Stephan Breban is Head of Research at Renewity, the Founder of Giants Shoulders Capital and a consultant to a number of different firms. He is known as one of London’s original (and legendary) private equity investors and advisors and has witnessed some of the good, the bad and the ugly of that the sector presents. We had the pleasure of working together, side by side in our own entrepreneurial ventures, for over a decade.

A vast discussion that touches on the African investment opportunity as well as the challenges of private equity today and how to address the diversity problem.

Bevon Joseph is co-founder of the Greenwood project, which is an organization that connects Black and LatinX students with career opportunities in financial services and fin-tech. He previously held a series of roles in investment banks and other financial service firms, mainly in trading management functions. He is an advisory board member at the DePaul Career Center and is a graduate of the GS 10,000 small business program.

From a childhood in Trinidad, to a career in finance to founding a non-profit that creates opportunity for the next generation – this podcast is quite a journey.

Julian Tregoning has worked in the asset management business for many years, having had senior roles in the Flemings Group (where he also covered Latin America) and at BNY Mellon. He has held multiple Director and Chair roles and is a member of the investment committee for SAUL, a multi-employer defined benefit scheme for the non-academic employees of the University of London.

A podcast that features in both our “Next Chapter” series and our main series, this trip back to the era of Top Hats in the City of London traces and extraordinary international career that first happened “by accident.”

Mitesh Sheth is CEO of Redington, an investment consulting firm based in London, where he has spent almost 8 years. He started his career as an investment analyst and held various roles in asset management firms and in his own strategy and innovation consulting business.

A story about fitting in and carving a unique path into running a business that marries team building spirituality and acceptance.

Michiel Timmerman is founder and managing partner at Mbuyu Capital Partners, which is an Africa focused investment boutique focused on financial services and agriculture, as well as Equity for Africa and EFTA, both focused on equipment leasing in Tanzania. He previously held a series of CIO roles across various asset management businesses in the City of London, including Ignis Asset Managemnent, where we met.

A deep dive into the SME investment opportunity in Africa, how Michiel himself discovered it and why investors outside Africa often fail to perceive the opportunity.

Leon Brujis is a Partner a Palladium Equity Partners, a private equity firm, headquartered in NYC. The firm is focused on making investments in middle market companies with a special focus on partnering with founders and family-owned businesses, and a particular focus on the Latinx consumer. He has held a number of board roles, and is currently on the Board of New America Alliance, a not for profit organization committed to building on American Latino success to forge a Stronger America.

A packed look-back at a global education and career and a generous dollop of inter-generational advice.

Dr. Ylva Baeckstrom is a lecturer and researcher in finance at King’s College Business School in London, where she has a particular interest in behavioural finance, investment decision making and investment advice, with a special interest in gender and the interplay between advisors and their clients.

A specialist in gender equality and finance shares insights from her Ted talk and how things like press coverage confirm biases and impeded visibility for women and underrepresented groups.

Sharmila Kassam is the founder of Aligned Capital Investing, as well as holding a portfolio of Board roles. She was previously Deputy Chief Investment Officer of the Employees Retirement System of Texas, a public defined benefit plan with around $30 bn in AUM, where she held a series of roles for almost 12 years. She previously worked as an attorney and a venture industry professional. She is a Senior Fellow at the Milken Institute.

A deep dive into what it takes to be an effective director and Board member and the power of our heritage to shape us and translate traditional values into career guides.