Becoming a leading global investment firm doesn't happen in a vacuum. Join us for conversations with some of HPS’s closest partners and clients about how they got to where they are today, and how those experiences help them drive value creation on a day to day basis.

 

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Francesco Martorana, Group Chief Investment Officer at Generali, a global insurance and asset management provider. We discuss Francesco’s time at J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank and Allianz before joining Generali, where he oversees an approximately €400 billion global portfolio. Francesco shares Generali’s stance on private credit and the qualities he looks for in a portfolio manager.

 

 

This week, we have a special episode recorded recently from HPS’s Investor Symposium. Colbert hands over his hosting duties to Hugh Lawson, a Managing Director at HPS, who sits down with Maud Texier, the Global Director of Clean Energy and Decarbonization Solutions at Google. Maud shares Google’s experience in its plan to become carbon free by 2030 while giving perspective on energy transition efforts, globally.

 

 

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Emilia Wiener, Chief Investment Officer at TIAA, an asset management firm that specializes in retirement investing for educators. We talk about Emilia’s time at The MONY Group, AllianceBernstein, Genworth, and AXA, before moving on to TIAA. Emilia also shares her perspective on the value of private credit, properly documented transactions and the ability to proactively reposition a portfolio.

 

 

The HPScast is taking a quick midseason break, but we’ll be back with all new episodes starting Wednesday, November 15th. Until then, listen back to our growing catalog of conversations. Or, take a moment to check out one of our many Best Ideas shared so far. You can find links to fantastic books, podcasts, movies and TV shows, all in our show notes.

 

 

Host Colbert Cannon sits down with John Amaechi OBE, founder of APS Intelligence, an organizational consulting firm that helps businesses create ethical workplace cultures, and drive productivity, growth, retention, and success. John explains how he coaches businesses to find practical solutions that work for their specific type of organization and distinct needs. We also talk about how John leveraged his time in the NBA to carve out a unique lane in psychology with broad and scalable impact.

 

 

This week, we’re sharing host Colbert Cannon’s conversation with Grishma Parekh, Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners and Co-Head of North American Core Senior Lending. Grishma offers key insights into the direct lending market and discusses how it has grown and evolved over her years in the industry. She also shares how she made the decision to join HPS at a turning point in her own career — and how the firm’s culture continues to align with her ways of working.

 

 

This week host Colbert Cannon sits down with Matt Brown, founder and CEO of CAIS, a fintech platform that connects independent financial advisors with experienced alternative asset managers. We talk about Matt’s career evolution, from his early days at Shearson Lehman Brothers to founding private equity firm Brown Simpson, to spending over 20 years mentoring high impact entrepreneurs at Endeavor. Then, Matt shares how he built CAIS from the ground up to now serve 30,000 financial advisors representing roughly $4 trillion in investable capital. And we hear how CAIS is leveraging its data to build more robust insights for users to manage their assets long term.

 

 

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Mark Rubenstein, Head of Strategic Investment Partners North America at HPS. We talk about Mark’s early days at Citigroup’s leveraged finance division and his transition to the bank’s Special Situations Group. He then recounts the pivotal moments that led him to join HPS and the evolution of the firm during his tenure.

 

Welcome back to Season 9 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Alexa von Tobel, a dynamic entrepreneur, NYT-bestselling author, and venture capitalist. Alexa is the founder of Inspired Capital, an early stage venture capital firm committed to nurturing the next generation of exceptional entrepreneurs. We delve into Alexa’s remarkable journey, from her early career at Morgan Stanley to founding LearnVest, a pioneering financial literacy company that was later acquired by Northwestern Mutual. Then, we discuss her latest venture, Inspired Capital — and why she’s embracing more volatile economic conditions, including rising interest rates, to build better businesses and teams. Throughout, Alexa shares her keys to success at every juncture and vital lessons learned along the way.

 

We’ve reached the end of Season 8 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon shares some of the best moments from our varied slate of conversations this season. We heard from bona fide voices in the art world, a luminary in the Black media landscape, and more than a few colleagues from across HPS – some of whom you might have recognized from our previous seasons.

We’ll be back in Fall 2023 with all new episodes. Until then, catch up on any conversations you might have missed. Or try out one of the many Best Ideas shared in each episode. You can find links to those in the show notes of each episode.

 

This week host Colbert Cannon sits down with Mike Levin, the Chief Executive Officer of Harlem Lacrosse, a nonprofit organization which provides academic support, mentorship, and lacrosse programming to students in low income urban schools in Boston, New York, Philly, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. Mike shares how mentorship and team building through sports can be an extremely effective vehicle for improving educational outcomes that cuts across socioeconomic and class divides. We discuss Mike’s own journey to get involved in education reform and how playing lacrosse in his youth through to the collegiate level at Brown University was foundational to forming his perspective. Mike shares how he has learned to navigate the world of nonprofits and fundraising to help scale and grow Harlem Lacrosse’s programming in cities across the U.S. Then, we look ahead to the strategic vision that he is working to implement, and how companies and corporations can participate.

 

 

Join host Colbert Cannon as he sits down with Lydia Fenet, a charity auctioneer, author, and ambassador for the iconic Christie’s auction house. Lydia offers up some tried-and-true career advice about building confidence in the form of personal stories from her own journey to feel successful on and off the auction block. We hear how she fumbled her first-ever auction, and has since built a career on helping others own their own mistakes and embrace failure as an essential part of any success story. We also discuss her motivations for her most recent book, Claim Your Confidence – plus, her tips for getting really comfortable with being uncomfortable.

 

 

 

This week, we have a special episode from the Milken Institute’s 2023 Global Conference in Los Angeles. Listen in as our investment leaders break down how current economic and market conditions are creating opportunities for private credit, as the asset class potentially enters a new growth stage.

/This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Janet Marie Smith, Executive Vice President of Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Janet discusses her role in reimagining such legendary baseball stadiums as Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles, and Fenway Park, the baseball park for the Boston Red Sox. Janet shares how she works with a variety of stakeholders in each city to renovate their stadiums to be highly functional for modern-day sports audiences’ while maintaining their historic integrity in order to create a stadium that feels truly bespoke to the city it represents. She discusses how she’s brought this “preservationist streak” to her latest project, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. Janet shares how she’s putting the stadium’s communal spirit at the forefront with each decision as she works to rebuild the iconic ballpark for the multicultural community that is Los Angeles.

 

 

Join host Colbert Cannon as he sits down with Paul Knollmeyer, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer at HPS Investment Partners. Paul breaks down how he was able to leverage the expertise that he acquired at Pricewaterhouse in the late 80s into a position as CFO for Griffin Group, the family office of media and entertainment mogul Merv Griffin. He shares how that role broadened his experience deploying capital, including his first exposure to distress investing in real estate coming out of the savings and loan crisis. Then, we discuss Paul’s tenure as COO at Ortelius Capital Partners through the 2008 financial crisis, and his decision to join HPS, then Highbridge Principal Strategies, as its CFO and Chief Risk Officer. He shares how he helped to navigate the successful buyout of Highbridge Principal Strategies from JP Morgan in 2016. And we look ahead to the risks and opportunities that lay ahead in the current macro environment.

 

 

Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Nicholas Gartside, Chief Investment Officer and member of the Board of Management at Munich RE. Nicholas breaks down what it was like to sit in an investing seat as the Head of Global Fixed Income at Schroder Investment Management during the global financial crisis in 2008. Then, we hear about Nicholas’ transition to manage a €250 billion insurance portfolio at Munich RE. He shares how he maneuvers a multi-asset portfolio anchored heavily in long-duration fixed income assets through turbulent markets. And Nicholas lends his perspective on how Munich RE, as a member of the United Nations’ Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, is engaging meaningfully with companies to make ESG initiatives integral to corporate culture.

 

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Faith Rosenfeld, Chief Administrative Officer at HPS Investment Partners. Faith recounts the many roles she took on during her 15-year tenure at Goldman Sachs and how one of those roles led her to taking a “blank sheet of paper” approach. Then, Faith discusses her leap into entrepreneurship as a Founding Partner of The Beacon Group, a private equity and advisory firm later acquired by JP Morgan Chase. She shares how business ownership further broadened her unique set of skills and prepared her to join HPS, then Highbridge Principal Strategies, as one of its first-ever employees. We talk about the evolution of the firm to today – and look ahead to how it is integrating ESG strategies from a private credit perspective and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in its talent.

 

We’re back with Season 8 of The HPScast. Join us as host Colbert Cannon sits down with Hugo Nathan, a Founding Partner of Beaumont Nathan, an art advisory firm based in London and New York. Hugo shares how he found his way into the alluring world of international art trading, and his formative early years at Simon Dickinson. Hugo shares stories from his 15-year tenure at the firm as he rose through its ranks, eventually being named President. Then, we discuss his decision to strike out on his own, alongside now partner, Wentworth Beaumont, to form their international art advisory and market intelligence firm, Beaumont Nathan. Hugo offers keen insights into entrepreneurship and how to do well in an industry built on relationships. He also shares his recent work with HPS Investment Partners' to help build out its diverse, and highly thoughtful art collection, including some of his favorites by both accomplished artists such as Alexander Calder and McArthur Binion — and emerging artists like Jordan Nassar.

 

This week marks the end of Season 7 of The HPScast. Join host Colbert Cannon as he looks back at some key moments from the season. We hear key insights from titans across industries – from commercial real estate to English football, plus more than a few masters of analytics working to enhance everything from risk assessment to global literacy. We’ll be back in the second half of 2023 with all new episodes. Until then, catch up on any conversations you might have missed. Or try out one of the many Best Ideas shared in each episode. You can find links to those in the show notes of each episode.

 

 

 

Host Colbert Cannon speaks with Deji Davies, Head of European Loan Trading at J.P. Morgan. We discuss his experience managing J.P. Morgan’s par and stressed trading operation through market volatility. He shares how he balances a foundational understanding of corporate credits against a commitment to remaining nimble as markets evolve in the short term. Deji also shares his background as a semi-professional soccer player, or footballer for our international audience, at clubs including Boreham Wood and Slough Town. Then, we discuss his most recent appointment as Chair of the Inclusion Advisory Board at The Football Association and how he plans to lead the charge for greater representation and more accessibility in the sport.

 

 

Join host Colbert Cannon in conversation with Jae S. Yoon, Chief Investment Officer of New York Life Investment Management and Chairman of New York Life Investment Asia. Jae shares how he turned a proclivity for mathematics into quantitative analysis roles in risk management for the Asia offices of firms like Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan. We hear how he navigated turbulent times such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis. We then pivot to discuss Jae’s role as a macro manager for New York Life Investment Management, the asset management business of New York Life Insurance. He shares how he uses everything from historical events like the Great Inflation of the 1970s to conversations with cab drivers to build a robust understanding of the local markets that shape our global economy.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with friend and colleague Michael Fenstermacher, a Managing Director and the Co-Head of North American Core Senior Lending at HPS Investment Partners. We talk about his early days at Bank One, where he got his start in credit lending. He walks us through Bank One’s eventual merger with J.P. Morgan and how he decided to make the move to the latter’s New York City office during that transition. We discuss the diversity of learning opportunities and exposure to investment banking that Michael steeped himself in during that time before coming to HPS in 2008. He shares what it was like to join the firm’s direct lending arm amid the global financial crisis. Then, he offers a look into the evolution of the direct lending landscape in relation to the broadly syndicated market and how current market volatility is impacting the space.

 

 

Join host Colbert Cannon for a conversation with Geetha Murali, the CEO of Room to Read, a global non-profit organization that focuses on working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to improve literacy and gender equality in education. Geetha shares how she’s used her biostatistics background to help grow the organization's reach to now serve 32 million children across 21 countries. She discusses how the global pandemic pushed her team to find new ways of reaching communities both online and offline amid shutdowns that cut off their primary channel of distribution - schools. She also delves into how the binary between for-profit and nonprofit organizations is becoming a thing of the past with the increase in impact investing and ESG frameworks across the board.

 

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Patrick McGinnis, a venture capitalist, podcast host and international best-selling author who, in 2004, coined the popular term FOMO, or fear of missing out. We hear the origin story of the phrase, which Patrick first started using amongst friends at Harvard Business School after suffering from an extreme bout of it in the choice-rich environment. He tells us how that mentality led him to reevaluate how we make decisions more effectively. We also hear how Patrick weathered the 2008 financial crisis at AIG before joining its investing arm spinoff PineBridge Investments, and eventually starting his own investment and advisory firm, Dirigo Advisors, working with fast growing companies, corporations and international organizations.

 

Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Aldo Mazzocco, the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Generali Real Estate SpA for a discussion full of lessons for business and life. Aldo shares his path to real estate investment as he moved from general manager of a construction company to eventually run Beni Stabili SpA. There, he more than doubled the Italian real estate company's portfolio before overseeing its merger with Foncière des Régions to create what is now Covivio. Then, Aldo discusses his move to Generali Real Estate, where he was tasked with modernizing the business and creating a viable third party asset management strategy. He talks about the challenges of building something new in a business more than 190 years old. Aldo also shares how he managed his team during the Covid-19 crisis as it roiled the commercial real estate industry, drawing deeply from his past handlings of the Lehman Brother crisis, the European sovereign debt crisis and Italy’s triple dip recession. And he offers up one incredibly sound piece of advice sourced from the Dolomites in northeast Italy that still guides him today.

 

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Chris Halpin, the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of IAC, or InterActiveCorp, the holding company behind digital consumer brands like Angie’s List, Dotdash Meredith and Care.com. Chris launched his career at Goldman Sachs’ real estate investment principal investing arm before pivoting to private equity at Providence Equity Partners. There, he had the opportunity to establish the firm’s China business from Hong Kong – and a front row seat to the 2008 global financial crisis. Upon returning stateside, Chris tackled a new and humbling challenge with the NFL. He shares how he navigated the complexities of building consensus among 32 teams and steered the league into international markets before exiting to explore a new frontier in digital media tech.

 

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Vikas Keswani, Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners and Head of North American Specialty Lending. He walks us through the evolution of the direct lending industry and how he found his way to it. He explains the nuances of a direct lending solution and where the private credit business is going. He also shares his early career path at BlackRock, where he first found his footing in the credit investing industry.

We’re back with Season 7 of The HPScast. This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jessica Gelman, Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Analytics Group and co-founder of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Jessica discusses how data is being used to redefine the sports industry, from helping us better understand how we consume sports media to spotlighting gaps in equality to shape a more just future. Jessica shares her winding path into sports and entertainment, which included a stint of professional basketball in Europe and consulting work before heading back to business school, where she merged her love for the game with an appetite for intellectual rigor to carve the unique path she walks today. And find out how the renowned MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference was started over a quick drink.

This week marks the end of Season 6 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon shares key moments from a season full of diverse perspectives and insights across industries – from restaurants to global logistics and credit lending to making television. We’ll be back soon with all new episodes, but in the interim, check out the over 50 conversations of The HPScast available now in your feed. You can also try some of the Best Ideas featured in each episode – they’re meant to be recommendations that are well worth your time. You can find links to those in the show notes of each episode.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Kent Collier, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reorg, a provider of data and analysis around bankruptcy, distressed debt and leveraged finance in the U.S, Europe and Asia. Kent discusses his early career on the buy side of high yield and distressed credit investing, where he had a front row seat to market-shaping events from the collapse of Lehman Brothers to Parmalat’s fraudulent bankruptcy. He shares how he navigated a steep learning curve to understand the bankruptcy landscape, including countless hours spent sifting through PACER, the electronic court records for every federal court case in the country. He describes how the unwieldy ways of sourcing that information ultimately led him to found Reorg with the mission to democratize access to information. Then, we hear how Kent transitioned to become a product-driven founder, and the simple, “15 minute” question he uses to keep his company as relevant as ever.   

Learn more about Kent and his company, Reorg, here. You can check out Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the podcast Whistlestop with John Dickerson here.

This week, host Colbert speaks with Priscilla Sims Brown, the President and CEO of Amalgamated Bank, the largest – and one of the only – union-owned banks in the U.S. We hear how Priscilla is using her position to push forward socially responsible initiatives such as its recently approved petition to create a new merchant category code to better track gun and ammunition sales. She explains how doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive and offers a look into how she’s moved toward mission-focused work with every step of her career. We hear how Priscilla made her way into the financial industry through her insatiable curiosity as a young producer reporting on business. And she walks us through her varied experiences since making the leap into finance, including an 18-year stint at multiline insurance company Lincoln Financial Group and trying to start an annuities business during the Great Recession. 

Learn more about Priscilla’s tenure at Amalgamated Bank here. Check out Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the 1984 film classic The Killing Floor directed by Bill Duke, here.

On this week’s episode Colbert sits down with Grishma Parekh, Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners and Co-Head of North American Core Senior Lending. Grishma shares her insights on the direct lending market and its evolution over her years in the industry. We also discuss Grishma’s role co-leading HPS’s Core Senior Lending efforts in North America. She explains what her division does and shares more about their most recent initiative, HLEND, HPS’s first private business development company (BDC) structure.

Learn more about Grishma Parekh’s role at HPS Investment Partners here. Read The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance by Ron Chernow, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jackie Hernández, the CEO and co-founder of New Majority Ready. Jackie is a media executive with a storied career at iconic companies like TIME, People en Español and NBCUniversal’s Telemundo. She shares how she rose through the ranks to help shape Spanish-language television and expand the industry’s understanding of the rapidly growing Hispanic market. We also hear about Jackie’s latest venture, New Majority Ready, a marketing strategy consulting company that helps companies to attract and retain Hispanic audiences through more nuanced marketing strategies that meet these consumers where they’re at. 


Learn more about Jackie Hernández tenure at New Majority Ready here. You can read our guest’s Best Idea, Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take by Paul Polman & Andrew Winston, here. Watch Money Heist, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

Join host Colbert Cannon as he sits down with Paul Taubman, CEO of PJT Partners, a global advisory-focused investment bank, Paul started in 2014 which has now grown into a $3 billion market cap public company. We discuss how Paul started the firm against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, and how clients emerged from that period more open to leaving traditional bulge bracket banking than ever before. We also hear about Paul’s own departure from big banking when he stepped down from Morgan Stanley in 2012 after 30 years spanning several key leadership roles. He also shares insights into how the evolution of private credit over the last decade has impacted the traditional banking business.

Learn more about Paul Taubman’s career here. Read Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

The HPScast is taking a short break this week, but if you’ve missed any of our earlier episodes, we encourage you to listen back to one of those. Or, check out our show notes to find links to hand-picked books, TV shows and more that are worth your while.

We’ll be back next week with all new conversations.

This week, host Colbert Cannon is joined by iconic restaurateur Danny Meyer, the founder and Executive Chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group behind notable dining concepts including Shake Shack, Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern. Danny shares how a series of people and events, from a discerning uncle who turned Danny away from pursuing law school to a close friend who connected him to his first restaurant job, led him to the business of good food – and even better hospitality. We hear how Danny brings that ethos to every team he leads and shares his tips for creating a company culture of belonging that extends to the customer. We also find out how his groundbreaking, global fast-casual concept Shake Shake started as a hotdog cart in Madison Square Park as part of a broader revitalization plan for the public green space – plus, why fast-casual and Michelin-star restaurants aren’t that different. 

Learn more about Danny Meyer’s tenure at Union Square Hospitality Group here. Watch The Bear, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here. And check out Danny’s impromptu recommendation, the Swedish TV seriesThe Restauranthere.

This week, Colbert sits down with Adam Miller, Managing Director and Global Head of Talent and Professional Development at HPS Investment Partners. Adam shares how the scope and perception of human resources has evolved into high-value add talent management, and he shares insights into how employee’s addressable needs will continue to grow and change in the post-pandemic work environment. He also discusses his early career at First Reserve and private equity firm The Riverside Company before forming his own human capital consulting company, Hygge Capital Partners. Lastly, he shares how his path has led him to HPS – and how he plans to grow a corporate culture here that is “entrepreneurial, down to earth and intellectually gifted”.


Learn more about Adam Miller tenure at HPS Investment Partners here. Watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

Join host Colbert Cannon as he sits down with Mark Machin, the former President & CEO of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), one of the world’s largest investment funds with over $500 billion in assets under management. Mark shares his path to join the CPPIB after two decades at Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong. And he discusses how he navigated the transition to working within the Canadian pension system. We also hear about Mark’s earlier days at Goldman Sachs in their global finance division and how he acclimated to the business culture in Asia. And Mark shares his latest venture as co-founder & CEO of investment startup Opto Investments alongside Joe Lonsdale.

Learn more about Mark Machin’s career here. Watch HBO Max series Tokyo Vice, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

This week, we’re doing a deep dive into the global shipping business. Join host Colbert Cannon in conversation with George Pasha, CEO of The Pasha Group. George shares his learnings from almost 40 years in the family-owned and operated business – from its beginnings as an asset-lite brokerage to expanding into fleet ownership both organically and through industry-shaping acquisitions. We also hear how George navigated the pandemic as an essential business with frontline workers. And we discuss how the company is currently weathering a historically tight labor market and rising fuel prices.
 

Learn more about George Pasha’s tenure at The Pasha Group here. Watch The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

This week, host Colbert Cannon speaks with John Ridding, the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Times Group. John breaks down his transition from being a globe-trotting business journalist for the Financial Times to stewarding it for the past 16 years. We hear how John made the tough decision to cross over to the business side of the organization. He also opens up about the pressures he faced while pushing the legacy publication into the digital era, including a controversial decision to pivot to a digital subscription model that now boasts over one million paid subscribers – and how that model has allowed the Financial Times to maintain its place amongst the most trusted business news organizations in an era of media polarization.

Learn more about John Ridding’s tenure at Financial Times here. Read ROGUES: True Stories of Grifters, Killers Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

We’re back with Season 6 of the HPScast. To kick it off, Colbert sits down with Michael Davies, who was recently named the Executive Producer of Jeopardy!. We talk about how he plans to honor the legacy of the iconic game show brand while still pushing it forward and keeping it fresh. We also hear stories from Michael’s early television days and how he helped reshape American television by introducing popular British game shows like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. And he discusses his lifelong passion for soccer, which he’s turned into the successful podcast and digital brand Men in Blazers – and how he’s using his sports coverage to inform his approach to game shows.


Learn more about Michael Davies and his production company, Embassy Row, here. Watch Slow Horses, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here. Or listen to our earlier interview with Michael’s Men in Blazers co-host, Roger Bennett, here.