The HPScast

In this special bonus episode between seasons, host Colbert Cannon is joined by Joe Wall, BlackRock’s Global Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, to discuss the results of the 2026 midterm elections and their implications for the road to 2028. Drawing on a career spanning Capitol Hill, the White House, presidential campaigns and Goldman Sachs prior to landing at BlackRock, Joe walks throu...

This week marks the end of Season 14 of The HPScast. To close out the season, host Colbert Cannon revisits some of the most memorable moments from a broad slate of guests: BlackRock co-founder and President Rob Kapito, leaders from HPS's asset-based finance and GP-LP financing businesses, and partners working in markets from Mexico to Europe and the Middle East. The episode also returns to our spe...

Each season, we dedicate one episode to discussing current credit market trends. In this season’s episode, we discuss the Fed’s recent rate hike and what higher borrowing costs mean for credit, how software credit has recovered since this spring’s AI-driven sell off, and where private and public credit investors are finding opportunity in financing the AI build out. Our discussion, hosted by Colbe...

On this week's episode of The HPScast, host Colbert Cannon sits down with James Lumby and Todd Hooper, leaders of HPS's GP-LP Financing Solutions business, to explore the world of NAV financing and the range of private financing alternatives. Both former high-level rugby players who built parallel careers in London finance, James and Todd trace their paths to the Goldman Sachs desk where they spot...

This week on The HPScast, host Colbert Cannon catches up with John McAuley, Global Co-Head of Debt Capital Markets at Citigroup, one of the world's largest investment banks. John traces his path into finance—a decision that began as a means to an end and has grown into a 26-year tenure at Citigroup. He discusses his entrée into what would now be called private credit at TD Bank, and a short stint...

AI may be the most talked-about theme in markets today, but what does it actually mean for private credit investors? In this podcast, Grishma Parekh, Vikas Keswani, and Rob Kostow discuss how AI is changing company fundamentals, influencing investment opportunities, and creating both risks and rewards across the private credit landscape.

On this week's episode of The HPScast, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Sergio Méndez, Country Head of BlackRock Mexico, to explore his role in the country's investing landscape and its mandatory pension system, the Afores. Sergio traces his path into finance—from the trading floor during Mexico's 1994 tequila crisis, through a formative stint in the U.S.—and the lessons he carried home while ru...

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with Seth Cohen, a leader of HPS's asset-based finance business. Seth traces his unconventional path from criminal investigator with the D.C. Public Defender to the Legal Aid Society, and eventually the business world, where he scaled specialty finance platforms at MagnaCare and Franklin Credit before moving to the investing side at Silver Point...

Welcome to Season 14 of The HPScast. This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Rob Kapito, co-founder and President of BlackRock. Rob shares his path from pumping gas at his family's garage to the trading floors of First Boston, and the eventual decision to join Larry Fink and a small group to build what would become the world's largest asset manager with $15+ trillion currently under manageme...

We’ve reached the end of Season 13 of The HPScast. To close out a fantastic run, host Colbert Cannon revisits some of the season’s most memorable moments. This year, we heard from leaders at the top of their fields, including a legendary global financial executive, an American fashion icon, and a powerhouse in the hospitality industry, as well as colleagues from across HPS and BlackRock who shared...

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jim Koman, Founder and CEO of ElmTree Funds, a triple-net-lease real estate investment platform that recently combined with BlackRock. Jim reflects on growing up in St. Louis, studying economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and building a career in commercial real estate that led to founding ElmTree. Jim shares his...

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with Elyce Arons, the co-founder of Kate Spade and co-founder and CEO of Frances Valentine. Elyce traces her journey from a Kansas farm kid to building two iconic American fashion brands with her best friend, the late Kate Spade. She reflects on losing Kate in 2018 and finding the resolve to keep their second fashion and lifestyle label, Frances...

Every season, we spend one episode breaking down current credit market trends. In this season’s episode, we discuss the macro backdrop for credit, private and public credit’s exposure to software amidst concerns of AI disruption, and the types of businesses we believe are the most resilient in challenging environments. Our discussion, hosted by Colbert Cannon, features Vikas Keswani, Head of Direc...

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Eva Pilgrim, the newest host of Inside Edition, television's longest-running syndicated television newsmagazine. Eva discusses her path from local reporter to international correspondent, and her eventual leap to anchoring GMA3 before assuming the role at Inside Edition , previously helmed by Deborah Norville for 30 years. Eva shares the behind-the-sce...

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon speaks with HPS Senior Advisor and Operating Partner Paul Achleitner, former CFO of Allianz and Chair of Deutsche Bank. Paul reflects on his distinguished career in global finance—from his formative years at Goldman Sachs to his leadership through the 2008 financial crisis. He shares lessons on risk management, disciplined decision-making, and effectiv...

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon talks with Jonathan Tisch, former Executive Chairman of Loews Hotels & Co., Director Emeritus of Loews Corporation, and New York Giants co-owner, about his path from early work in broadcast media to leading multi-billion-dollar hotel and diversified holding companies. Jon outlines how the ethos of hospitality informs his view on leadership and communit...

This week on the HPScast, host Colbert Cannon interviews George Walker, Chairman and CEO of Neuberger Berman, an employee-owned, private, independent investment manager founded in 1939 with approximately 3,000 employees across 27 countries. Neuberger manages $563 billion of equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate, and hedge fund portfolios for global institutions, advisors, and individ...

We’re back with Season 13 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Matthieu Boulanger, Managing Director, Head of Europe at HPS Investment Partners. Boulanger traces his career from project finance at Citi, to growing private credit strategies from the ground up at HPS and KKR, as well as his recent return to HPS to lead its European business. He provides a detailed view of the expansion...

The HPScast returns for a special between-season episode with host Colbert Cannon leading a discussion on current credit market trends as we head towards 2026. Learn what we are seeing from a macro perspective and how credit markets could be affected. Our discussion features Vikas Keswani, a Managing Director from our private credit team, and Scott Crocombe, a Managing Director from our liquid cre...

To close out Season 12 of The HPScast, host Colbert Cannon revisits some of this season's most memorable moments. We brought on some heavy hitters from across industries, and the country, including: a former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, a Chief Investment Officer of a South Carolina retirement system, a CNBC reporter extraordinaire, and colleagues from across HPS. The HPScast t...

Each season, we devote one episode to a discussion of current credit market trends. This week, host Colbert Cannon is joined by Purnima Puri, an HPS Governing Partner and Head of Public Credit, and Mike Patterson, an HPS Governing Partner and Co-Head of Private Credit. With the magnitude of market volatility currently, the discussion focuses on what they are seeing from a macro perspective and how...

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Geoffrey Berg, Chief Investment Officer of the South Carolina Retirement System Investment Commission, to discuss his strategic leadership of the system's approximately $50 billion investment portfolio and share insights into private credit as an early adopter of the asset class among peers. Then, we find out what's next for the Southern state’s retire...

Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Madelaine O'Connell, a leader in HPS's private high-grade business to discuss the evolution of the private placement market and the nuances of private versus public high grade debt. She also talks about her transition from leading the private placements business at Goldman Sachs to joining HPS, and shares her vision for scaling the private high-grade market withi...

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Robert Kaplan, former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs, to discuss his career spanning finance and public service. Kaplan reflects on the evolution of Goldman Sachs, his transition from deal-making to management, and the valuable lessons he learned from both Wall Street and academia. He also shares his...

This week, we are looking at trends in the US real estate market, where the delta between debt and equity returns is as small as it’s been in 15 years. Mike Van Konynenburg, President of Eastdil Secured, oversees large, real estate transactions including financings, capital raises, sales, and investment banking transactions for institutional real estate owners and lenders. He joins David Lehman, H...