This week’s podcast focuses on current trends in the private and public credit markets. We discuss interest rates, credit spreads, M&A activity, and sectors that have our attention. Host Colbert Cannon sits down with two of HPS’s senior investment leaders: Vikas Keswani, a Managing Director and Head of North American Specialty Direct Lending, and Scott Crocombe, a Managing Director and Head of Research on the HPS Liquid Credit team.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with James “Jamie” Sprayregen, Vice Chairman at Hilco Global, a financial services firm focused on asset valuations, monetization, and disposition services. We discuss Jamie’s 31-year tenure growing Kirkland & Ellis’ restructuring and bankruptcy law practices globally. He shares insights on some of the most complicated bankruptcies in history. Then, we pivot to learn about his transition to Hilco Global.Learn more about James and his work at Hilco Global, here. Find out where to watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the play, The Lehman Trilogy, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Steven Silverstein, Chief Executive Officer at Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc, which operates two distinct experiential lifestyle brands, Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween. We discuss what pushed Steven to pursue a career in brick-and-mortar retail, his foundational lessons in crafting memorable in-person shopping experiences in the digital age, and how these early learnings helped him scale Spirit Halloween’s one-of-a-kind pop-up retail business model. Learn more about The Heart Of Spirit Halloween: Spirit Of Children charity and how to donate, Steven’s Best Idea for this week, here.

This week, we welcome Lotfi Karoui, Chief Credit Strategist and Head of Credit and Mortgage Strategy Research at Goldman Sachs. Lotfi shares his macro and credit market outlook on the HPScast with host Colbert Cannon.

Welcome to Season 11 of the HPScast. To kick us off, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Franklin Leonard, the founder & CEO of The Black List, an online marketplace that connects writers and their scripts to television & filmmakers looking to develop their next project. We discuss how Franklin navigated the “whisper network” to break into Hollywood — and how he’s now using his platform to reshape the entire television & film industry by broadening access to diverse talent to create a more robust and profitable creative space for all to play in. Learn more about Franklin Leonard and The Black List, here. You can watch the movie They Cloned Tyrone, Colbert’s Best Idea this week, here.

Today marks the end of Season 10 of The HPScast. Join host Colbert Cannon for a listen back to some of our best moments this season. We had the great pleasure of hearing from insightful voices across health care, law, media and finance — including some of our own colleagues here at HPS. The HPScast team is grateful to all of our guests for taking the time to share their knowledge and stories with us. And thanks to you, dear listener, for tuning in. We’re taking a quick break, but Season 11 is coming soon.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Robert Carlock, Emmy Award-winning writer and producer best known for his work as showrunner on Tina Fey's acclaimed sitcom, 30 Rock. We hear how Robert cut his teeth producing Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” and first met Tina. Robert discusses the professional partnership and friendship that he and Tina have built over nearly three decades. We also talk about his transition from being a writer to running a show. And Robert shares his insights on the future of the making and business of television. Learn more about Robert’s work here. Watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the television series SAS Rogue Heroes here.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Chris Stainton, a Managing Director in HPS’ London office focused on direct lending and special situations investing. We talk about Chris’s early career at Bain Capital and how sitting across the negotiation table with HPS led to his eventual decision to join the firm. We also do a deep dive into the evolution of the global distressed credit market to today. Watch Chris’s Best Idea for this week, the television series Night Manager here. Read Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the fantasy novel trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Gareth Mee, Chief Investment Officer of Private Markets at Legal & General Capital, the investing arm of one of the UK's largest insurance and asset management businesses. We talk about Gareth’s early career working as a consultant and eventual partner at Ernst & Young and his transition to join Legal & General Capital’s executive team. We also discuss his perspective on private credit and how it fits into Legal & General Capital’s portfolio.Learn more about Gareth and his firm here. Find out more about Bootcamp Marbella, Gareth’s Best Idea for this week, here. Watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the television series,The Gold, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jonathan Stromseth, Professor of the Practice at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Jonathan teaches and researches globalization, foreign aid and governance reform work in Asia. We talk about Jonathan’s time spent across Asia working for the U.S. international development organization, the Asia Foundation, his transition to lead China and Southeast Asia policy planning for the U.S. State Department and his most recent role at the Brookings Institution. We also discuss his latest focus: climate change and innovations.Learn more about Jonathan and his work at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy here. Read his book, China’s Governance Puzzle, here. Find out how to visit Hai Duong restaurant, Jonathan’s Best Idea for this week, here. Watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the film Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon-ho, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jared Solomon, Co-Founder and CEO of Five Iron Golf, an indoor golf simulator and events & entertainment business catering to urban centers. We talk about Jared’s first foray into entrepreneurship with Flux Stables, a poker staking business he started in law school. And he shares how he’s continued to merge his passion for business and recreation through Five Iron Golf — and what’s on the horizon for the business. Learn more about Jared’s role at Five Iron Golf here. Read Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the biography The Catcher Was a Spy, by Nicholas Dawidoff, here.

This week’s episode features a discussion of current credit market trends with HPS Governing Partners Purnima Puri and Mike Patterson joining host Colbert Cannon.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jay Goffman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Smith Goffman Partners, a restructuring advisory firm with a merchant bank component. We talk about Jay’s early start in bankruptcy law, his journey to becoming partner at Skadden and the origin of Smith Goffman Partners. Learn more about Jay’s Best Idea for this week, Third Option Foundation here. Read Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the book Table for Two, by Amor Towles, here.

The HPScast is on a midseason break, but we’ll be back with all new episodes starting Wednesday, May 1st. We encourage you to take a listen back to any conversations you might have missed. Or, check out our Best Ideas shared so far. You'll find links to books, podcasts, movies and TV shows in our show notes.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Dr. Brendan Carr, Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Carr became the head of the Emergency Department of Mount Sinai in 2020 — just one month before the hospital reported New York City’s first case of COVID-19. He shares his takeaways from the frontlines of a global pandemic as a new leader. We also discuss Dr. Carr’s diverse career background, which spans clinical care to healthcare policy and research — and how this vast experience has helped him in his transition to lead the entire Mount Sinai Health System earlier this year. Learn more about Dr. Brendan Carr and his work at Mount Sinai Health System here. You can watch Colbert’s Best Idea of the week, the show Mare of Easttown, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Salim Ismail, Co-Founder and Chairman of OpenExO, a global community that connects professionals with organizations, institutions and people who want to build a better future through cutting-edge ideas and actionable methodologies. We talk about how Salim works with global organizations to navigate disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). He shares his thoughts on how AI will impact society and his best advice on how to prepare for the rapidly changing future. Learn more about Salim and his role at OpenExO here. Watch Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the film Ex Machina, directed by Alex Garland, here.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with David Lehman, Managing Director for HPS Investment Partners. David manages HPS's real estate finance practice. We discuss David’s early career learnings while trading structured products at Morgan Stanley and later Deutsche Bank before joining Goldman Sachs, where he eventually led the firm’s global real estate finance group. We also hear about David’s transition to public service as the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development before joining HPS. Learn more about David Lehman and his work with HPS here. You can read his Best Idea of the week — the book Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin, here. And find out more about Colbert’s Best Idea of the week, the biography Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow, here.

Welcome back to Season 10 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Kristin Kallergis Rowland, Global Head of Alternative Investments for J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. Kristin’s team oversees $140 billion in assets under management with private equity, private credit, real estate and hedge fund firms globally. We talk about Kristin’s early career learnings, from starting at J.P. Morgan in its mortgage center business during the 2008 housing crisis to the culture shift of managing alternatives in the EMEA region from the firm’s London offices. Then, we discuss her transition to lead the firm's global alternatives business and what’s next for the group.   Learn more about Kristin and her role at J.P. Morgan here. Read The Golf Courses of Seth Rayner from Back Nine Press, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

We’ve reached the end of Season 9 of The HPScast. Join host Colbert Cannon for a listen back to some of our best moments this season. We heard from thought leaders across industries, from entrepreneurs turned VC backers to organizational psychologists, as well as chief investment officers of leading pensions and global insurers. Their stories reinforced the ethos of The HPScast — that success does not happen in a vacuum. Thank you to all of our listeners for your continued support. We’ll be back at the top of 2024 with all new conversations. Until then, listen back to any episodes you might have missed, and check out our show notes to find links to all of the Best Ideas shared so far.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Francesco Martorana, Group Chief Investment Officer at Generali, a global insurance and asset management provider. We discuss Francesco’s time at J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank and Allianz before joining Generali, where he oversees an approximately €400 billion global portfolio. Francesco shares Generali’s stance on private credit and the qualities he looks for in a portfolio manager. Learn more about Francesco and his role at Generali here. Check out Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, the book The Great Texas Banking Crash by Joseph Grant here. 

This week, we have a special episode recorded recently from HPS’s Investor Symposium. Colbert hands over his hosting duties to Hugh Lawson, a Managing Director at HPS, who sits down with Maud Texier, the Global Director of Clean Energy and Decarbonization Solutions at Google. Maud shares Google’s experience in its plan to become carbon free by 2030 while giving perspective on energy transition efforts, globally.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Emilia Wiener, Chief Investment Officer at TIAA, an asset management firm that specializes in retirement investing for educators. We talk about Emilia’s time at The MONY Group, AllianceBernstein, Genworth, and AXA, before moving on to TIAA. Emilia also shares her perspective on the value of private credit, properly documented transactions and the ability to proactively reposition a portfolio.

The HPScast is taking a quick midseason break, but we’ll be back with all new episodes starting Wednesday, November 15th. Until then, listen back to our growing catalog of conversations. Or, take a moment to check out one of our many Best Ideas shared so far. You can find links to fantastic books, podcasts, movies and TV shows, all in our show notes.

Host Colbert Cannon sits down with John Amaechi OBE, founder of APS Intelligence, an organizational consulting firm that helps businesses create ethical workplace cultures, and drive productivity, growth, retention, and success. John explains how he coaches businesses to find practical solutions that work for their specific type of organization and distinct needs. We also talk about how John leveraged his time in the NBA to carve out a unique lane in psychology with broad and scalable impact. Learn more about John Amaechi and APS Intelligence here. Learn more about Colbert’s Best Idea for the week, the Apple Plus TV show Hijack, here.

This week, we’re sharing host Colbert Cannon’s conversation with Grishma Parekh, Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners and Co-Head of North American Core Senior Lending. Grishma offers key insights into the direct lending market and discusses how it has grown and evolved over her years in the industry. She also shares how she made the decision to join HPS at a turning point in her own career — and how the firm’s culture continues to align with her ways of working.Learn more about Grishma Parekh’s role at HPS Investment Partners here. Read The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance by Ron Chernow, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

This week host Colbert Cannon sits down with Matt Brown, founder and CEO of CAIS, a fintech platform that connects independent financial advisors with experienced alternative asset managers. We talk about Matt’s career evolution, from his early days at Shearson Lehman Brothers to founding private equity firm Brown Simpson, to spending over 20 years mentoring high impact entrepreneurs at Endeavor. Then, Matt shares how he built CAIS from the ground up to now serve 30,000 financial advisors representing roughly $4 trillion in investable capital. And we hear how CAIS is leveraging its data to build more robust insights for users to manage their assets long term.Learn more about Matt Brown and CAIS here. Read his Best Idea of the week – the book Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness, by Tim S. Grover with Shari Lesser Wenk here. Watch Jury Duty, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Mark Rubenstein, Head of Strategic Investment Partners North America at HPS. We talk about Mark’s early days at Citigroup’s leveraged finance division and his transition to the bank’s Special Situations Group. He then recounts the pivotal moments that led him to join HPS and the evolution of the firm during his tenure.Learn more about Mark Rubenstein and his role at HPS here. Check out his Best Idea, the book Am I Being Too Subtle? by Sam Zell  here. Learn more about Magog, Quebec, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

Welcome back to Season 9 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Alexa von Tobel, a dynamic entrepreneur, NYT-bestselling author, and venture capitalist. Alexa is the founder of Inspired Capital, an early stage venture capital firm committed to nurturing the next generation of exceptional entrepreneurs. We delve into Alexa’s remarkable journey, from her early career at Morgan Stanley to founding LearnVest, a pioneering financial literacy company that was later acquired by Northwestern Mutual. Then, we discuss her latest venture, Inspired Capital — and why she’s embracing more volatile economic conditions, including rising interest rates,  to build better businesses and teams. Throughout, Alexa shares her keys to success at every juncture and vital lessons learned along the way. Learn more about Alexa von Tobel and her VC firm, Inspired Capital here. Watch “The Social Network,” Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

We’ve reached the end of Season 8 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon shares some of the best moments from our varied slate of conversations this season. We heard from bona fide voices in the art world, a luminary in the Black media landscape, and more than a few colleagues from across HPS – some of whom you might have recognized from our previous seasons. We’ll be back in Fall 2023 with all new episodes. Until then, catch up on any conversations you might have missed. Or try out one of the many Best Ideas shared in each episode. You can find links to those in the show notes of each episode.

This week host Colbert Cannon sits down with Mike Levin, the Chief Executive Officer of Harlem Lacrosse, a nonprofit organization which provides academic support, mentorship, and lacrosse programming to students in low income urban schools in Boston, New York, Philly, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. Mike shares how mentorship and team building through sports can be an extremely effective vehicle for improving educational outcomes that cuts across socioeconomic and class divides. We discuss Mike’s own journey to get involved in education reform and how playing lacrosse in his youth through to the collegiate level at Brown University was foundational to forming his perspective. Mike shares how he has learned to navigate the world of nonprofits and fundraising to help scale and grow Harlem Lacrosse’s programming in cities across the U.S. Then, we look ahead to the strategic vision that he is working to implement, and how companies and corporations can participate.    Learn more about Mike’s work with Harlem Lacrosse here. You can check out Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, Season 1 of the podcast CrimeTown by Gimlet Media, here.

Join host Colbert Cannon as he sits down with Lydia Fenet, a charity auctioneer, author, and ambassador for the iconic Christie’s auction house. Lydia offers up some tried-and-true career advice about building confidence in the form of personal stories from her own journey to feel successful on and off the auction block. We hear how she fumbled her first-ever auction, and has since built a career on helping others own their own mistakes and embrace failure as an essential part of any success story. We also discuss her motivations for her most recent book, Claim Your Confidence – plus, her tips for getting really comfortable with being uncomfortable.Learn more about Lydia Fenet’s career as an auctioneer at Christie’s, and check out her books, here. Listen to her podcast, Claim Your Confidence, here. You can find out more about Lydia’s Best Idea, the book Financially Fearless by Alexa Von Tobel, here. Watch the limited series ZeroZeroZero from Prime Video, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

This week, we have a special episode from the Milken Institute’s 2023 Global Conference in Los Angeles. Listen in as our investment leaders break down how current economic and market conditions are creating opportunities for private credit, as the asset class potentially enters a new growth stage.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Janet Marie Smith, Executive Vice President of Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Janet discusses her role in reimagining such legendary baseball stadiums as Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles, and Fenway Park, the baseball park for the Boston Red Sox. Janet shares how she works with a variety of stakeholders in each city to renovate their stadiums to be highly functional for modern-day sports audiences’ while maintaining their historic integrity in order to create a stadium that feels truly bespoke to the city it represents. She discusses how she’s brought this “preservationist streak” to her latest project, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. Janet shares how she’s putting the stadium’s communal spirit at the forefront with each decision as she works to rebuild the iconic ballpark for the multicultural community that is Los Angeles.Learn more about Janet Marie Smith’s tenure at the Los Angeles Dodgers here. Watch the ESPN documentary, Once Upon A Time In Queens, Colbert’s son’s Best Idea for this week, here.

Join host Colbert Cannon as he sits down with Paul Knollmeyer, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer at HPS Investment Partners. Paul breaks down how he was able to leverage the expertise that he acquired at Pricewaterhouse in the late 80s into a position as CFO for Griffin Group, the family office of media and entertainment mogul Merv Griffin. He shares how that role broadened his experience deploying capital, including his first exposure to distress investing in real estate coming out of the savings and loan crisis. Then, we discuss Paul’s tenure as COO at Ortelius Capital Partners through the 2008 financial crisis, and his decision to join HPS, then Highbridge Principal Strategies, as its CFO and Chief Risk Officer. He shares how he helped to navigate the successful buyout of Highbridge Principal Strategies from JP Morgan in 2016. And we look ahead to the risks and opportunities that lay ahead in the current macro environment. Learn more about Paul Knollmeyer’s role at HPS Investment Partners here. You can find our guest’s Best Idea, the novel Die with Zero by Bill Perkins, here. Discover the novelTalk by Michael Smerconish, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Nicholas Gartside, Chief Investment Officer and member of the Board of Management at Munich RE. Nicholas breaks down what it was like to sit in an investing seat as the Head of Global Fixed Income at Schroder Investment Management during the global financial crisis in 2008. Then, we hear about Nicholas’ transition to manage a €250 billion insurance portfolio at Munich RE. He shares how he maneuvers a multi-asset portfolio anchored heavily in long-duration fixed income assets through turbulent markets. And Nicholas lends his perspective on how Munich RE, as a member of the United Nations’ Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, is engaging meaningfully with companies to make ESG initiatives integral to corporate culture.  Learn more about Nicholas Gartside’s tenure at Munich RE here. You can check out our guest’s Best Idea, the novel A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor, here. Read the novel Munich by Robert Harris, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Faith Rosenfeld, Chief Administrative Officer at HPS Investment Partners. Faith recounts the many roles she took on during her 15-year tenure at Goldman Sachs and how one of those roles led her to taking a “blank sheet of paper” approach. Then, Faith discusses her leap into entrepreneurship as a Founding Partner of The Beacon Group, a private equity and advisory firm later acquired by JP Morgan Chase. She shares how business ownership further broadened her unique set of skills and prepared her to join HPS, then Highbridge Principal Strategies, as one of its first-ever employees. We talk about the evolution of the firm to today – and look ahead to how it is integrating ESG strategies from a private credit perspective and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in its talent.Learn more about Faith Rosenfeld's tenure at HPS here. Find a link to order Faith’s first Best Idea, the memoir Lost and Found by Kathryn Schutz here. And watch her second Best Idea, 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible here. You can find Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, Michael Lewis’ Liar's Poker, here.

We’re back with Season 8 of The HPScast. Join us as host Colbert Cannon sits down with Hugo Nathan, a Founding Partner of Beaumont Nathan, an art advisory firm based in London and New York. Hugo shares how he found his way into the alluring world of international art trading, and his formative early years at Simon Dickinson. Hugo shares stories from his 15-year tenure at the firm as he rose through its ranks, eventually being named President. Then, we discuss his decision to strike out on his own, alongside now partner, Wentworth Beaumont, to form their international art advisory and market intelligence firm, Beaumont Nathan. Hugo offers keen insights into entrepreneurship and how to do well in an industry built on relationships. He also shares his recent work with HPS Investment Partners' to help build out its diverse, and highly thoughtful art collection, including some of his favorites by both accomplished artists such as Alexander Calder and McArthur Binion — and emerging artists like Jordan Nassar.Learn more about what Hugo Nathan is working on at Beaumont Nathan here. Check out Hugo’s Best Idea, The European Fine Art Fair, here. And discover works by British painter Cecily Brown, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here. 

This week marks the end of Season 7 of The HPScast. Join host Colbert Cannon as he looks back at some key moments from the season. We hear key insights from titans across industries – from commercial real estate to English football, plus more than a few masters of analytics working to enhance everything from risk assessment to global literacy. We’ll be back in the second half of 2023 with all new episodes. Until then, catch up on any conversations you might have missed. Or try out one of the many Best Ideas shared in each episode. You can find links to those in the show notes of each episode.

Host Colbert Cannon speaks with Deji Davies, Head of European Loan Trading at J.P. Morgan. We discuss his experience managing J.P. Morgan’s par and stressed trading operation through market volatility. He shares how he balances a foundational understanding of corporate credits against a commitment to remaining nimble as markets evolve in the short term. Deji also shares his background as a semi-professional soccer player, or footballer for our international audience, at clubs including Boreham Wood and Slough Town. Then, we discuss his most recent appointment as Chair of the Inclusion Advisory Board at The Football Association and how he plans to lead the charge for greater representation and more accessibility in the sport.Learn more about Deji Davies tenure at JP Morgan here and his new position Chair of the Football Association Inclusion Advisory Board here. You can check out our guest’s Best Idea, Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Dr. John Sarno, here. Or read Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

Join host Colbert Cannon in conversation with Jae S. Yoon, Chief Investment Officer of New York Life Investment Management and Chairman of New York Life Investment Asia. Jae shares how he turned a proclivity for mathematics into quantitative analysis roles in risk management for the Asia offices of firms like Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan. We hear how he navigated turbulent times such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis. We then pivot to discuss Jae’s role as a macro manager for New York Life Investment Management, the asset management business of New York Life Insurance. He shares how he uses everything from historical events like the Great Inflation of the 1970s to conversations with cab drivers to build a robust understanding of the local markets that shape our global economy.    Learn more about Jae S. Yoon’s role at New York Life Investment Management here. Check out the menu at Oiji MI, Colbert’s Best Idea for the week, here.

This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with friend and colleague Michael Fenstermacher, a Managing Director and the Co-Head of North American Core Senior Lending at HPS Investment Partners. We talk about his early days at Bank One, where he got his start in credit lending. He walks us through Bank One’s eventual merger with J.P. Morgan and how he decided to make the move to the latter’s New York City office during that transition. We discuss the diversity of learning opportunities and exposure to investment banking that Michael steeped himself in during that time before coming to HPS in 2008. He shares what it was like to join the firm’s direct lending arm amid the global financial crisis. Then, he offers a look into the evolution of the direct lending landscape in relation to the broadly syndicated market and how current market  volatility is impacting the space.Learn more about Michael Fenstermacher’s tenure at HPS Investment Partners here. You can check out our guest’s Best Idea, The Cook Political Report, here. Watch The League, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

Join host Colbert Cannon for a conversation with Geetha Murali, the CEO of Room to Read, a global non-profit organization that focuses on working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to improve literacy and gender equality in education. Geetha shares how she’s used her biostatistics background to help grow the organization's reach to now serve 32 million children across 21 countries. She discusses how the global pandemic pushed her team to find new ways of reaching communities both online and offline amid shutdowns that cut off their primary channel of distribution - schools. She also delves into how the binary between for-profit and nonprofit organizations is becoming a thing of the past with the increase in impact investing and ESG frameworks across the board.Learn more about Geetha Murali’s tenure at Room to Read here. Learn more about Room to Read and how to donate here. You can check out our guest’s Best Idea, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, here. Read Circe by Madeline Miller, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Patrick McGinnis, a venture capitalist, podcast host and international best-selling author who, in 2004, coined the popular term FOMO, or fear of missing out. We hear the origin story of the phrase, which Patrick first started using amongst friends at Harvard Business School after suffering from an extreme bout of it in the choice-rich environment. He tells us how that mentality led him to reevaluate how we make decisions more effectively. We also hear how Patrick weathered the 2008 financial crisis at AIG before joining its investing arm spinoff PineBridge Investments, and eventually starting his own investment and advisory firm, Dirigo Advisors, working with fast growing companies, corporations and international organizations. Learn more about what Patrick McGinnis is working on here. Listen to his podcast FOMO Sapiens here. 

Host Colbert Cannon sits down with Aldo Mazzocco, the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Generali Real Estate SpA for a discussion full of lessons for business and life. Aldo shares his path to real estate investment as he moved from general manager of a construction company to eventually run Beni Stabili SpA. There, he more than doubled the Italian real estate company's portfolio before overseeing its merger with Foncière des Régions to create what is now Covivio. Then, Aldo discusses his move to Generali Real Estate, where he was tasked with modernizing the business and creating a viable third party asset management strategy. He talks about the challenges of building something new in a business more than 190 years old. Aldo also shares how he managed his team during the Covid-19 crisis as it roiled the commercial real estate industry, drawing deeply from his past handlings of the Lehman Brother crisis, the European sovereign debt crisis and Italy’s triple dip recession. And he offers up one incredibly sound piece of advice sourced from the Dolomites in northeast Italy that still guides him today.           Learn more about Aldo Mazzocco’s tenure at Generali Real Estate here. You can find out more about Generali’s philanthropic housing initiative, The Human Safety Net, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Chris Halpin, the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of IAC, or InterActiveCorp, the holding company behind digital consumer brands like Angie’s List, Dotdash Meredith and Care.com. Chris launched his career at Goldman Sachs’ real estate investment principal investing arm before pivoting to private equity at Providence Equity Partners. There, he had the opportunity to establish the firm’s China business from Hong Kong – and a front row seat to the 2008 global financial crisis. Upon returning stateside, Chris tackled a new and humbling challenge with the NFL. He shares how he navigated the complexities of building consensus among 32 teams and steered the league into international markets before exiting to explore a new frontier in digital media tech.Learn more about Chris Halpin’s role at IAC here. You can check out our guest’s Best Idea, the book Black-and-White Thinking: The Burden of a Binary Brain in a Complex World by Kevin Dutton, here. Or read The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by  J. Kenji López-Alt, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

On this week’s episode, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Vikas Keswani, Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners and Head of North American Specialty Lending. He walks us through the evolution of the direct lending industry and how he found his way to it. He explains the nuances of a direct lending solution and where the private credit business is going. He also shares his early career path at BlackRock, where he first found his footing in the credit investing industry. Learn more about Vikas Keswani’s tenure at HPS Investment Partners here. Read The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire by William Dalrymple, Colbert’s Best Idea for this week, here.

We’re back with Season 7 of The HPScast. This week, host Colbert Cannon sits down with Jessica Gelman, Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Analytics Group and co-founder of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Jessica discusses how data is being used to redefine the sports industry, from helping us better understand how we consume sports media to spotlighting gaps in equality to shape a more just future. Jessica shares her winding path into sports and entertainment, which included a stint of professional basketball in Europe and consulting work before heading back to business school, where she merged her love for the game with an appetite for intellectual rigor to carve the unique path she walks today. And find out how the renowned MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference was started over a quick drink.Learn more about Jessica Gelman and her role at Kraft Analytics Group here, and check out the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference here. Find out more about Jessica’s Best Idea, the autobiography All In by Billie Jean King, here. You can also read Colbert’s Best Idea, the book Dream Team by Jack McCallum, here.

This week marks the end of Season 6 of The HPScast. Host Colbert Cannon shares key moments from a season full of diverse perspectives and insights across industries – from restaurants to global logistics and credit lending to making television. We’ll be back soon with all new episodes, but in the interim, check out the over 50 conversations of The HPScast available now in your feed. You can also try some of the Best Ideas featured in each episode – they’re meant to be recommendations that are well worth your time. You can find links to those in the show notes of each episode.