The Fiftyfaces Podcast

Aoifinn Devitt
  • 4.9 (19)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A series that showcases the diversity and richness of the investment world through showcasing inspiring investors and their stories. 

  1. Adam Blitz of Evanston Capital: Hedge Funds, the polish and the promise

    3D AGO

    Adam Blitz of Evanston Capital: Hedge Funds, the polish and the promise

    Adam Blitz is CEO and Co-CIO at Evanston Capital, where he has spent 24 years. He previously worked as a trader at AQR and in the prime brokerage division at Goldman Sachs. Our conversation starts with the serendipitous turn that saw Adam move from the prime brokerage division into the very early days of Evanston capital at the heyday of hedge funds going mainstream. We speak about the risk that that involved, and the vision of expanding upon the endowment investing model that had been in place at NorthWestern University in Illinois.    We move then into what has made Evanston’s approach to hedge fund investing stand the test of time – such as a continuing commitment to uncovering fresh talent in smaller, more nimble funds. Adam discusses the importance of “polish” in a manager’s presentation style, and how sometimes it is necessary to see through that to assess the true edge that a manager may have.   We examine the role of hedge funds in a portfolio and how that has evolved over time and I cite the notable transparency that has always characterized Evanston’s approach, and we discuss the merits of that. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm.

    32 min
  2. Matt Rice of Vistamark: Quarterbacking institutional investment through the cycles

    MAR 10

    Matt Rice of Vistamark: Quarterbacking institutional investment through the cycles

    Matthew Rice is Chief Investment Officer of Vistamark Investments LLC where he leads the creation and execution of innovative, research-driven investment strategies anchored in disciplined portfolio management .He launched the firm in June of 2025 after a long career at Fiducient Advsors.    Our conversation starts with his career as a college and then professional athlete and the way that this experience shaped him in terms of resilience and teamwork. We move then to his continued formative years in investment consulting at the firm that was then DiMeo Schneider and follow this with what led him to launch Vistamark.    Matt emphasized the importance of qualitative analysis alongside quantitative models and shared his approach to maximizing return at a given risk budget. He also discussed the challenges of mission-driven investing, such as removing fossil fuels from portfolios. His final advice is around the importance of being honest, hardworking, and true to oneself as an investor.This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm.

    31 min
  3. Series 1 2026 Trailer: OCIOs, Corporate Responsibility and When Enough is Enough

    EPISODE 1

    Series 1 2026 Trailer: OCIOs, Corporate Responsibility and When Enough is Enough

    Welcome to Series 1 of 2026 – we are now approaching the age of 6 – if we were a person we would be entering school, so we have come of age, and we are going deep.Tune in to a series in which we question what it is to stick to one’s investment beliefs, hear about the changing world of OCIOs and take a different take on pension fund thinking. Our guests are: Kirsty Gibson of Baillie Gifford who discusses investment beliefs and the conviction of being an active manager Rich Nuzum of Franklin Templeton, who discusses the evolution of OCIOs Klaus Peterson of Apera Capital, discussing the opportunity in lower and middle market lending in Germany and the surrounding region Corey Then, general counsel - regulation at Circle, lifts the veil on Stablecoin and their promise Thomas Knowles of the Gratitude Railroad reveals the evolved state of impact investing William McGrath of C Suite Strategies has an unorthodox view on DB pensions and he would like you to know why Larissa Herczeg of 1 Seed, who shares the secret to seeding managers in the real estate arena Alison Taylor, of NYU Stern school, a legend in the corporate responsibility area Matt Rice of newly formed Vistamark Capital on the potential for OCIO and family advisory businesses. Adam Blitz of Evanston Capital, who explains their unique approach to unearthing talent in hedge fund investing  This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm

    5 min
  4. Alison Taylor of NY Stern School of Business - Corporate Responsibility and Doing the Right thing in a Turbulent World

    MAR 3

    Alison Taylor of NY Stern School of Business - Corporate Responsibility and Doing the Right thing in a Turbulent World

    Alison Taylor is Clinical Professor at the NY Stern School of Business – her Linkedin profile describes her as having “lots of other hats and even more opinions”. She is the author of “Higher Ground – How Business can do the right thing in a Turbulent World”, and has a successful Substack as well as being a member of multiple governance oriented boards such as the FT Moral Money Advisory Board as well as holding senior advisor roles at KKR and Unilever. Our conversation starts out with her career journey, in which before joining the academic world she had such intriguing roles as a fraud and corruption investigator in the US and the Middle East. We discuss how this framed her mindset entering the corporate world, and then the pathway that led her to Stern School of Business.Moving then to the central theme of corporate governance and corporate responsibility we discuss what it means to do the "right" thing, and some of the challenges that performative responsibility has led to. We speak about the prime importance of leadership and culture, and Alison emphasizes the need to focus on group behavior and predictable actions rather than individual morality. The importance of authenticity is noted as well as the need for credible and defensible approaches to diversity and sustainability.Alison notes the trend of thinking becoming a luxury good and the need for offline, in-person events to foster critical judgment and EQ and we discuss the impact that AI will have on all of that.Finally we discuss Alison's recent launch on Substack and the reception that that kind of engagement has received compared to Linked In.This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm.

    35 min
  5. Larissa Herczeg of 1 Seed Partners: Built to Last - Sowing the Seeds of Real Estate Strategies

    FEB 25

    Larissa Herczeg of 1 Seed Partners: Built to Last - Sowing the Seeds of Real Estate Strategies

    Larissa Herczeg is Founder and Managing Partner of 1 Seed Partners. One Seed Partners backs rising stars across the real estate complex Prior to founding 1 Seed she was Head of Seeding at Blue Owl, and prior to that CIO at Oak Street Capital before which she had series of financial roles. She was a 2025 Honoree for the Influential Women in Institutional Investing Awards.  Our conversation traces Larissa's first foray into real estate - how it was a default option rather than an original direction - but how it turned out optimally. We discuss the reasons she was attracted to the industry and the strong "human" component that drives deal success as well as organizational sustainability.We turn then to discuss the seeding business in particular, and how so much more than capital is involved. We discuss today's landscape for emerging managers, how the goal posts have changed and how barriers to entry affect capital raising as well as getting a head start.This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm

    29 min
  6. Corey Then of Circle: StableCoins and how the Velocity of Money can Unlock Prosperity

    FEB 17

    Corey Then of Circle: StableCoins and how the Velocity of Money can Unlock Prosperity

    Corey Then is the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel - Global Policy at Circle, a global financial technology company. He previously held a series of legal roles, and spent a period in the White House as an economics and Department of Justice lead. He's also an adjunct professor at the Washington University School of Law. We got to know eachother while Corey was in-house counsel at Moneta in St Louis. Our conversation starts with Corey's entry into law and how his stint in the White House was formative in terms of his approach to problem solving and working with teams. We move then to what interested him first in crypto assets and what brought him to Circle. Corey explains what it is about Stablecoins that makes them so transformational. He suggests that they will  enable commerce to speed up and that this increase in money velocity, will bring more prosperity to more people around the world..In terms of the risks to this trajectory, Corey suggests that if there are not comparable laws around the world, that StableCoin won't meet its full potential. He suggests that if there are balkanized regulatory structures around the world, we could end up with stable coins stopping at borders, which would be a huge disservice to consumers around the world. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm.

    32 min
  7. William McGrath of C-Suite Pension Strategies: Rethinking and Reframing Corporate Pension Funds

    FEB 11

    William McGrath of C-Suite Pension Strategies: Rethinking and Reframing Corporate Pension Funds

    William McGrath is CEO of C suite pension strategies. He has a financial and industrial sector background and was a longtime CEO of AGA range master. He has an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University for work to sustain the relevance of the Midlands industrial heritage. He returned to the financial sector after 25 years working in industry. In our discussion we trace William's own career path and the source of his interest in pensions and the financial sector more generally. Moving then to his current perspective on pension funds at  C Suite Pension Strategies, he discusses the importance of corporate pensions, emphasizing that they should be seen as a corporate wealth fund rather than a burden. He highlights that there is still £1.2 trillion in private sector investments in the UK, advocating for a "run on" strategy over "buyout."  William criticizes the lack of scrutiny in actuarial work and calls for better regulation and oversight of some of the workings of this sector. Overall he emphasizes the importance of a "members first" approach which puts member interests at the center of pension fund governance.    We move then to broader governance issues and we talk in some detail about his experience in leadership at Aga and getting back to his love of history and the industrial heartland refers us to “Aga, Allied and Ogilvy – The Management of Groups”, which contains remarkable Boardroom records of a group of allied iron founders seeking to integrate businesses between the 1930s and 1950s – https://homehearthistory.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/aga-allied-ogilvy-book.pdfThis podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm.

    36 min
  8. Thomas Knowles of Gratitude Railroad: on Impact and Abundance

    FEB 3

    Thomas Knowles of Gratitude Railroad: on Impact and Abundance

    Thomas Knowles is Managing Partner of Gratitude Railroad. Gratitude Railroad is a community driven impact investing firm championing innovative businesses that generate compelling financial returns and enduring impact.  He was previously an Operating Partner at the Builders Fund and prior to that held a series of other roles, having started out in venture at SVB Capital.   We speak about the evolution of the focus on The Gratitude Railroad since our last conversation with one of its Founders, Howard Fischer in July 2023. You can find Howard’s podcast here.   Thomas elaborates on the investment focus areas, including climate (energy transition, energy efficiency, waste to value) and social impact (education, healthcare, financial services).   We examine the impact that has been delivered to date, some of the obstacles and challenges that have delivered important lessons and the future of impact investing amid the current zeitgeist.  This podcast is kindly sponsored by Evanston Capital and Alvine Capital. For over 20 years Evanston Capital has had a key focus in identifying early-stage investment managers it believes are capable of generating long-term, value-added returns in complex, innovative strategy areas. Alvine Capital is a specialist investment manager and placement boutique with a particular focus on alternative assets with significant presence in London and Stockholm.

    31 min
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About

A series that showcases the diversity and richness of the investment world through showcasing inspiring investors and their stories. 

Information

  • Creator
    Aoifinn Devitt
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    433
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Aoifinn Devitt
  • Show Website
    The Fiftyfaces Podcast

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