In the latest episode of The Astute Investor, Kevin Wan-Lum sits down with Esther Peiner, Head of Infrastructure at Partners Group, to explore how infrastructure investing is evolving in response to global trends in sustainability, digitalisation, and growth. Esther shares insights on Partners Group’s approach to hands-on management and thematic investing, illustrated by recent transactions such as the exit from Grassroots Renewables and the acquisition of Green Square DC. The conversation also covers the importance of resilience, the role of private capital in addressing system risks, and how deep knowledge of assets and investment models can unlock value for portfolios in Australia and globally.

In our latest episode of The Astute Investor - Looking beyond numbers with quantitative investing, Kevin Wan Lum, Deputy Chief Investment Officer of the LGT Wealth Managements Investment Office interviews Morry Waked, Managing Director and Head of Investments from Vinva Investments. Morry has a long and well-recognised career in active investing globally. During the podcast Morry discusses how successful investing requires looking beyond the numbers - it’s not just about data and technology but employing high-quality people to create a strong culture that delivers consistent outcomes for clients.”

Craig Scroggie, CEO of Australia's largest data centre, NEXTDC, explains how they are accelerating the path to decarbonisation.

In our latest episode of The Astute Investor, Scott Haslem, Chief Investment Officer at LGT Wealth Management is joined by Tim Toohey, Head of Macro and Strategy at Yarra Capital Management to discuss some of the key macro and market issues facing investors in the year ahead, both globally and locally.

In our latest episode of The Astute Investor, Scott Haslem, Chief Investment Officer at LGT Crestone is joined by Scott Voss, Managing Director and Senior Market Strategist at HarbourVest to discuss the ‘good, the bad and the ugly’ in private markets. During the podcast, Scott Voss talks to his views on the evolving landscape of private equity, the implications of macro shifts such as the US election, and the role of AI within private markets.  

In our latest episode of The Astute Investor, Scott Haslem, Chief Investment Officer at LGT Crestone and Matthew Tan, Head of Asset Allocation discusses how the new ‘multi-polar’ world is impacting our investment and portfolio decisions. More specifically, Scott and Matt talk discuss how we are navigating the seemingly endless geo-political developments in light of the recent Iran-Israel conflict.

For years, nuclear energy has been a polarising topic—hailed as a clean energy solution by some and dismissed as too complex and controversial by others. But as energy security, decarbonisation, and the exponential power demands of AI come to the forefront, the investment case for uranium is stronger than ever. In this episode of The Astute Investor Podcast, Amanda MacDonald, Head of Sustainable Investment at LGT Crestone sits down with Guy Keller, Portfolio Manager at Tribeca Partners, to explore why nuclear energy is experiencing a global renaissance, what’s driving uranium markets, and how investors can position themselves in this rapidly evolving sector.

In the latest episode of The Astute Investor podcast, LGT Crestone Chief Investment Officer Scott Haslem welcomes David Bassanese, Chief Economist at Betashares, for an engaging discussion on the global and Australian economic outlook for 2025. Drawing on a distinguished career that includes roles at Macquarie Bank, the Federal Treasury, the OECD, and The Australian Financial Review, David provides expert insights into macroeconomic trends and their impact on investment decisions. The episode focuses on key themes such as US political developments, Australia’s economic challenges, and the active versus passive investing debate, offering actionable strategies for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth investors navigating today’s complex market dynamics.

In the latest episode of The Astute Investor Podcast, we feature an in-depth conversation with David Neal, Chief Executive of IFM Investors. Hosted by Kevin Wan Lum, Deputy Chief Investment Officer at LGT Crestone, this episode explores the dynamic world of infrastructure investing and the philosophy behind IFM’s $220 billion portfolio. David shares his journey from engineering to finance, offering unique insights into disciplined investment processes and long-term value creation. Together, they delve into the megatrends shaping infrastructure, from decarbonisation to digitisation, and the lessons learned from navigating challenges like the pandemic. Whether you're curious about infrastructure as an asset class, the benefits of a purpose-driven investment approach, or simply enjoy hearing from global financial leaders, this episode lays the foundation for insightful investing.

In our latest episode of The Astute Investor, Martin Randall, Head of Private Markets at LGT Crestone, interviews Laurence Marshbaum OAM, Co-Founder of Community Capital and 10x10 Philanthropy. In their discussion, Laurence explains the importance of investing in a way that can generate both financial return and social impact, and outlines how investors can achieve this through innovative investment strategies. Community Capital is a portfolio management firm co-founded by Barrenjoey Capital Partners and Laurence Marshbaum with approximately AUD 670 million under management. The firm seeks to generate strong investment returns for investors, alongside meaningful community-based social impact. The platform provides access to global, market-leading private capital managers through fund-of-fund structures of which all fee revenue (ex-operating costs) is pledged to social impact grants in Australia. Central to the model is Community Capital’s ‘theory of change’, which focuses on solving some of the most pressing social issues in local communities. 10x10 Philanthropy is a global venture philanthropy organisation founded in 2013. To date, it has raised and distributed over AUD 6 million in support of almost 400 early-stage social purpose organisations worldwide.

In the latest episode of The Astute Investor, Todd Hoare, Head of Public Markets at LGT Crestone, sits down with John Stecher, Chief Technology Officer at Blackstone - the world’s largest alternative asset manager, which oversees more than $1 trillion in assets. John provides valuable insights into how Blackstone leverages its size and scale to access proprietary private markets data, which gives it a competitive edge in identifying unique investment opportunities. He also discusses the firm’s growing focus on real estate, particularly data centres and industrial warehouses, a theme which has proven newsworthy in recent weeks following Blackstone’s $23.5 billion acquisition of Australian company AirTrunk. A key theme of the discussion is Blackstone's use of artificial intelligence to enhance its investment strategies, allowing it to uncover more opportunities across markets. John also emphasises the critical importance of cybersecurity and how Blackstone supports its portfolio companies in managing tech-related risks in an increasingly data-driven world. This episode offers a deep dive into Blackstone's cutting-edge approach to investing, technology, and the future of alternative assets, providing valuable insights for high-net-worth investors who are seeking to navigate these evolving trends.

From a disastrous debate performance from President Joe Biden, to an assassination attempt on his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, the events leading up to the 2024 US presidential election have been like no other.  In this podcast, Scott Haslem interviews Libby Cantrill, Head of US Public Policy and a managing director in PIMCO’s Portfolio Management Group. Libby provides her view on the US presidential election, what investors should be keeping an eye on, and what the implication of the election result mean for the US economy and the world more broadly.

In the latest episode of the Astute Investor Podcast, Where does the shortage in housing and boom in private credit collide?, LGT Crestone’s Chief Investment Officer, Scott Haslem, and Jessica Lin from LGT Crestone’s Capital Markets team interview Andrew Schwartz, Group Managing Director, Co-Founder, and Chief Investment Officer at Qualitas. Andrew discusses some of the key issues around Australia’s current housing shortage. He also talks about the boom in private credit and how this is moving into commercial real estate debt.

In this episode, Investing through geo-political turmoil, LGT Crestone’s Chief Investment Officer, Scott Haslem, interviews General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret), a partner at KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. Prior to joining KKR, General Petraeus served in the US military for over 30 years and following his retirement from the military, served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Over the past 20 years, he has been named one of America’s 25 Best Leaders by US News and World Report, has been a runner-up for Time magazine’s Person of the Year, has earned numerous awards, and has been decorated by 14 foreign countries. We hear General Petraeus’ views on some of the geo-political issues that are shaping the world today from the situation in the Middle East, to East Asian geo-politics and the US elections, and what this means for investors.

In this episode, What’s driving the boom in private debt?, LGT Crestone’s Head of Private Markets, Martin Randall, interviews Michael Small, a partner in KKR’s Credit and Markets business. We hear Michael’s perspective on the evolution of the private credit industry, as well as the opportunities investors can take advantage of in this part of the market. Michael also explains why asset-based finance has increased in popularity and the various exposures this can provide for investors. 

In this episode, Improving Australia’s productivity, LGT Crestone’s Chief Investment Officer, Scott Haslem, interviews Stephen Walters, Chief Economist at the Business Council of Australia (BCA). We hear Stephen’s perspective on some of the key challenges facing Australia’s economic outlook, particularly from the perspective of the business sector. We also hear his views on how Australia can improve its recent poor productivity performance.

In this podcast, Urs Wietlisbach, Co-Founder of Partners Group, explains how the private equity industry has matured over the past few decades and why he believes private equity is the ‘new traditional asset class’. He also discusses what is required to create value in a higher rate environment, how his family office is investing in a range of uncorrelated asset classes, and the evolution of Blue Earth Capital, a global impact investing firm, initiated by Urs in 2015.

In the latest episode of The Astute Investor Podcast, Will Australia avoid a recession?, LGT Crestone’s Chief Investment Officer, Scott Haslem, interviews Jo Masters, Chief Economist and Partner at Barrenjoey Capital Partners. In this podcast, Jo provides Barrenjoey’s outlook for Australia and the global economy, and what this means for inflation and interest rates. She also digs into some of the longer-term issues facing Australia, such as the housing sector, and the changes in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s monetary policy operations that are getting underway in 2024.  

In this episode, Leaving a legacy in Australia: Insights from the Princely Family, LGT Crestone’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Chisholm, interviews LGT Group’s H.S.H. Prince Hubertus von und zu Liechtenstein. Prince Hubertus explains how the Princely family has managed to successfully pass its wealth down over 26 generations and 900 years of history. He provides his advice and learnings along the way and explains how these insights apply to Australian families wrestling with the idea of intergenerational wealth and family legacy planning.

In this episode, Finding value in private equity, LGT Crestone’s Chief Investment Officer, Scott Haslem, interviews Tim Sims, Managing Director and founder of Pacific Equity Partners. Tim explains how the industry has evolved since Pacific Equity Partners was founded, and provides his thoughts on the important factors to consider when assessing private equity opportunities. He also gives his view on valuations versus public equities and whether increased constraints within the superannuation industry are likely to impact private equity.