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Alt Goes Mainstream: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Michael Sidgmore
Join the smartest people in the room to learn how top investors and allocators are incorporating private markets into the portfolios of tomorrow.
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- 5 days ago1h 1m
🎥 Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini - life lessons in sports and business from a world-class performer on and off the field
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We went to a mecca of football to film the latest episode. This conversation takes us to Turin, Italy, where we were in the Juventus Creator Lab with Italian football (I mean soccer for the Americans) legend and one of the best defenders of all time Giorgio Chiellini.Giorgio’s career and playing style were defined by Juventus’ very motto, fino alla fine (“until the end”). It’s also a mentality that he brings to every aspect of life on and off the pitch.After an illustrious playing career at one of the world’s biggest clubs, Juventus, and a career that also included two World Cup appearances for Italy and winning the Euro 2020 as the Captain of Italy, Giorgio came back home to Turin rejoin the club where he starred for 17 years: Juventus. Giorgio has gone from the pitch to the boardroom, helping to lead Juventus as the Director of Football Strategy. He has brought the player’s perspective to the business side of football, balancing the nuances of sports and business.Despite the demands that Giorgio faced on the field as a player to maintain a standard of play at the highest levels of the game, he found time during his career to pursue his passion for business. He received his MBA while playing for Juventus and also was involved in the player development side in his final years as a player at LAFC. More recently, he became an investor in LAFC and in Mercury13, a multi-club investor in women’s football teams, including FC Como. He’s also an active investor in the European startup community.Giorgio and I had a wide-ranging and fascinating conversation that covered several dimensions of the business of sport. We discussed:How can sports clubs chase the trifecta, in Giorgio’s view: “sustainable, profitable, and a winner?”How teams, owners, and investors can balance both the sport and business aspects of the game.What it means for sports now that players can have bigger social followings than their clubs or leagues.How Juventus has built and amplified its brand through initiatives like the Creator Lab.How clubs like Juventus can help players build their off-field brand while maintaining a high-quality on-field product.How Giorgio’s work off the field while playing informed how he wanted to spend his time post-career in business.What Giorgio’s day-to-day is like as Director of Football Strategy for Juventus.Why Giorgio invested in LAFC and what he thinks about the future of the MLS.What American owners and investors can learn from European soccer clubs and owners, and what European clubs and owners can learn from American owners and investors.Thanks, Giorgio, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and enthusiasm at the intersection of sports and business and fino alla fine.Note: this episode was filmed in October 2025 with a plan to publish the conversation around the World Cup.Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Split Second Decision01:06 A Message from Our Sponsor, Ultimus02:10 Meet Giorgio Chiellini04:31 What Is the Juventus Creator Lab05:12 Clubs Becoming Global Brands05:33 Football Business Then vs Now05:4
- 1 weeks ago55 min
🎥 Bank of America's Mark Sutterlin - why being a good investor in private markets is table stakes
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s conversation provides a fascinating window into the world of how one of the industry’s largest wealth managers approaches private markets.We sat down with the man who holds the keys to the kingdom.Mark Sutterlin is the Head of Alternative Investments within the Investment Solutions Group at Bank of America. He leads the firm’s strategy and platform development across hedge funds, private credit, private equity, physical precious metals, and real estate, delivering a broad spectrum of institutional-grade investment solutions to advisors and their clients.Mark brings the advisor’s perspective to bear as he builds the alternative investments menu for Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank and helps educate advisors and clients on how and where to thoughtfully and appropriately include private markets in portfolios.Mark and I had a fascinating discussion. We covered:How GPs can work with private banks.What one of the largest private wealth allocators looks for in GPs.How Merrill approaches different product structures to deliver solutions across the wealth client spectrum.What constitutes a manager’s edge.I loved this conversation with Mark, who takes such a thoughtful approach and brings a true passion to helping clients and advisors build and protect wealth.Thanks, Mark, for sharing your expertise, wisdom, and passion on private markets and private wealth.Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Investor Edge Beyond Returns00:32 Sponsor Message from Ultimus01:29 Meet Mark Sutterlin03:27 From Advisor to Alts Lead03:34 Lessons From 200804:12 Trust And Advisor Duty04:27 Serving HNW And UHNW04:51 Evergreen To Drawdown Spectrum05:19 Building The Alts Shelf05:52 Platform Design Principles06:35 Diligence As Core Identity07:04 Nuance In Private Credit07:40 Long Term Themes Overlay08:17 Core Satellite Portfolio Mix09:57 Evergreens Take The Lead10:23 Evergreen Growing Pains10:50 Education And Expectations11:49 Who Can Run Evergreens12:40 Allocation Policy And Scale13:07 Post-Sale Servicing Matters13:40 Manager Service Playbook14:57 Vetting Manager Fit17:11 DNA Of A Firm18:24 Speaking Advisor Language19:27 Customization Versus Scale20:23 UHNW Specialist Support21:28 Tools For Custom Proposals22:40 Feedback Loop Builds Menu23:15 Differentiation In UHNW23:52 What Merrill Expects From GPs24:15 Capacity Co-Invest And Access25:04 Next Frontier Experiential Change26:23 Planning Tools For Alts26:41 DLT And Private Markets27:02 Fixing Fragmented Workflows27:21 Streamlining To Drive Adoption27:42 Biggest Blocker Education Gap28:13 Advisor Intimidation And Misperceptions28:37 Shared Responsibility To Educate28:58 Misconception Complexity Fear29:39 Controls And Simple Narrative30:09 Alts Invitationals Bootcamp31:09 Why The Lightbulb Moment Happens31:33 Advisors Stretched Thin32:11 What Why How Spectrum34:12 Implementation Still The Gap34:32 Sc
- 2 weeks ago58 min
🎥 Benefit Street Partners' Michael Comparato - the opportunity in commercial real estate credit
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode brings commercial real estate credit investing to life with someone who has real estate in his blood. Michael Comparato’s grandfather started building single-family homes in upstate New York in 1946. He built his first shopping center in 1958. Michael was born into a family where he was on construction sites from a young age. At 13, he was doing landscaping. At 15, he was hanging drywall. Today, Michael is a Senior Managing Director, Head of Real Estate and Portfolio Manager with Benefit Street Partners, as well as Chief Executive Officer of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: FBRT). He also serves on the US Executive Committee.Prior to joining BSP in 2015, Michael was Head of U.S. Equity Investments at Ladder Capital. Before that, he was President at Bank Atlantic Commercial Mortgage Capital.Benefit Street Partners is part of Franklin Templeton’s family of specialists in private markets. BSP is a specialized private credit firm with over $92B in AUM. The firm manages a wide range of private credit strategies, including direct lending, special situations, commercial real estate debt, infrastructure debt, asset-backed finance, structured credit, and liquid credit. It also manages a non-traded Business Development Company and publicly-listed mortgage REIT.Since BSP was acquired by Franklin Templeton in 2019, it has partnered with the $1.7T investment manager to expand how it structures various products and funds, enabling more access to the private credit asset class for wealth investors.From his perch as the Head of BSP’s Real Estate business, Michael has the perspective of how one of the industry’s scaled real estate investment firms is approaching commercial real estate credit and where the firm sees opportunity.Michael and I had a fascinating conversation about the evolution of CRE credit and why now might be an interesting time in the CRE credit space. We covered:Why CRE, why now.What bank retrenchment means for CRE credit investors today.The relative resilience of multi-family.The maturity wall myth.Is the “extend and pretend” activity a reality?How AI impacts commercial real estate.Thanks Michael for sharing your passion, wisdom, and expertise on commercial real estate credit.Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Meet Michael Comparato00:40 Message from Ultimus, our Sponsor02:05 Real Estate in His Blood03:18 Hands On Early Lessons03:41 Finance Meets Real Estate04:13 Hurricane Shopping Center Stories05:15 The Human Side of Property06:13 Story Over Spreadsheet07:50 Why Origination Beats Buying09:48 Family Business Ethos11:06 Relationships Still Matter12:18 Trust and Transparency12:49 Navigating Recent Dislocation14:01 Lending Through COVID14:47 Structuring for Uncertainty15:32 Boom Times Underwriting Shifts18:39 Crowded at the Top28:42 Banks Pull Back, Private Credit Steps In31:22 Banks Shed CRE Risk32:06 Who Gets Paid for Risk32:22 Euphoric Returns Fade33:09 Competition Compresses Yields33:40 Maturity Wall Myth33:59 E
- May 7, 202646 min
🎥 73 Strings' Yann Magnan - unlocking valuation intelligence in private markets
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode is with a founder who is building mission-critical valuation and portfolio monitoring software for alternative asset managers.We are joined by Yann Magnan, the Co-Founder and CEO of 73 Strings, to discuss how valuation work and portfolio monitoring is moving from manual to automated and why that’s so important for the industry. 73 Strings has leveraged AI and automation to more seamlessly and cost-effectively extract data, monitor portfolios, and streamline middle-office processes for valuations. 73 Strings works with a number of the industry’s top alternative asset managers and has received investment from Blackstone, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Hamilton Lane, Golub, Fidelity International Strategic Ventures, and Broadhaven Ventures, amongst others.Yann has brought his experience as a senior member of the Duff & Phelps team, where he was EMEA Market Leader and member of the Global Operating Committee and as a Partner at EY’s Transaction Advisory Services to help bring valuation and portfolio monitoring solutions into the mainstream.Yann and I had a fascinating conversation about how technology innovation and AI are impacting private markets and perspectives on valuation work today. We discussed:The challenges with manual valuation services businesses.How to create uniformity and standardization with private markets fund performance data.How AI is changing private markets post-investment reporting processes.Does automation in private markets help big funds or small funds more?The evolution of post-investment private markets market structure.The biggest technology innovation still missing from private markets.Why the growth of the wealth channel and evergreen funds increases the need for more streamlined reporting and valuation solutions.Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 AI Since Day One01:06 A Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus02:02 Introduction to Yann Magnan04:15 Valuations: From Manual To Automated06:47 Evergreen Funds Shift08:25 Valuations Now Drive Trades13:12 Transparency And Liquidity16:20 Evergreen Ops Requirements18:35 Tech Leverage In Valuation21:02 Data As The Single Source22:45 Why Valuations Differ23:31 Consistency In Valuations24:10 Humans Versus AI26:00 No Single Best Method26:56 Educating Wealth Investors28:15 GP Valuation Uniformity29:27 Global Tech Adoption30:33 Why Tech Helps Fundraising31:30 Data Extraction And Insights34:35 Standardizing Portfolio Data36:11 Scale Versus Expertise38:22 AI Agents In Valuation40:37 Governance And Explainability44:00 Digital GP LP Data Sharing45:29 Trust And Closing ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.Join over 16,000 Substack subscribers & followers who are thought leaders and executives from top private markets firms and wealth management like Blackstone, Apollo, Ares, KKR, EQT, Carlyle, Blue Owl, CVC, TPG, Brookfield, Vista, Gol
- May 5, 202636 min
🎥 Hamilton Lane's Hartley Rogers - pioneering private markets: Live from iCapital Connect
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.We were live from iCapital Connect’s conference in Phoenix, where we sat down with some of the industry’s leaders across asset management and wealth management.Hartley Rogers is a pioneer in private markets. He is the Executive Co-Chairman of Hamilton Lane, where he plays a significant role in investing and client relationship activities, as well as in strategic and organizational development. He is a Member of the Investment Committees and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors.This was a thoroughly fascinating conversation. Hartley’s wealth of knowledge made for a nuanced discussion that married the evolution of the business of asset management with why and how product structure innovation has unfolded as it has in private markets. We also dove into an area that is Hartley’s passion: venture capital and the innovation economy.We covered:Hamilton Lane’s evolution scaling from 50 people in a single office to 800 people across 22 offices.The transformation from investment consulting into a solutions provider and asset manager for investors.The importance of data, tools, access, and portfolio construction to manage the increasing complexity of private markets.How will the wealth channel invest in private markets?The misconceptions of evergreens being “ATMs.”What is the “special sauce” in constructing an evergreen portfolio?How secondaries can help feed the evergreen fund engine.What defines a manager’s edge.What private markets strategies excite Hartley.Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 Hamilton Lane Then and Now01:33 Introduction to our Sponsor, Ultimus03:57 Hartley’s Career Origins04:44 Hamilton Lane’s Consulting Roots05:21 Outsourcing Partner Today05:53 Scaling Changed the Job07:13 Private Markets Explosion08:25 Mega Managers and Complements09:32 Why Middle Market Matters11:32 GP Skillset Evolves12:18 Underwriting in the Data Era13:01 Data Advantage in Secondaries13:51 Secondaries Enable Evergreens14:25 Evergreen Works Across Strategies15:01 Why Wealth Needs Evergreens16:04 Deal Flow and Diversification17:10 How Allocators Use Evergreens18:08 Evergreen vs Drawdown Balance19:12 Evergreens Like ETFs20:22 Structures Still Early Days21:09 Who Gets What Exposure22:28 What Defines Manager Edge23:48 Commitment and Alignment Test34:51 Misconceptions and Closing PicksEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.Join over 15,900 Substack subscribers & followers who are thought leaders and executives from top private markets firms and wealth management like Blackstone, Apollo, Ares, KKR, EQT, Carlyle, Blue Owl, CVC, TPG, Brookfield, Vista, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, BlackRock, Fidelity, iCapital, Franklin Templeton, Nuveen, Hg, Permira, Stonepeak, Hamilton Lane, StepStone, Partners Group, General Atlantic, Hightower, Focus Finan
- Apr 30, 202649 min
🎥 Lincoln International's Brian Garfield - how is AI impacting private markets valuations?
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode dives into the nuances of the numbers to discuss valuations, underwriting, and the state of private markets.We sat down with Brian Garfield, Managing Director and Global Head of the Portfolio Valuations practice within Lincoln International’s Valuations and Opinions Group.Brian provides valuation and transaction opinion services to public and private alternative asset managers. He leads a team of over 225 professionals, providing strategic oversight for the Global Portfolio Valuation practice which includes both our Portfolio Valuation and Asset Backed Finance teams situated across North America, EMEA and APAC. Brian’s team also produces the Lincoln Private Market Index, Lincoln Senior Debt Index, and Lincoln Default Index.Brian and his team specialize in estimating the fair value for an array of financial instruments, including direct investments in senior, unitranche and subordinated loans, as well as preferred equity, common equity, option and warrants. His expertise also includes valuing secondary fund interests, co-investments, and GP stakes.Prior to joining Lincoln, Brian spent more than six years at Duff & Phelps, LLC, where he advised a wide range of alternative asset managers.Brian and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of valuations and underwriting in private markets. We discussed:How is AI impacting SaaS company valuations?Taking stock of the current fundamentals of private companies.Is the “iceberg of deals” melting?How indices and benchmarks are bringing a “deeper level of transparency than price” to a market.How is continuation vehicle activity impacting private markets?How has the growth of evergreen funds impacted the world of valuations?Thanks Brian for sharing your expertise, insights, and passion about private markets and valuations.Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes00:00 AI Hype Reality Check01:01 A Message From Our Sponsor, Ultimus01:57 Introducing Brian Garfield04:16 Art Versus Science in Valuations05:00 Tech And Automation06:15 Valuation For New Investors07:45 Anchoring To Purchase Price09:03 Entry Versus Exit Nuance10:23 Private Versus Public Multiples11:03 Lincoln Private Market Index12:17 AI And Software Bifurcation17:13 Key Market Health Signals18:34 2021 Vintage Leverage Logjam20:42 Exit Delays And Continuation Vehicles22:05 Winners, Losers, And CVs23:28 Iceberg of Exits24:41 Private Credit Yields Shift27:10 Underwriting Gets Scrubbed30:18 AI and Specialist Edge32:15 Energy Shock Valuation Risk36:48 Public Private Convergence41:47 Evergreen Valuation Cadence43:16 Tech Standards and AI Queries45:41 Backtesting and Transparency48:23 Closing ThoughtsEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.Join over 15,800 Substack subscribers & followers who are thought leaders and executives from top private markets firms and wealth management lik
- Apr 23, 202641 min
🎥 Bridgepoint's Xavier Robert - building a "middle market global champion"
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode unpacks the nuances of the middle market investing landscape with an industry expert who spearheads one of the leading middle market investment platforms.We sat down in Bridgepoint’s London office with Partner and Chief Investment Officer Xavier Robert.Xavier is a Partner of Bridgepoint and Chief Investment Officer, where he’s been a member of the firm for almost 28 years. He is a member of the Firm’s Group Management Committee and Investment Advisory Committee. He currently sits on the boards of MiQ, Kyriba, and Qualitest. He was previously a Board Member and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at eFront, which the firm sold to BlackRock. Prior to joining Bridgepoint, he worked at Total and Ernst & Young.Xavier and I had a fascinating and nuanced discussion about why the middle market is a compelling segment in the market and how Bridgepoint has expanded across asset classes. We discussed:How Bridgepoint’s origins as part of NatWest Banking Group helped to shape the firm’s early days as an independent investment platform.The “entrepreneurial story” of Bridgepoint.The story of Bridgepoint’s IPO and how everyone from the CEO to the receptionist all had shares in the company pre-IPO.The importance of being local in markets across Europe but operating as a single team.The expansion of Bridgepoint’s platform across credit, infrastructure, and secondaries.Why Europe, why now.Why the middle market is an attractive segment for investment.Sizing up the middle market investment opportunity and how the size and scale of middle market companies provides investors with more control of exit outcomes.What drives returns in the middle market.Why and how Bridgepoint has approached working with the wealth channel.Thanks Xavier for coming on the show to share your wisdom, expertise, and passion for private markets, investing, and the European mid-market.Show Notes00:00 Welcome and Setting00:36 Bridgepoint Origins02:14 Ownership Culture03:33 Full Circle Platform04:25 Partnering Values06:06 Why Middle Market08:29 Exits and Liquidity10:12 Value Creation Playbook12:06 Bridgepoint Edge14:05 Europe Local Advantage16:15 Europe vs US Returns18:29 Geopolitics and Expansion19:39 Middle East Growth20:45 Wealth Channel Shift21:25 Wealth Channel Thesis22:23 Responsible Access Design23:11 Evergreen Platform Needs25:40 Why Combine Infra28:35 Evergreen Deal Allocation30:40 Fund Growth Performance32:41 Kyriba Deal Lessons36:34 Middle Market Opportunity37:45 Building Asset Manager40:36 Closing Vision Goal*Note: This episode was recorded in January 2026.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.Join over 15,700 Substack subscribers & followers who are thought leaders and executives from top private markets firms and wealth management like Blackstone, Apollo, Ares, KKR, EQT, Carlyle, Blue Owl, CVC, TPG, Brookfield, Vista, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, BlackRock, Fidelity, iCapital, Franklin Templeton, Nuveen, Hg, Permira, Stonepeak, Hightower, Focus Financial, Cerity Partners, and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit altgoesmainstream.substack.com
- Apr 14, 20261h 1m
🎥 HarbourVest's John Toomey - over 40 years of "earning investors' trust"
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode dives into the nuances of private markets with one of the industry’s leaders.We sat down with HarbourVest CEO John Toomey, where he leads a firm that has over $160B in AUM and has over 43 years of experience across primary funds, secondary transactions, direct co-investments, and building customized programs for LPs.John has been at HarbourVest for almost 30 years, joining the firm in 1997 as an Analyst in the Direct team. He spent 10 years as one of the leaders of the Secondary business before serving on Global Investment Committees for nearly a decade. He also served as the original CFO for the HarbourVest Global Private Equity vehicle, which went public in 2007 on Euronext Amsterdam.John is also a member of the Firm’s Conflicts Committee, Sustainable Investing Council, and DEI Council. He received a BA (cum laude) in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.John and I had a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation about the evolution of private markets as an industry. We covered:The biggest differences between private markets in the 1990s and private markets today.How private markets has evolved over the past 30 years.What LPs are looking for today in their manager relationships.Do LPs want more choice or less?Why LPs, both institutions and wealth investors, might outsource private markets capabilities.How the institutionalization of private wealth platforms is shaping how alternative asset managers partner with the wealth channel.Where scale matters for alternative asset managers.Where allocators should be “narrow and limited” with their GP relationships and where allocators should be diversified.What is required for managers that launch and manage evergreen vehicles.The why and the how behind launching a private wealth solutions business.Thanks John for coming on the show to share your wisdom, expertise, and passion for private markets.Thanks for reading Alt Goes Mainstream! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work - writing and podcasting about the convergence of private markets and private wealth since December 2020.A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Ultimus Fund SolutionsThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more: ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Show Notes01:17 Message from our Sponsor, Ultimus02:12 Meet John Toomey04:36 HarbourVest’s Early Days05:34 LP Needs Then Versus Now07:37 Why Outsource Private Markets09:27 Program Approach Explained11:00 Earning LP Trust12:53 Building Blocks And Scale14:20 GP Needs And Access Points17:35 Co-Invest Partnership Model18:54 Middle Market Diversification21:26 Punching Above Weight24:22 Big Or Niche Debate27:25 Investing In Data And AI28:27 Evergreens And Wealth Channel30:34 Scale Needed For Evergreens31:43 Multi Manager Future32:39 Wealth Platform Consolidation33:08 Who Can Build Evergreens34:45 Evergreen Deal Flow Mix36:58 How Wealth Wants Access38:20 Centralized CIO Trend39:21 Manager Selection Matters40:56 Diversification Versus Alpha42:41 Funding From Public Markets45:16 Starting Private Equity Today46:54 Institutional Program Evolution51:13 Institutions Using Evergreens53:16 Liquidity And LP Transparency55:40 What Creates Manager Edge58:54 Non-Obvious Data Insights01:0
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What is Podzilla's Alt Goes Mainstream daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Alt Goes Mainstream as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Alt Goes Mainstream product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Michael Sidgmore.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does Alt Goes Mainstream release new episodes?
Alt Goes Mainstream publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Alt Goes Mainstream cover?
Alt Goes Mainstream covers topics including Business, Entrepreneurship, Investing. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Alt Goes Mainstream summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.