Speaking of Alternatives

Lower middle market direct lending remains one of the most structurally underserved segments in private credit. As traditional banks have stepped back, specialist lenders are playing an increasingly important role in providing capital to established, sponsor-backed businesses. In this episode, Keshav Rajagopalan is joined by Tas Hasan, Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Deerpath Capit...

Private equity secondaries have grown from a niche strategy into a core allocation for investors navigating volatility, slower exits and liquidity constraints. As markets evolve, secondaries are increasingly seen as an "all‑weather" approach to private equity exposure. In this episode, Keshav Rajagopalan is joined by Dan Klima, Managing Partner at Montana Capital Partners (MCP), the private equity...

Real assets are undergoing a profound transformation. Once viewed as a traditional "buy‑and‑hold" asset class, they're now shaped by operational complexity, AI, energy systems, climate pressures and rapid technological convergence. As these forces accelerate, investors are increasingly asking: what does it take to stay ahead? In this episode, Keshav Rajagopalan sits down with Naqash Tahir, Managin...

Private credit secondaries are quickly becoming one of the most talked about opportunities in private markets. As the asset class grows rapidly, investors are looking for new ways to gain exposure, manage liquidity and enhance returns. In this episode, Keshav Rajagopalan sits down with Alex Stuart , Head of Private Credit Secondaries at PGIM, to unpack what's behind the surge in interest. They exp...

In a world where fixed income markets are evolving, investment grade private placements stand out as a powerful tool for diversification and stability. This episode explores why these instruments remain a cornerstone for insurers, pension schemes, and long-term investors. Keshav Rajagopalan speaks with Mike Campion, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager for PGIM, Private Credit, about the role o...

Recalibrating resilience was the dominant theme at PGIM's sixth annual EMEA Investor Forum in London. In this episode, Keshav Rajagopalan shares key insights from sessions on private credit, structured fixed income, digital infrastructure, and CIO perspectives on resilience and long-term portfolio design. From the evolution of private credit into a core allocation to the role of securitisation in...

Energy mezzanine financing occupies a unique position between credit and equity, offering growing companies access to capital without diluting ownership. In this episode, Brian Thomas, Head of Real Assets, Private Credit at PGIM, joins Keshav Rajagopalan to explore the specialised world of energy mezzanine investing. They discuss why this niche strategy matters, how it fits into institutional port...

In this episode, Edwin Wilches, Co-Head of Securitised Products at PGIM, joins Keshav Rajagopalan, to explore the dynamic and fast-evolving world of Asset-Based Finance (ABF). As traditional boundaries between public and private credit continue to blur, they discuss how ABF is emerging as a powerful tool for financing the real economy, offering institutional investors new avenues for diversificati...

Laurie Chan is joined by Stuart Parker, Head of Global Wealth at PGIM, and Dominick Carlino, Global Head of Alternative Investments for Global Wealth at PGIM. Together, they explore the intersection of private wealth and alternative investments, offering perspectives on the ways investors are broadening portfolios beyond traditional markets. Their discussion covers the trends driving growth, the i...

Josh Cohen, Managing Director of PGIM's DC Solutions team, offers insights into the rapidly evolving defined contribution landscape and how alternatives may play an increasingly important role in this space.   Keshav and Josh discuss the compelling arguments for integrating alternative assets into DC plans. As global policymakers evaluate the role of alternative investments in customised solutions...

…Let's Talk Global REIT Securities with Rick Romano, Head of PGIM Global Real Estate Securities   Rick Romano, Head of PGIM Global Real Estate Investment Trust Securities, offers insights about the multifaceted nature of hybrid real estate securities and the potential benefits of REITS in investment portfolios.   Keshav and Rick highlight how global real estate securities can offer a compelling va...

Dan Matviyenko, Healthcare Portfolio Manager at Jennison, offers insights and strategies on navigating the complex and dynamic landscape of healthcare equity investing.   Laurie Chan, PGIM's U.S. Head of Alternative Solutions, and Daniel explore healthcare equity, focusing on macroeconomic forces, supply chain vulnerabilities due to trade tensions, the role of AI, and generating alpha from long an...

Enrique Lavín provides critical insights into investing in Mexican industrial real estate by leveraging his market expertise and corporate finance/risk-opportunity background.   Laurie Chan, PGIM's Head of Alternative Investments, speaks with Enrique about the resilience of the Mexican Industrial Real Estate sector amidst U.S. trade volatility, nearshoring dynamics, and broader macro investment tr...

Nandini Mongia is the Group Executive Chair and CEO of Prismic Life, and Mike Thompson is the Managing Director of Warburg Pincus and Head of Capital Solutions for Europe. Nandini has nearly three decades of financial and business experience supporting the insurance and reinsurance industry. Mike has 20 years of private investment experience. Keshav, Nandini, and Mike discuss the fundamental role...

Alfred Lerman is the Chief Investment Officer at PGIM Multi-Asset Solutions and Mao Dong is the Co-Head of Portfolio Management at PGIM Multi-Asset Solutions. Alfred is passionate about optimizing portfolios through a thoughtful balance of risk and return objectives. Mao's strength is in customizing portfolios based on unique client objectives. Keshav, Alfred, and Mao discuss the strategic integra...

Darin Bright is the Head of Core Plus Strategies at PGIM Real Estate. Darin is passionate about real estate investing and cultivating strong relationships within the investment community. Keshav and Darin examine the tangible aspects of real estate, including its durability, which make it an appealing and accessible component of a diversified portfolio. They discuss the opportunities new technolog...

Bill Pappas is the Managing Director and Head of Core Infrastructure and Structured Credit at PGIM Private Capital. As a veteran of structured credit and finance within the infrastructure industry, he shares a wealth of experience in this episode.   Keshav and Bill explore the nuanced infrastructure investment landscape through the lens of private capital and alternative investments. Their discuss...

Today's panel consists of Matt Harvey, Head of Direct Lending at PGIM Private Capital, Sebastiano Ferrante, Head of Europe at PGIM Real Estate, and Stephan Wessel, Managing Partner at Montana Capital Partners, a private equity secondary mid-market specialist affiliate of PGIM. Keshav and the panel examine the findings of the 2024 Alts Report to understand how institutional investors are positionin...

Mariusz Banasiak, CFA, a Managing Director and Head of Local Currency Rates and FX for PGIM Fixed Income's Emerging Markets Debt Team discusses the opportunities and challenges of this rapidly changing field. Emerging market debt is highly volatile, influenced by macroeconomic, geopolitical, and local currency factors. This creates both significant risk and potential reward. Keshav and Mariusz dis...

Jim Footh, Managing Director, Data Center Investments & Portfolio Management at PGIM real estate, discusses the fast-growing investment potential of data centers, and how AI is further fueling this trend. Data centers are one of the fastest-growing areas within real estate investing. Growth is driven by the increasing digitization of our lives and the evolution of AI. Demand for data center builds...

Soultana Reigle, Head of U.S. Equity and Senior Portfolio Manager for U.S. Value-Add Strategies at PGIM Real Estate, traverses one of the great societal challenges in the U.S. and globally, the affordable housing market and its complex economic challenges. This conversation traverses one of the great societal challenges in the U.S. and globally; the affordable housing market. Identifying locations...

Jamie Shen, Managing Director and Head of Agriculture at PGIM Real Estate, explores the transforming landscape of agricultural debt and equity, examine the mitigation of climate risk for investors and explore the balance of labor and mechanization in agriculture.   This conversation provides the foundational principles at the core of agricultural investing and the challenges and opportunities avai...

Matthew Harvey, Head of the Direct Lending business for PGIM Private Capital, highlights the importance of experienced asset managers in navigating the direct lending landscape and sheds light on the steady increase of capital flowing into this evolving credit market. Subscribe to Speaking of Alternatives on your favourite podcast platform. Key Takeaways:  ● Opportunities in Direct Lending [2:19] ...

Dr. Marco Wulff, CEO, Managing Partner, and co-founder of Montana Capital Partners AG, discusses the advantages and challenges of the private equity secondary market, global prospects, and the recent explosive growth of this private investment strategy. Subscribe to Speaking of Alternatives on your favorite podcast platform. Key Takeaways: ● Diverse Opportunities of Secondaries [2:58] ● Liquidity...

Sebastiano Ferrante, Head of Europe at PGIM Real Estate, discusses Europe's alternative investment landscape, prevailing market dynamics currently influencing institutional investing, and the risk-reward trade-off in value-add equity real estate investing.   Subscribe to Speaking of Alternatives on your favorite podcast platform. Key Takeaways: ● The Art of Being a Great Real Estate Investor [1:49...