CFA DFW Charterholder Chatter

CFA Society of Dallas/Fort Worth is proud to present Charterholder Chatter – a podcast focused on in-depth discussions with leading finance and investment industry voices on the ideas you care about.

Episode 64: Hacking Good Luck with Christian Busch 07/11/2025

Episode 63: The Rising Role of Women in Family Offices with Sasha Lund 04/04/2025

Episode 62: Investing in Women with Michaela Berglund 02/28/2025

Episode 61: Risks? What Risks? With Michael A. Gayed 02/12/2025

Episode 60: At the Center of Change with Dr. Gregg Robins 12/20/2024

Episode 59: A Smart Way to Start with Dr. Mara Harvey 11/21/2024

Episode 58: Wealth Refocused with Jennifer Wines 11/07/2024

Episode 57: Investments in Life with Gautam Dhingra 10/25/2024

Episode 56: How A Professional Thinks About Cryptocurrency Investing, with Rob Price 10/11/2024

Episode 55: All things AI with Wojtek Buczynski 10/03/2024

Episode 54: Turning the Tables with Paul Olschwanger 06/27/2024

Episode 53: “Pushing Against the Boxes Imposed by Others”…the Amazing and Inspiring Journey of Tina Byles Williams 06/13/2024

Episode 53: “Pushing Against the Boxes Imposed by Others”…the Amazing and Inspiring Journey of Tina Byles Williams Our next to final episode of season 3 represents the best of the best in terms of relevant topics and the voice you will primarily hear throughout the conversation. Rare to find such a high level of intelligence, courage, leadership, and willingness to give back, all in one person. One such individual is Tina Byles Williams, who is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Xponance, a $16.5 billion multi-strategy investment manager, one of the largest diverse and woman-owned investment firms in the U.S. She founded FIS Group, the predecessor firm to Xponance, in 1996, after serving as the CIO for the City of Philadelphia’s Board of Pensions and Retirement, and Investment Officer for Philadelphia Gas Works. Tina is the Lead Portfolio Manager for the firm’s active multi-manager global equity strategies and a member of the investment committee for the firm’s private market strategies. She is widely regarded as a trailblazer in the field of identifying and investing with alpha producing, entrepreneurial investment management firms, many of which are diverse, and women owned. In addition, she is the chairperson and driving force behind Xponance’s philanthropic entity, A Good Measure Foundation, which provides financial literacy education to inner city youth, supports programs designed to empower impoverished or marginalized women and children, and works to alleviate food insecurities in the firm's local communities.” She completed her undergraduate work at New York University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned her master’s degree in public policy with an emphasis in Finance from Harvard University. On today’s podcast, Tina shares more about her personal and professional journey, inspiration along the way, starting a business in an industry dominated by people not looking like her, and biggest challenges to emerging and diverse managers. /episode/index/show/cfadfw/id/31681652

Episode 52: Unlocking How the World Works with Leader Extraordinaire Rob Kaplan 05/30/2024

Episode 52: Unlocking How the World Works with Leader Extraordinaire Rob Kaplan Our podcast started a few years ago with the aspirations of having local CFA charterholders share their unique journey. After a few episodes, we realized the high level of interest and impact with hearing about the challenges, proudest moments, and inspirations along the way. No longer am are we searching for the hot topic of conversation, rather the individual who teaches and motivates you to carve out your own path of greatness. Today, we are grateful to spend time with the one and only Rob Kaplan, who just rejoined Goldman Sachs as a Parter and Vice Chairman after previously serving as the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas from 2015 to 2021. He represented the Eleventh Federal Reserve District on the Federal Open Market Committee in the formulation of US monetary policy and oversaw its 1,300 employees. Rob was previously the Martin Marshall Professor of Management Practice and a Senior Associate Dean at Harvard Business School. Prior to joining Harvard, he was Vice Chairman of the Goldman Sachs Group with global responsibility for the firm's investment banking and investment management divisions. He serves as Chairman of Project A.L.S. and Co-Chairman of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, is a board member of Harvard Medical School, St. Mark’s School of Texas and is a member of the Advisory Council of the George W. Bush Institute. Previously he served as Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee at Google and a trustee of the Ford Foundation. Proudly born and raised in Prairie Village, Kansas, Rob received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. He has authored three books, including one our host, Paul Olschwanger recently finished, titled What You Really Need to Lead: The Power of Thinking and Acting Like an Owner. On today’s episode, you would think we am going to ask Rob for his views on the economy or fed policy. Not so much, you can easily google Rob Kaplan and these topics. You are, however, in for a treat as we are going to talk more about his professional journey, life leading the Fed, proudest moments, and potential topics for his next book. /episode/index/show/cfadfw/id/30485343

Episode 51: The Value of Knowledge and Connections…Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders with Marilyn Wiley 05/16/2024

Episode 50: It All Started at Oxford…an Inspiring Conversation with the Face and Voice of DEI in Asset Management – Sarah Maynard 05/02/2024

Episode 50: It All Started at Oxford…an Inspiring Conversation with the Face and Voice of DEI in Asset Management – Sarah Maynard Within and outside the investment management industry, there are many well-intentioned initiatives established to make a significant contribution and difference. Not as difficult to find people who have an opinion as it is to find true leaders willing to climb up and through walls. One such exceptional leader is our guest today. Sarah Maynard is Global Senior Head, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) at CFA Institute. Based in London, Sarah leads a global, industry-recognized portfolio of DEI programs for CFA Institute stakeholders who include CFA Program candidates, charterholders, Societies, and investment institutions, to champion the cause of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the investment management industry. Sarah is also responsible for internal DEI at CFA Institute, reporting to CEO & President, Marg Franklin. Previously, Sarah was Head of Stewardship and Client Communication at Majedie Asset Management, Director of Career Development at CFA Society of the UK, and a founder of the society’s Women’s Network, which she transformed into the Inclusion & Diversity Network, and which now has a membership of over 1,200 investment professionals. Sarah was also a fund manager and analyst at both an asset manager and an asset owner, for which she managed an equities portfolio of US $3.3bn. She has an MA in English Literature and Language from Trinity College, Oxford, holds the ASIP (the credential for Associates of the Society of Investment Professionals), and is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. She currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Girls Who Invest, the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), Collaborative WIM, and on the CEO Advisory Council of Diversity Project North America. On today’s episode, Sarah shares more about her journey, commitment to DE&I, her advice to young women entering our industry, and proudest moments. /episode/index/show/cfadfw/id/31032508

Episode 49: The Amazing Journey of John Hagensen, former Pilot, current Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Financial Advisor 04/18/2024

Episode 48: Following the Puck with the Accidental Journey of Calum Mackenzie 04/04/2024

Episode 47: Embracing the Grit with “Socially Adjusted Actuary” and Leader Extraordinaire Tim McCusker 03/21/2024

Episode 46: Sticking to Calling Balls and Strikes – Talking OCIO Performance Integrity with Brian Schroeder 03/07/2024

Episode 46: Sticking to Calling Balls and Strikes – Talking OCIO Performance Integrity with Brian Schroeder Episode 46: Sticking to Calling Balls and Strikes – Talking OCIO Performance Integrity with Brian Schroeder Outsourcing the CIO or OCIO function at a university endowment, corporate pension plan, or healthcare system has become commonplace over the past 10 years. In the early days, the deciding factors were operational efficiencies, meeting a target goal objective, and cost. Today, these same organizations want to make sure they made the right decision to outsource, and did they select the right OCIO. Today’s guest is Brian Schroeder, who is the founder of OCIO Monitor, a specialty consulting firm that provides due diligence of investment consultants and outsourced chief investment officers. He has over 30 years of investment experience, as both an institutional manager and consultant, and is one of the leading experts in benchmarking and performance reporting transparency. He has been consulted by academics and recently presented to the Securities Exchange Commission’s Division of Exams’ investigators on how to spot performance reporting fraud when conducting routine firm inspections. His forensic analysis is novel by quantitatively scoring the value-add of investment consultants and OCIOs in their five main duties- strategic asset allocation, tactical asset allocation, rebalancing, active manager hiring and active manager firing. Schroeder has a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Cal State University – East Bay and a Master of Science degree in financial analysis from St. Mary’s College. Growing up, he watched Wall Street Week with Luis Rukeyser. In 7th grade, he read Adam Smith’s Money Game. On this episode, Brian shares his professional journey, why/how he ended up worrying so much about the performance of OCIO providers, and the importance of mistake-based learning. /episode/index/show/cfadfw/id/29818343

Episode 45: Self and Team Awareness Lead to Higher Quality Conversations, Collaboration, and Healthy Culture – an insightful conversation with Zack Wieder 02/22/2024

Episode 44: Going Beyond Pouring the Water – the Remarkable Journey of Meredith Jones 02/08/2024

Episode 44: Going Beyond Pouring the Water – the Remarkable Journey of Meredith Jones Our podcast is all about the journey, not the destination and today’s special guest has dedicated her professional journey to areas she deeply cares about as she is an inspiration to many throughout the world with her research, writing, and speaking, all in her unique style of communication, which is clear, valuable, and humorous. Meredith Jones is a well-known expert in the investment industry with over 20 years of experience. Who else can claim a successful TedTalk, being an award-winning author, testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, and creating the first Women in Alternative Investments Hedge Fund index? She was also a regular columnist for Institutional Investor and Market Watch. She won’t tell you this, but we will – she is a rock star in our industry with a unique talent and ability to make others laugh while they are learning. Currently Managing Director and ESG Practice Leader at EY, and Founder of MJ Alternative Investment Research, Meredith is a board member of Rock the Street, Wall Street, which offers programs to educate and equip high school girls with the skills to succeed financially and potentially pursue a career in finance. She was previously a Partner, Global Head of Responsible Investing at Aon, and held senior roles at Rothstein Kass, Barclays Capital, PerTrac Financial Solutions, and Van Hedge Fund Advisors. She is the author of Women of the Street: Why Female Money Managers Generate Higher Returns (And How You Can Too) which provides insight into the behavioral, biological, and cognitive edge female investors can provide. Her research on emerging managers (initiated in 2006) and women and minority-owned funds created new investment categories. It has changed the way investors and money managers behave - both in the way investors allocate and how money managers market to and seek investors. On today’s episode, Meredith shares more about her personal and professional journey, being a strong female voice in a male-dominated industry, and why the combination of intelligence and humor makes her such an effective communicator. /episode/index/show/cfadfw/id/29818278

Episode 43: Finding the Good in Everything…a warm and uplifting conversation with Michelle Underwood Gass 01/25/2024

Episode 42: Courage, Conviction, and Humility…a conversation with Arvind Sanger 01/11/2024

Episode 41: How an Elite High Jumper Landed in the Hedge Fund Pit… the Amazing Journey of Jane Buchan 12/28/2023

Episode 41: How an Elite High Jumper Landed in the Hedge Fund Pit… the Amazing Journey of Jane Buchan 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 back those representing the future. Jane Buchan has thirty-four years of experience in investment management and portfolio construction with institutional investors and is currently Chief Executive Officer of Martlet Asset Management, a family office established in 2018. Prior to founding Martlet, Jane was CEO of PAAMCO, a fund of hedge funds, which she co-founded in 2000. Under her leadership, the firm grew to $32 billion in assets under management. She began her career at J.P. Morgan Investment Management in the Capital Markets Group, has been an Assistant Professor of Finance at Dartmouth, and recently served as chairwoman of the board for CAIA and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Master of Financial Engineering Program at UCLA Anderson School of Management. In addition, Jane is currently serving on the boards of AGF Management Ltd. and Globe Life, where our local baseball team who just won the World Series calls home. Jane has won so many awards we don’t have time to list them all. Just know she is a rock star in our industry and has been actively involved in initiatives to advance the careers of women in finance and is a founding Angel for 100 Women in Finance. Jane holds both a Ph.D. and an MA in Business Economics (Finance) from Harvard and earned a BA in Economics from Yale. Today, Jane shares her amazing professional journey, commitment to education, and why she is so excited about the future of our industry. /episode/index/show/cfadfw/id/29122758

Episode 40: Talking Goals-Based Investing with Franklin Parker 12/14/2023

Episode 39: The Diverse and Competitive Interests of Elizabeth Burton – History, Economics, Math, Politics, Solving Problems, and Ice Skating. 11/30/2023

Podcast 38: The Persistent Facilitator’s Pivotal Career, a conversation with Martha Delgado 11/16/2023

Episode 37: The Discipline of Chess, Basketball & Real Estate Investing with Phil Copulsky 11/02/2023

Episode 36: The Personal and Professional Journey of Lauren Minch 10/19/2023

Episode 35: The Amazing Journey of Marg Franklin 06/29/2023

CFA DFW Charterholder Chatter

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