181: Wisdom From the Battle Hardened: Timeless Life & Career Insights from Top Global Executives

In this Christmas special, we reshare our conversation with Nicky Gumbel!  Very occasionally one individual can have a disproportionately powerful impact on a collection of people, but very rarely does that person’s impact grow in time and reach, and expand beyond anyone’s expectations and for millions, be responsible for enhancing their lives. In this episode we explore a slightly different realm: religion. Our guest, the Reverend Nicky Gumbel, talks of his own odyssey from barrister to clergyman, before widening both awareness and access to Christianity to those outside the church via the Alpha Course.  Alpha - a term which we usually employ in a very different context on the podcast - effectively rebranded and modernised Christianity for a new generation in the 1990s, with tens of thousands of courses being run by the end of the decade. The programme has now been translated into 112 different languages, and 30 million people have taken part.  In this interview he explains his own pivot to faith, how he was asked to take charge of the Alpha Course development, and in the subsequent years how its reach was extended globally. He explains how he built it into a global brand, how charismatic leadership can be relevant to all fields, the changing relationship between faith and secularism, the role of religion for prisoner rehabilitation, as well as thoughts on morality, money and giving! The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG. Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube 

When we interviewed Howard Marks in March of 2025, he observed, “It's the pioneers who get the arrows”. Many consider a 21st century investment pioneer to be Cathie Wood. She embraces disruptive innovation themes early, has faced intense criticism during large drawdowns, has reshaped ETF thinking and is characterised as bold, influential, and controversial.  Cathie explains why studying under Arthur Laffer inspired her to think about private sector disruptive innovation driving growth.  She explains how multiple S curves can operate simultaneously, and how Ark fuses the macro and thematic with bottom-up conviction, along with the volatility.  She continues by discussing idea generation and Ark’s big themes including multiomic sequencing, energy storage and robotics. She discusses risk, benchmarks, setbacks, and where to go to find work in an AI disrupted world. The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG. Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube 

Ares is recognised as one of the leading global alternative investment managers, investing across credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure. Listed on the NYSE, it has over 4,000 employees, $595billion in assets* and a substantial geographical footprint. Blair explains the high yielding Ares-managed listed vehicle, ARCC, which as a business development company (BDC) structure must distribute 90% of taxable income and averages 9% of yields*. He discusses how being a public entity gives them a “currency” which is highly valued by employees, and also how it has helped with brand recognition as its growth accelerated. We discuss European capital markets and the structural reliance on bank debt versus private credit (the inverse of arrangements in the US). He explains how it is changing, as well as the current headwinds and opportunities ahead. He discusses why over 1,400 conversations take place in Europe each year, but Ares makes less than 50 loan investments in direct lending, how they are deploying over $100 billion of dry powder firmwide, and the criteria that matter for them. He explains their focus on the middle market, their ownership of sports assets – including a $500 million preferred equity stake in Chelsea FC – and their other media and entertainment investments. Finally, Blair responds to the question around the growth of credit secondaries and continuation vehicles, assessing the motivation behind the growth, and risks associated with the wealth management sector’s increasing allocation to this space.   The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.  Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube  (*AUM as of 30/09/25, BDC distribution stats as at 04/11/25)

In September we held our inaugural Money Maze Allocator Summit and over the two days there was fantastic discussion, debate, insights, disagreement and a lot of learning. It proved incredibly popular & much of that was a result of the quality of panels, moderators & topics. Of all the conversations, one that particularly resonated with us was the chance to interview Sir Chris Hohn about two topics with which he is fantastically acquainted: investing and philanthropy. As you will discover in this episode, he perhaps stands above most mortals with the clarity of his thinking and the extraordinary generosity and effectiveness in both disciplines. The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.  Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube 

On 30th September and 1st October 2025 we held our inaugural Money Maze Allocator Summit (MMAS). We gathered 120+ global investors & allocators - many of whom have been previous guests - for 2 days of fascinating investment discussions. It proved incredibly popular & much of that was a result of the quality of panels, moderators & topics! The moderator was the brilliant Annachiara Marcandalli, Global Head of Sustainability at Cambridge Associates.  The panel was Brian Menell (Chairman and CEO, TechMet), Per Lekander (CEO, Clean Energy Transition), Bill Orum (Partner, Capricorn Investment Group) & Kristin Eshak Weldon (Senior Managing Director, CCI).  The climatic changes challenging our world should not be in doubt. The responses, the consequences and the investment opportunities and risks are profound. The panel encompasses rare earths, electrification, power sources, uses and solutions, the EV charge, the continued role of hydrocarbons & much more… -- MMAS  - More Info & 2026 Event Registration - Please note that the 6th/7th October date indicated on the webpage remains provisional (as of 30/10/25). The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG. 

Founded in 1971 as the Rothschild Investment Trust, RIT Capital Partners PLC, continues today with a mandate to preserve and grow capital across generations through a multi-asset, global and unconstrained strategy. As one of the UK’s largest investment trusts, with total assets of approximately £4bn (over 20% of which is owned by family members), RIT targets CPI + 3% as one of its benchmarks, aiming to meet those real return objectives for long-term wealth preservation. In this conversation Maggie explains the asset allocation, where private assets represent 30% of the assets, public equities at 40%, and uncorrelated nearly 20%.  She discusses their approach to the asset classes, the network of partners that offers them unusual access, why Hedge Funds play an important role and how they look at currency exposures and hedging and to whom such an approach makes sense. Finally, she assesses the 30% discount to NAV, which although part of a wider UK problem, might seem unusually compelling, and the actions they are taking to try to close the gap. NOTE - This podcast was recorded in September 2025, and therefore all RIT data is provided as at 31/08/2025. Statistics cited in this description by Simon are all approximations and for general information purposes only. Please find RIT’s regulatory disclosures here. Money Maze Podcast disclaimer here.  The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.   Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube 

It’s not every guest who would admit in their new book, with brutal honesty, “I’ve been vilified, satirised, protested against- a hate figure both on left and right.”  But it is also uncommon, if not without precedent, for someone who has led their political party, been deputy Prime Minister for 5 years, to then re-invent themselves, chameleon-like, move to silicon valley and join the senior ranks of one of the world’s most successful technology companies, Meta.  Before he discusses his new book “How to Save the Internet - The Threat to Global Connection in the Age of AI and Political Conflict,” Nick explores power and politics, ambition and insights.   He speaks about content moderation and removing Trump from Facebook, the balkanisation of the Internet, and why AI might not be the existential arrival feared by some.  He laments Europe’s failings, US tech dominance, why China is an immense technology force, and what is needed to achieve cohesion amongst the democratic powers in developing a tech roadmap. The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.    Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube  

Today’s episode started as “Good Investor, Poor Communicator”, but as we researched this topic ahead of the conversation it became a bigger theme than simply, why at times, great investment managers are often less effective communicators.  In this conversation, we explore how communication is changing; first in the asset management community as firms adapt, and acknowledge the importance of their brand, through to the newer ways they seek to communicate, explain and position their enterprises.  Jen then expands into other incredibly important areas for young and old. In an A.I integrated world why the power of the spoken word assumes greater importance.  The tension of “literacy vs oracy”, how to think about “nailing the narrative”, “battle the sea of sameness”, “approach people in the hallway”, “navigate a tough capital-raising environment”, deal with “glass ceilings” and maintain “humility”.  And, of course, the two most important words in business…  The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.       Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube   

When someone speaks with a deep of understanding of the banking and finance systems, is widely respected, and then expresses a strong but debatable view, about a developing asset class, we think it’s important to hear that voice and to challenge and distil its key messages.   So in this episode we welcome back a former guest who appeared on the MMP in March 2023 during the banking storm, during with Silicon Valley Bank and then Credit Suisse. His conclusion was unequivocally that this was no repeat of the 2008 GFC, as has been proven.  In addressing his recent report from Oliver Wyman, titled “private credit is reshaping wealth portfolios”, we wanted to challenge him on several issues, including; Is it that innocuous? Is this a trend which will serve big private asset firms at the expense of individuals? How about bad times and souring loans? Does the loss of liquidity matter? Are we swapping risks from the regulated banking sector to the unregulated world of the giant private market firms?   And so Huw and I face off in a discussion on the risks and opportunities that are the hallmarks of this fast-growing slice of the investing world.  ​​The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.   Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube  

Enjoy a variety of career tips & life lessons from finance leaders in this compilation special.   This episode brings together some of the most insightful lessons and perspectives we’ve gleaned from past guests, covering everything from life wisdom to industry-specific strategies.  You’ll hear from an extraordinary lineup, including Peter Frankopan, Ron Biscardi, Luba Nikulina, and James Anderson.   But that’s not all—we’ve also included insights from Michael Manning, Stephen Roberts, Marcie Frost, Mark Boggett, and Chrsitina McGuire. We hope you find this useful!  ​​The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by Schroders, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.   Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube