Behind the Signals Podcast
We invite you behind the scenes as we share more about who we are at Acadian, introduce members of the team, and provide transparency into the decisions we make.
All Episodes
Behind the Signals tackles the internal and external issues and micro and macro themes we know many of our clients are also contending with, coming to you directly from the people who make Acadian the organization we are today.
Brendan takes us through key moments of his life, from his upbringing in Boston to some unexpected twists and turns as he made his way to Boston University for a PhD and eventually to Acadian. Brendan shares details about his background and provides his thoughts on leadership, team building, and Acadian’s investment and research priorities as we navigate our way out of a challenging 2020 and look ahead to 2021.
Listen HereAcadian team members address key issues following the 2020 U.S. presidential election and assess their implications for Biden-Harris administration policy, the economy, and markets. Conversation topics include the pandemic, declining trust in institutions, the outlook for inflation, and reasons for optimism.
Listen HereWhat exactly is machine learning? Given the constant buzz around this topic, Ryan Taliaferro (Director, Equity Strategies) and Vladimir Zdorovtsov (Director, Global Equity Research) decode this subset of artificial intelligence. They explore the early days of its innovation to present-day applications, discussing techniques in quantitative investing and implications for the future as we contemplate a world increasingly informed by AI. Join us as we ponder the very definition of intelligence, the ML evolution, and the cost of all this progress.
Listen HereAcadian team members explore the “E” in ESG and discuss the shift toward greater awareness of how companies and policy impact the environment, and what that means for investors. What are some of the risks and opportunities of ESG investment? What is active ownership and how can systematic managers participate? We’ll explore these and other questions in this look at environmental and climate considerations when investing from a systematic perspective.
Listen HereKelly Young (Chief Marketing Officer) sits down with Adam Connell (Director, Information Security) and special client guest Shon Bynum (Director of Information Security at Florida State Board of Administration) to discuss the increasing frequency and scope of cyberattacks and the risks they pose to our industry. Their conversation explores common types of attacks, how to identify potential threats, and effective strategies for minimizing your organization’s risk and protecting your beneficiaries. Join us to learn more about this growing area of risk and why ultimately the best defense is to ‘secure the human.
Listen HereKelly Young (Chief Marketing Office) sits down with Acadian’s Head of Trading Joel Feinberg and Joe Bacchi who leads trading for our multi-asset strategies to discuss portfolio implementation, client trends, and the evolution of the institutional buy-side trading desk throughout their careers. The conversation will touch on the impact of technology, the pursuit of best execution, navigating market shocks, and some thoughts on the democratization of markets and the impact retail investors are having on price discovery.
Listen HereThis episode was recorded prior to John’s retirement from the firm in June 2022.
Join us for a special bonus episode as we sit down with Acadian founder and Co-CEO John Chisholm to discuss his storied career. John takes us through the early days of opening Acadian’s doors, the work of building and maintaining culture, his thoughts on what it means to lead. He also discusses some key changes in the industry over the last four decades and the evolution of Acadian’s investment process over time. Finally, John reflects on Acadian’s path forward and the opportunities for continued progress under the existing leadership team helmed by Ross Dowd, and why now seems like the right time to pass the torch.
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