Alt Goes Mainstream: The Latest on Alternative Investments, WealthTech, & Private Markets

• Future Proof Citywide Replay: Alt Goes Mainstream Live with Blue Owl's Marc Zahr

  Future Proof, which holds one of the industry’s largest wealth conferences, invited me to hold a live podcast earlier this year with Blue Owl Co-President and Global Head of Real Assets Marc Zahr. Marc is a pioneer in the real estate space, building Blue Owl into a market leader in the triple net lease strategy, a commercial real estate investment strategy that is becoming increasingly popular for real estate investors, tenants (think large corporates like Amazon, Walgreens, Dollar General), and investors alike.Blue Owl’s Real Assets business has over $67.1B AUM, owning over 5,600 assets and partnering with over 800 tenants. Marc founded Oak Street, the predecessor firm to Blue Owl, in 2009 with $17M AUM. Listening to Marc talk about the evolution of his career, building Oak Street, and running Blue Owl’s Real Assets platform, it’s no surprise to see why Marc and the firm have had success. His “myopic focus … perfecting his craft,” as he discussed in our conversation, his clarity of vision, and his ability to so clearly articulate his investment strategy and market opportunity have led to tremendous success for Oak Street, and now, Blue Owl.Marc and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion that covered everything from the evolution of his firm, how and why he sold Oak Street to Blue Owl, the market opportunity in triple net lease real estate investing, why data center investing is a large market opportunity, how to build a high-performing investment culture, and much more.We discussed:The story of how Marc built Oak Street from a $17M real estate investment firm and grew it into Blue Owl’s $67B AUM Real Assets platform.Breaking down the triple net lease real estate investment strategy.Why the industry “isn’t even in the first inning” in the $20T addressable market in triple net lease real estate investing.Why data centers are a “once in a generation opportunity” due to capex supply / demand imbalance.How a bigger platform can help an asset manager scale its business.Why an evergreen structure can make sense and the story of how Blue Owl did so well with its triple net lease product on a private wealth platform that the private bank created their own product.The hardest part of educating the wealth channel on real estate and evergreen structures.Why private wealth is the biggest opportunity in the future. The advice Marc would give to someone trying to build the next great asset manager.Thanks Marc for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and thoughtful and nuanced perspectives on private markets and real estate. 

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• Hg's Martina Sanow - unlocking opportunities to invest in Europe's largest portfolio of software and services businesses

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode is with someone who has successfully built a wealth solutions business tailored to her firm’s unique strengths, expertise, and investment track record.Martina Sanow is a Partner and Head of Hg Wealth, where she is focused on building the firm’s wealth solutions offering built out of the $85B AUM firm, Hg, that invests in enterprise software.Hg, one of the top 10 largest PE firms globally based on the PEI 300 ranking, has built an impressive investment engine focused mission-critical enterprise software companies. The firm has built a portfolio that is a “transatlantic ecosystem of software and services businesses” — representing over $180B in collective enterprise value across its 55 portfolio companies.Martina has been at the firm for almost 16 years. She has been an integral part of building the firm into what it is today, helping Hg grow from $2B in AUM to $85B in AUM, previously as Deputy COO and now building the Hg Wealth business. Hg’s first wealth offering, Fusion, its flagship evergreen fund that provides access to non-US investors to Hg’s private equity funds and co-investment opportunities, has exceeded $1B in NAV just 12 months after its launch.Martina is thoughtful, strategic, and long-term oriented when it comes to building a solution that amplifies Hg’s strengths and resonates with the wealth channel. We had a fascinating discussion about how a scaled specialist like Hg can stand out in the wealth channel, unpacking the essence of who Hg is as a firm and how they’ve expressed who they are as they’ve built their wealth business.We covered:Hg’s evolution as a firm.Why Hg focuses on mission-critical enterprise software companies and why it’s a compelling investment thesis.Building a wealth business that fits the mission, ethos, and strategy of the firm.Understanding the complexity of evergreen funds.How Martina and team think about managing dealflow and investor demand in their Fusion fund.Learnings applied from HgTrust, the publicly listed UK investment trust, to figuring out how to educate and build brand in the wealth channel.Why does ownership structure matter when it comes to building a wealth business? How being privately owned informs how Hg builds their wealth business.Why Europe, why now?Thanks Martina for coming on the show to share your wisdom and expertise at the intersection of enterprise software, private equity, and private wealth.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Introduction and Message from Ultimus, our Sponsor01:55 Welcome to the Podcast01:58 Introducing Martina Sanow04:36 Martina's Background and Experience05:10 Hg's Specialization in Software05:57 Building a Team and Culture06:54 Importance of Cognitive Diversity07:26 Building a Diverse Team09:28 Innovating in Wealth Business10:14 Hg's Strategic Mindset11:51 Hg's Entrepreneurial Journey12:00 Maintaining Entrepreneurial Culture13:10 Specialization in B2B Software14:47 Focus on DPI and Cash Back16:17 Criteria for A-Quality Businesses16:58 Investing in Mission Critical Software18:11 Visma Case Study19:23 Challenges and Opportunities in Europe33:13 Evergreen Structures: Impact on Investment Teams33:44 Balancing Capital Raising and Deal Flow34:13 Investment Strategies and Allocation34:54 Managing Subscriptions and Demand35:53 Balancing Wealth and Institutional Demand36:06 Privately Owned Firm Benefits36:37 Realization Committee and Evergreen Structures37:52 Long-Term Company Partnerships39:11 Liquidity Management Challenges39:55 Investor Strategies for Evergreen Funds41:40 Institutional Adoption of Evergreen Funds42:48 Evolution of Institutional Mindset43:26 Retail vs. Wealth Investors44:01 Listed Trust and Wealth Business Insights45:54 Building the Wealth Business47:29 Strategic Importance of Wealth Capital48:54 Innovation in Wealth Management49:28 Partnerships and Holistic Solutions50:58 Future of Wealth Management Products52:44 Brand Building and Education55:00 Software as a Core Investment56:19 Community and Founder Investments59:28 Value Creation and Network Benefits01:00:15 Portfolio Synergies and Acquisitions01:01:36 Concluding Thoughts and Favorite InvestmentsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

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• Goldman Sachs Petershill's Robert Hamilton-Kelly - riding the waves of change in GP stakes

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s conversation dives into the current state of private markets through the lens of one of the leading GP stakes firms in the industry.We sat down with Partner and Global Co-Head of the Petershill Group at Goldman Sachs Robert Hamilton-Kelly. Petershill takes minority equity stakes in established and newly-established alternative asset managers. Across its different investment vehicles, Petershill participates in the fee income from over 200 underlying funds from alternative asset management firms that are diversified across asset class, investment strategy, and investment lifecycle.Petershill’s Partner firms have well in excess of $340B in aggregate AUM and they’ve partnered with a number of the top firms and some of the industry's most recognizable names in the middle market and upper end of the market, including Clearlake, Francisco Partners, Permira, Accel-KKR, General Catalyst, Kayne Anderson Real Estate, Kennedy Lewis, and more.Rob and I had a fascinating conversation on GP stakes and the evolution of alternative asset management. We discussed:The what, why, and how of GP stakes.The benefits and drawbacks of GP stakes investing for GPs and LPs.What makes a great GP.The question of liquidity in GP stakes.Why Petershill has generally focused on middle-market alternative asset managers.How private markets will continue to evolve and the growing importance of the wealth channel in the evolution of asset management.Thanks Rob for coming on the show to share your wisdom and expertise in private markets and GP stakes. We hope you enjoy.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message01:18 Podcast Opening and Theme02:06 Guest Introduction: Robert Hamilton Kelly03:32 Rob's Boat Racing Experience03:45 Parallels Between Boat Racing and Private Markets04:57 Current State of Private Markets05:14 Impact of Policy Changes on Private Markets06:53 Growth of the Private Markets Industry07:09 Early Days of Petershill07:26 Goldman's Role in Alternative Asset Management09:26 Valuing GP Stakes and Alternative Asset Managers10:01 Insights on Alternative Asset Managers12:36 Valuing GP Stakes13:22 Data-Driven Investment Strategies15:34 Management Fees and Performance Fees16:28 Growth and Evolution of Firms23:16 Strategic Imperatives for Growth26:15 Managerial Skills and Industry Dynamics30:55 Commercialization in Platform Management31:07 Challenges and Opportunities in Capital Raising31:53 Industry Consolidation Predictions32:29 Growth and Consolidation in Private Markets33:31 The Role of Mid-Market Firms34:15 GP Stakes and Wealth Channel Access36:12 Goldman's Unique Platform and Services37:57 The Importance of Strategic Advice39:39 Common Challenges for GPs40:33 Evolving LP and GP Stakes Dynamics40:44 Why LPs Invest in GP Stakes42:00 Income Generation and Capital Growth42:49 Diversification in GP Stakes43:05 Private Markets Exposure44:01 Entry Points into Private Markets45:07 Long-Term Exposure and Portfolio Construction47:00 Investing in Private Credit48:10 Evaluating GP Stakes Investments49:38 Data and Performance in GP Stakes52:04 Growth Path of Private Markets52:23 Valuing Alternative Asset Managers55:41 Liquidity in GP Stakes57:09 Structural Changes in GP Stakes57:35 The Evolution of Private Markets58:11 Future of Venture and Growth Sectors58:56 Private Credit Products and Market Share59:29 Maturation of Private Markets59:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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• Monthly Alts Pulse Ep. 17: Live from iCapital Connect - IEQ's Eric Harrison and iCapital's Steve Houston on innovative approaches to wealth management

  Welcome to the 17th episode of the Monthly Alts Pulse, a collaboration between iCapital x Alt Goes Mainstream. We were live from iCapital Connect’s conference in Phoenix to dive into the most pressing trends at the intersection of private markets and wealth management —and unpack how wealth management firms are utilizing private markets to build out or enhance their practice.In this episode of the Monthly Alts Pulse, iCapital Managing Partner and Co-Head of iCapital Solutions, Steve Houston, and I are joined by Eric Harrison, Founding Partner of IEQ Capital.IEQ, managing close to $40B in AUM, has been an innovator from the start. Private markets — and a customized approach to investing in private markets — are a core part of the IEQ offering — and they’ve differentiated the firm as a result.Eric and Steve shared a number of thought-provoking perspectives on wealth management and how advisors and clients can approach allocating to private markets as part of a holistic asset allocation framework.Thanks Eric and Steve for a great episode … looking forward to the next Monthly Alts Pulse conversation!Show Notes00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:24 Experiences in Private Banking01:28 Independent Advisors and Private Markets01:46 IEQ Capital's Approach to Private Markets03:33 Scaling and Research in Alternative Investments05:48 Client Experience and Customization07:35 Technology and Tax Strategy10:46 Innovative Ideas in Private Markets13:13 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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• Blue Owl Capital's Ivan Zinn - running the long race in private credit

  Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode is with someone who is running the long race — in investing and in running.We sit down with prolific long distance runner, Blue Owl Capital’s Ivan Zinn, who has been a pioneer in alternative credit and asset-based finance.Ivan has had a long career in private credit. He started at DLJ before joining Leonard Green & Partners and Highbridge Capital. He then joined HBK before founding pioneering private credit firm Atalaya Capital Management, where he was also the CIO. Ivan and team grew Atalaya to over $10B in AUM from 2006 to 2024 before being acquired by Blue Owl Capital for $450M (and $800M with earnouts).As part of the transaction, Ivan became Managing Director at Blue Owl and is the Head of Alternative Credit, where the firm is now expanding its footprint due to Atalaya’s expertise. Ivan is as prolific outside of the office as he is in it — he is a long distance runner, running 100 mile races, and was a NCAA All-American tennis player, which comes as no surprise given the discipline, focus and expertise required to excel at the activities he’s done throughout his career in work and sport. He’s also a Board member of the USTA Foundation.Ivan and I had a fascinating conversation about the evolution of private credit and the growth of asset-based finance. We discussed:How and why ABF has grown within the private credit ecosystem.ABF’s market structure and a “trip down main street.”The potential size of the ABF market.Why moving assets off bank balance sheets can help the financial system.Why private credit is a data rich asset.Where ABF fits in a portfolio.Why consumer credit is potentially misunderstood within private credit.Thanks Ivan for coming on the show to share your wisdom and expertise on private credit and ABF. Good luck to anyone keeping up with you on a long run though!You can also see a recent Q&A with Ivan about private credit and ABF on AGM here.Subscribe to Alt Goes Mainstream to receive the weekly newsletter every Sunday and all of AGM’s podcasts.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus Fund Solutions, a leading full-service fund administrator for asset managers in private and public markets. As private markets continue to move into the mainstream, the industry requires infrastructure solutions that help funds and investors keep pace. In an increasingly sophisticated financial marketplace, investment managers must navigate a growing array of challenges: elaborate fund structures, specialized strategies, evolving compliance requirements, a growing need for sophisticated reporting, and intensifying demands for transparency.To assist with these challenging opportunities, more and more fund sponsors and asset managers are turning to Ultimus, a leading service provider that blends high tech and high touch in unique and customized fund administration and middle office solutions for a diverse and growing universe of over 450 clients and 1,800 funds, representing $500 billion assets under administration, all handled by a team of over 1,000 professionals. Ultimus offers a wide range of capabilities across registered funds, private funds and public plans, as well as outsourced middle office services. Delivering operational excellence, Ultimus helps firms manage the ever-changing regulatory environment while meeting the needs of their institutional and retail investors. Ultimus provides comprehensive operational support and fund governance services to help managers successfully launch retail alternative products.Visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com to learn more about Ultimus’ technology enhanced services and solutions or contact Ultimus Executive Vice President of Business Development Gary Harris on email at [email protected] thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Introduction and Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus01:57 Introducing Ivan Zinn03:49 Parallels Between Running and Business05:32 Early Days of Private Credit06:52 Post-GFC Changes in Private Credit07:31 Evolution of Atalaya's Business Model08:21 Growth of Asset-Based Finance09:38 FinTech's Role in Private Credit11:09 Importance of Stable Capital Sources21:09 Concentration Risks in Private Credit22:27 Defining Asset-Based Finance (ABF)22:53 Different Flavors of ABF27:43 Investor Exposure and Risk in Private Credit29:46 Direct Lending vs. Public Credit36:02 Consumer Credit and Perceived Risks37:36 Debunking the Cyclical Perception of Credit Risk38:22 The Utility of Credit Cards During Financial Crises38:44 The Resilience of ABS and Diversified Portfolios39:07 The Role of Data Science in Credit Analysis39:32 Surviving the GFC: A Benchmark for Credit Pools39:53 Diversification in ABF and Private Credit40:48 Selective Approach to Consumer Credit41:36 The Importance of Manager Selection in Credit Investing42:11 Private Market Transactions and Large Announcements42:40 The Journey from Atalaya to Blue Owl43:25 Challenges in Institutional Fundraising and Capital Formation44:20 The Need for Diverse Capital Sources45:43 Integration and Cultural Fit with Blue Owl46:16 The Role of Data Science and Innovation in Credit50:22 The Wealth Channel and Private Credit50:50 Private Credit as a Fixed Income Replacement52:34 Transparency and Market Structure in Private Credit55:55 Educating Investors on Private Credit57:48 The Evolution and Adoption of ABF01:00:15 The Growth of Private Credit Market01:01:28 Challenges and Opportunities in Private Credit01:03:45 The Importance of Scale in Credit Investing01:04:28 Vertical Integration in Financing01:05:26 Relentless Forward Progress in Credit Investing01:06:31 Memorable Investments and Risk-Reward Balance Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

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