Kelly Chesney is principal and co-founder of Pluscios Management, a fund of hedge funds manager based in the Chicago area. The firm, founded in 2006, has two female founders, and we interviewed Connie Teska, the other founder, in this earlier episode of the Fiftyfaces Podcast.  She has a long history in investment management, particularly in the area of funds of hedge funds, investing and consulting and started her career as an attorney.

We first interviewed Daniele Beasley in 2021 and discussed her focus on financial literacy and her financial advisory practice.  Fast forward to early 2024, and Daniele’s contribution of content to the industry has continued apace, and she is now making a name for herself in the emerging area of financial therapy. 

Asha Mehta is Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Global Delta Capital, where she has a thematic focus on Emerging and Frontier Markets as well as Sustainability Investing. She was previously Lead Portfolio Manager and Director of Responsible Investing at Acadian Asset Management and prior to that an investment banker.  She has traveled to over 80 countries and lived in six, and recently released a book, The Power of Capital: An Adventure Capitalist’s Journey to a Sustainable Future. 

Jennifer Grancio is Chief Executive Officer at Engine No. 1,  an investment firm that identifies value creation opportunities in once in a generation systems changes the economy is now going through. She is based in the San Francisco area. She previously founded and ran her own firm advising CEOs and accelerating revenue growth. Prior to that was a Managing Director at Blackrock where she led businesses and global distribution teams for close to 20 years. She is a Board Member   of the MannKind Corporation and Ethic Investments.

Between Series 1 and series 2 of 2023, we kicked off a brand new focus series – the Love Series – in celebration of love in February 2023.  This had a great response – reminding us of what made people human.  It sent one listener back to his old photo album to remind himself of his showjumping days, and others felt motivated to take up hobbies again.  

Now we are back to our main series focused on investment professionals but love runs through it like a golden thread.  Love, discipline, lessons from parents.  Our guests include a former college football player, who spent time working as a prison guard before returning to university and ultimately entering the investment industry, an expert on music valuation, multiple ESG and pensions specialists and founders of fund companies – large and small.  

Daniele Beasley is a Board Member at Mission Bank, a role she has held since February 2021, and is also a Chief Client Officer in charge of distribution at Apex Financial Advisors. She is a Certified Financial Planner currently focused on using her 30 years experience in the sector to educate and mentor clients in what she terms “her mid-life reset”.

A reminder of the importance of financial literacy at every stage of life, and the courage required to make a mid-career reset.

Jenny Segal is a motivational speaker, author and photographer, with a focus on building resilience, improving communication and building better workplace cultures. She had a long career in the investment industry culminating in senior leadership roles in institutional business development and distribution areas and is currently a Senior Investment Officer with Nesta among other positions, including an ambassador role with the Diversity Project.

A deeply personal look at a career in the city, a setback with breast cancer and the life lessons that stemmed from that and are now being channeled into an empowering coaching business.