CFA DFW Charterholder Chatter

Today's guest is in the words of a mutual connection a former badass short seller wrapped in the body of a sweet Texas lady. She gave up the short seller life a few years ago to start Paradigm Advisors, an independent fee-only financial advisory firm, catering to younger high net worth professionals. Michelle Underwood Gass has a passion for helping people and resolving complex issues for her clie...

The combination of experience and conviction is typically a decent recipe for success and today's guest is a great example of having the courage to pivot professionally (Equity Sales Side Analyst to Portfolio Manager) for what you believe in. Arvind Sanger is the founder and managing partner of Geosphere Capital, a global long-short fund manager currently investing in natural resources, new energy...

Many times, on our podcast, I ask guests what they are most proud of. Well, on today's episode, I am beaming with pride to have such a distinguished investment professional who despite incredible success, continues to give back in so many ways. Her curiosity, love for learning, willingness to challenge, and break barriers have contributed to her numerous accomplishments and legacy, while giving ba...

Our podcast is all about storytelling. Afterall, who wants to hear another opinion about inflation and interest rates? How many people do you know who grew up working on a cattle ranch, got a degree in music and ended up in the asset management industry? Today, Franklin Parker may not be a famous singer/songwriter in Hollywood, but he has written an interesting book about goals-based investing, wh...

Episode #39 – the Diverse and Competitive Interests of Elizabeth Burton – History, Economics, Math, Politics, Solving Problems, and Ice Skating. You most likely have seen this episode's guest on CNBC and Bloomberg or followed her insights in various industry publications. Elizabeth Burton is currently a Managing Director and Client Investment Strategist at Goldman Sachs, where she advises institut...

Many people experience a "fork in the road" moment in their career. In Martha Delgado's case, a combination of education, luck, timing, valuable mentorship, and pursuit of the CFA charter have contributed to a successful pivot from analyst to business development and client relationship, serving clients globally. Martha is currently the head of business development for Allspring Global Investments...

Before he committed to real estate investing, Phil Copulsky was a competitive chess player and college basketball player, both instilling the necessary discipline to read like Buffett, focus on developing long-term relationships, and follow the lead of great mentors. On today's episode, Phil shares his unique professional and personal journey, the opportunities and challenges investing in direct r...

Today's conversation will motivate and inspire you to put the time and effort into what matters most in your professional life, including spending time to give back and lead. Lauren Minch currently serves as the first CEO of the CFA Society of Dallas/Fort Worth after spending a career in accounting and finance, two areas she is very proud of and encourages others to follow their own path. She shar...

Leading an organization with big goals and many stakeholders, Marg Franklin is the President and CEO of the CFA Institute, globally responsible for promoting the highest standards of education, ethics, and professional excellence in the investment profession. Google her name and you will find plenty of articles and podcasts; however, this episode is more about her personal and professional journey...

Finding finance as the perfect intersection of psychology and math, recognizing the dispersion of public/private return potential, and transitioning to a role of doing vs. talking summarizes the unique journey of Chris Schelling. With degrees in psychology, business, and finance, Chris is an expert at incorporating insights from behavioral finance into investment decision making. During his 20+ ye...

How often do we have an opportunity to hear the personal and professional story of an investor and leader who happens to play a significant role in one of the country's largest pension plans? Dan O'Grady is the Assistant Vice President – Investment Management for AT&T and is responsible for overseeing public equity and hedge fund programs across the company's nearly $100B in investment assets.  Be...

Right now, you might be in the gym, driving to work or in your office wondering how the heck we are going to keep you interested over the course of 20 minutes talking about bonds. Guess what, I was wondering the same thing before I was connected to our special guest, David Carlson, who is President and Chief Investment Officer at NY-based Lucid Management, a specialized fixed income manager focuse...

Jennifer Hutchins' love of math and summer internship ultimately led her to a career in finance. Today, she is the manager of the Portfolio Management Group at Avantax and oversees the planning, execution and success of this group and various portfolios. Jennifer started her career in financial planning and wealth management in 2004 as an advisor with A.G Edwards & Sons. She joined Avantax® as an...

Sanjay Chandra has over 30 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur and an active private investor and serves as a principal and managing partner at Trinity Investors and its affiliated companies. In addition to his day-to-day role at Trinity, Sanjay serves as a board member for American Leather, which he co-founded in 1990, and where he was formerly president and CFO.  He also serves as a...

The path to managing a billion-dollar university endowment is not always the same, and in the case of Geeta Kapadia, there were twists and turns along the way. As the CIO at Fordham University, Geeta is a key member of the University's executive leadership team, collaborating with the Board of Trustees Finance and Investment Committee and senior leaders in finance, to develop and execute the Unive...

Whenever I think of the Boy Scouts, I have visions of the highly respected eagle scout, knowing how to properly tie a knot, and the outfits in elementary school. Little did I know that one day, I would have their director of investments on our podcast. Pye Yuan is responsible for managing over $2 billion dollars at Boy Scouts of America at their national office in Irving, Texas. His responsibiliti...

When I think of industry legends in the asset management industry, there are many, but few can claim the longevity, success, and impact of Ron Peyton, who is the long-time leader of Callan, one of the largest independently owned investment consulting firms in the U.S. He joined Callan in 1974, and became executive chairman in 2017, after serving 27 years as the firm's CEO. As Executive Chairman, h...

John Montgomery started his journey in Texas and eventually returned to create a unique asset management firm, built around servant leadership, power of generosity, respect for all people all the time, and donating 50% of its profits to organizations making a positive impact to humanity. With degrees from MIT, Harvard, and Swarthmore (Business, Engineering, and Philosophy), he eventually founded B...

My friends and family know my love for the University of Texas at Austin, even down to the color burnt orange. However, my one regret is not being a more dedicated and disciplined student. It took me a few years to mature and embrace learning something new. On this episode, I am honored to be joined by a long-time friend and professor of instruction in the finance department at the University of T...

Can nice guys finish first? In the kill-or-be-killed world of raising assets at investment firms, it's refreshing to know that people like Tom Meyers are committed to investing in long-term relationships, not just hunting for the next transaction. This mindset and talent have produced extraordinary results at every organization he took on the challenge of building. Today, he is the Senior Director...

How in the world do you squeeze 20 minutes of conversation with a marketing legend in our industry who has spent over 4 decades helping asset management firms and their people grow? Jackie Charnley is universally known for her caring personality, success with clients, and radiant smile that is contagious even on a zoom call. She is Chairman of the consulting firm, Charnley & Rostvold, which helps...

I have always been intrigued with people willing to take risk with their career and in the investment world. Our guest today, Apurva Mehta checks both boxes as he along with Patrick O'Connor, started Summit Peak Investments in the summer of 2018. The firm provides capital to venture capital funds and emerging companies, focusing on several themes within the technology sector.  Before forming Summi...

One of the biggest challenges for asset managers is effectively articulating their stories and raising significant capital for their strategies and funds. Our special guest for this episode is a rock star in the global institutional asset management arena, with expertise for alternative investment firms. Over the course of 25 years, she has raised over $28b, and built 4 fund-of-funds from scratch....

What's it like to be responsible for investing $35 billion on behalf of state employees and retirees and managing a staff of 80 people? While at the Employees Retirement System of Texas, Tom Tull was involved with over 200 completed investment transactions totaling $13 billion encompassing private equity, private credit, private real estate, global credit, hedge funds, and special situations. He s...

Our special guest today thought he was going to be a veterinarian, and yet somehow ended up in portfolio management, with a focus on global value investing. Dave Iben is the Founder, Chief Investment Officer, and Lead Portfolio Manager at Kopernick Global Investors, which manages roughly $7 billion dollars, utilizing a distinctive philosophy and a time-tested investment process focused on fundamen...