scientific understanding.  Subscribe to stay up to date with our range of fascinating interviews, featuring some of the biggest names in global finance and business!The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube 

Nicky Gumbel is a Church of England priest and the visionary behind the Alpha Course, a transformative program that redefines Christianity for modern audiences. He shares his inspirational journey from a barrister to a clergyman and details how Alpha became a global phenomenon. Nicky discusses the program's accessibility, its appeal to youth searching for purpose, and its impact on communities, including prisons. He emphasizes the importance of charismatic leadership, generosity, and the quest for belonging in today's society.

Cathie Wood, the founder and CEO of ARK Invest, is a pioneer in thematic investing focused on disruptive innovation. She shares insights from her career, inspired by Arthur Laffer, and discusses ARK's unique principles of integrating macro themes with bottom-up analysis. Cathie delves into the potential of technologies like AI, multiomic sequencing, and energy storage. She also addresses the challenges of market drawdowns and the importance of emotional resilience in investing. Her bold approach encourages women to explore innovation-driven roles in finance.

Blair Jacobson, Co-President of Ares Management and expert in alternative investments, shares insights on private credit and BDCs. He explains Ares' high-yielding business model and the benefits of being a public company. The conversation dives into Europe's banking reliance vs. private credit, highlighting opportunities in the middle market. Blair details Ares' sports investments, including a significant stake in Chelsea FC, and discusses the growth of credit secondaries, emphasizing risk management and investor education in a changing landscape.

Sir Chris Hohn, founder of TCI Fund Management and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, is renowned for his strategic insights in investing and philanthropy. He shares his philosophy of prioritizing risk over return and emphasizes the importance of long-term patience in investment strategies. Discussing his shift to philanthropy, he highlights formative experiences that drive his commitment to global development. Sir Chris also warns against AI's limitations and stresses the need for heartfelt purpose in both investing and giving.