The Active Share

Five years after his last appearance, Jay Kannan, CFA, a research analyst on William Blair’s global equity team, returns to The Active Share to explore how technology has fundamentally transformed from software and services to infrastructure and hardware. Where Hugo and Jay’s 2021 conversation centered on e-commerce and cloud adoption, their discussion this time around focuses on the physical constraints powering AI—from semiconductor bottlenecks and substrate shortages to power grids and the cascading supply chain effects. Together, Hugo and Jay examine why demand for compute far exceeds supply, where value is captured across the stack, and what's breaking under the weight of explosive token growth.

Emerging markets debt (EMD) has evolved from a niche corner of global fixed income into a broad, increasingly resilient asset class. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Marcelo Assalin, CFA, partner, portfolio manager, and head of William Blair’s EMD team, to reflect on how the asset class—and his own investment approach—have matured over the years. Together, Hugo and Marcelo discuss the expanding opportunity set in frontier markets, common misconceptions around risk and EMD, and why today’s macro backdrop may be more supportive than many investors assume.

Africa’s growth story has long been misunderstood. On this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Joe Studwell, author of "How Asia Works" and "How Africa Works," to unpack the forces shaping Africa’s economic trajectory. Studwell challenges common misconceptions about the continent’s development, arguing that agricultural productivity, population density, and education are the foundations of sustained growth. He and Hugo also discuss the complex role of China’s investment; lessons from Botswana, Mauritius, and Rwanda; and why urbanization and demographic growth could reshape Africa’s economic future.

In a world where law enforcement faces unprecedented challenges, the role of leadership has never been more critical. On this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Kristen Ziman, Aurora, Illinois’ first female chief of police and now a sought-after leadership consultant, who shares her journey and the transformative power of effective leadership in policing. Kristen also reflects on how optimism, transparency, and courageous conversations can transform not just police departments, but any organization facing turbulence and change. Her story provides a unique blueprint for leaders who are ready to build trust, drive accountability, and create cultures that thrive—even when the pressure is on.

What happens when elite sport meets elite data? In this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo sits down with Will Lopes, CEO of Catapult Sports, to explore how technology is reshaping the way athletes train, perform, and stay healthy. From wearable devices and real-time analytics to AI-powered insights, Lopes explains how teams are moving beyond intuition to make smarter, more precise decisions. Lopes also offers candid insights on leadership and the role AI will play in enhancing—not disrupting—the future of sports.

“They say the first thing that dies in your life is your taste in music.” In this episode of The Active Share, we invite you to rethink not just your playlists, but your investment mindset for 2026. Hugo is joined by William Blair’s Simon Fennell, partner, and Olga Bitel, partner, for a candid conversation about the emergence of a new investment regime—one shaped by the rise of AI, shifting geopolitics, and rapidly evolving market dynamics. Together, the trio unpacks what these seismic changes mean for investors and investment strategies alike. And as Simon reminds us, there has never been a more important time to challenge personal biases and to stay open to new opportunities.

On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo sits down with Martin Bruncko, CEO and founder of Schuman Financial, which is the issuer of EURØP, a regulated, fully backed euro stablecoin. They discuss Martin’s journey from tech entrepreneur and investor to a leader shaping digital finance and break down why financial services are moving on-chain. The conversation also explores the technological barriers slowing adoption and the transformative potential of stablecoins and blockchain technology.

What does it take to lead, innovate, and thrive in Asia’s diverse travel market? On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo is joined by Jane Sun, the CEO of Trip.com Group, where she shares her remarkable journey from CPA to CEO. Together, they discuss navigating Asia’s complex markets, leveraging AI to enhance customer experiences, and leading through crises, all while reflecting on how travel and curiosity can shape growth, leadership, and perspective.

What does it take to disrupt an industry as entrenched as banking and keep evolving once you’ve done it? On this episode of SuiteTalk, Gerrie Fourie, former CEO of Capitec Bank, reflects on what it takes to build a truly client-obsessed organization. He shares lessons on the importance of simplicity and transparency, emphasizes the power of purpose in inspiring others, and offers a unique perspective on the evolving role of a CEO in today’s fast-paced environment.

On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo is joined by Alex Hsieh, the president and chairman of Voltronic, to explore the journey behind one of the leading companies in the uninterrupted power supply and solar inverter space. Together, they discuss the resilience needed when starting a company, navigating industry headwinds, and addressing the global demand for energy.

Trust is not something that can be bought or sold—it's earned and built over time. On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo is joined by Adrian Blair, CEO of Trustpilot, a global review platform headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, for a conversation about the market for trust, the differences between high- and low-trust societies, and the role of technology in enhancing customer feedback.

In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with William Blair’s Olga Bitel, partner, global strategist, for a conversation all about tariffs—their complexities, their historical context, and their implications on modern economies. With a global perspective in mind, Hugo and Olga touch on the theory of competitive advantage, the impact of tariffs on consumers and producers, the resurgence of tariffs amid globalization, and potential compelling growth opportunities in Europe and China.

What is behind the unprecedented demand for defense spending in Europe? On the first episode of SuiteTalk, an Active Share series that taps into the minds of top business leaders, host Hugo Scott-Gall sits down with Daniel Ljunggren, CEO of MilDef. Together, they discuss the evolution of the defense technology industry, the challenges and opportunities that have arisen in the current geopolitical landscape, and the important role leaderships plays when navigating uncertainty.

Is it possible to identify a market bubble before it bursts? On this episode of The Active Share, Hugo welcomes James Mackintosh, senior market columnist at The Wall Street Journal, for a deep dive into the current state of the U.S. equity market. Together, they explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and U.S. exceptionalism in today’s global economy and explore strategies for identifying compelling investment opportunities and navigating uncertainty in a rapidly evolving landscape.

What drives growth on a global scale? And why does growth occur? On the 50th episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by William Blair’s Olga Bitel, partner, global strategist, and Simon Fennell, partner, portfolio manager, for an insightful conversation on the outlook for 2025. Through the lens of economic growth, they discuss key topics such as accelerating innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), the insatiable demand for compute power, growth dynamics across emerging markets (EMs), and the impact of what Olga calls the “perpetual growth machine.”

What would it cost to live forever? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Dr. Greg Bailey, co-founder and executive chairman of Juvenescence, for an in-depth discussion about the science of aging, the societal and economic impacts of extended lifespans, and how advancements in biotech are paving the way for longer, and healthier, lives.

In the luxury goods market, there has been growing consumer preference for sustainable products—particularly for diamonds and other fine jewelry. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Marie-Ann Wachtmeister, co-founder and creative director of Courbet, a Parisian fine jewelry company, for a conversation on how luxury brands are embracing technology, how lab-grown diamonds have upended the traditional diamond industry, and how this shift in values offers new opportunities for companies to appeal to consumers’ changing ethical and environmental concerns.

In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Rob Kaplan, partner and vice chairman at Goldman Sachs and former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, for a conversation that explores the shifting economic and geopolitical dynamics in a post-COVID world. Together, Hugo and Rob touch on the pendulum swing away from excessive globalization, the importance of balancing national security concerns with the economic benefits of trade, and the need for informed debate when making decisions amidst global uncertainty.

Making the growth case for India involves answering one key question: How can India differentiate itself from China? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo and Raghuram Rajan, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, discuss what it would take for India to evolve into a global economic powerhouse.

Finding success later in life requires a growth mindset—but also the ability to capture the right opportunity at the right time. In this episode of The Active Share, join Hugo and guest Henry Oliver, a London-based author and brand consultant, for a discussion of what it means to bloom late, how pushing past others’ expectations can foster curiosity and self-exploration, and why it’s critical, for businesses and organizations, to look beyond algorithms to identify talent.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, how do we ethically approach a technology with such wide-ranging implications? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo talks with Olivia Gambelin, founder and CEO of Ethical Intelligence, for a conversation about AI ethics, responsible AI, and how our current systems—legal, social, economic, and political—adopt, and adapt to, new technologies.

Will 2024 be the first year of “normal” economic expansion post-COVID? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with William Blair’s Olga Bitel, partner, global strategist, and Simon Fennell, partner, portfolio manager, for a wide-ranging conversation on the outlook for 2024. Together, they touch on key topics like inflation and interest rates, Japan’s investment story, the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, and what new growth opportunities could be on the horizon.

The cosmos, the final frontier, the galaxy beyond: Our collective fascination with outer space has always been intense. But with companies and public figures now dedicating huge sums of money to space exploration, it seems a new kind of space race has been born. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Chris Impey, an astronomer, educator, and author, to discuss the potential economic, environmental, and geopolitical ramifications of space exploration.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to greatly enhance human capabilities and improve lives. But the implications are far-reaching and not fully understood. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Tyler Cowen, best-selling author, podcast host, and Holbert L. Harris chair of economics at George Mason University, for a conversation about the impact of AI on labor, capital, business models, and global connectivity.

Taiwanese American conductor Mei-Ann Chen joins The Active Share podcast with as much energy and enthusiasm as she brings to the orchestra. As the music director for the Chicago Sinfonietta and chief conductor of recreation of the Grosses Orchester Graz at Styriarte in Austria, Mei-Ann has broken barriers as the first female Asian conductor in this role. Tune in as she shares her journey, her unique approach to conducting, and the power of music in connecting humanity.

We can’t understand current geopolitical events without understanding how fossil fuels shaped the 20th century. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Helen Thompson, a professor of political economy at Cambridge University and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, for a conversation about energy—how U.S. shale production created fault lines through the Middle East, Western Europe, and Russia; how decarbonization could drive further change; and how other industries (such as semiconductors) are having a similarly disruptive effect.

The idea of lending with interest can be traced back thousands of years. But despite the pivotal role that interest rates play in our economic structures, they continue to be misunderstood. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Edward Chancellor—author, journalist, and financial historian—for a conversation that challenges everything we thought we knew about the cost of money.

Every decade brings a different economic environment. What’s set to impact the 2020s? In this episode of The Active Share, join Hugo with guest Olga Bitel, partner and global strategist for William Blair Investment Management, for a wide-ranging discussion of what’s driving the U.S. and global economies, including inflation, recession risk, productivity, geopolitics, and interest rates.

As it turns out, culture has a lot to do with how we operate. But how difficult is it to measure? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Dr. Tom Reader, an associate professor of organizational psychology at the London School of Economics, to discuss the broad role culture plays in all kinds of organizations; why great cultures are the defining feature of good companies; and how engaging with diverse perspectives can help foster meaningful cultural growth and innovation.

Microchips are the foundation of the modern economy, but what are the geopolitical implications of this new power player? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo spoke with Tufts University associate professor Chris Miller, author of the book Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology, about the decades-long, globe-spanning battle to control one of the world’s most critical resources.

Low interest rates and a focus on being green led to significant underinvestment in the old economy. Netflix rose and Exxon fell. But we’re now beginning a rotation away from the new economy back to the old, says Jeff Currie, global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs. In this episode of The Active Share, Jeff tells Hugo how he sees the future of energy, from green tech to oil, from the east to the west—who will win, who will lose, and how investors can prepare.

When a society embraces cognitive diversity, powerful outcomes can result. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Matthew Syed, a best-selling author, highly acclaimed speaker, and award-winning journalist, to discuss what it means to think in complex ways; the implications of moving away from group think; and how investors can benefit from diverse cultures and voices.

There’s no debating that we’re in tumultuous times, but who’s coming out ahead and who will be left behind? We asked geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan, critically acclaimed author of The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization. Through his work at the U.S. State Department, private intelligence company Stratfor, and his own firm (Zeihan on Geopolitics), Peter has gained a unique perspective of the way the world works and offers some insight about the end of globalization.

According to Gary Gerstle, University of Cambridge professor and author of The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era, we’re moving to a new political order. But will it resemble the welfare state that began with the New Deal? Will it be more like the capitalistic state of recent decades? Or will it be something else entirely? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo speaks with Gary about what gave rise to the old orders, and what may be coming next.

When Aoifinn Devitt created The Fiftyfaces Podcast in 2020, she wanted to showcase the diversity of the world’s investors by telling their stories. Now, she tells Hugo her own story—from her start as a lawyer to her current role as the first female chief investment officer at Moneta, an investment advisor with $27 billion of assets under management. In this wide-ranging discussion, Aoifinn explains how the Russia-Ukraine conflict could change how we think about ESG, whether we’re in a new investing regime, and what she’s learned from podcasting.

Most organizations are wary of rebels, but they shouldn’t be, says Francesca Gino, Harvard Business School professor and author of Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life. Join Francesca and Hugo for a discussion of the complex problems that organizations face in 2022, and why we need people to embrace their rebelliousness in order to solve them.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks have led to dramatic changes in corporate strategy and behavior. But it’s easier for a company to change than a country. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo speaks with Teal Emery, founder of Teal Insights, a boutique research consultancy focusing on sustainability issues in sovereign debt markets, and Yvette Babb, a portfolio manager of William Blair’s emerging markets debt team. The topic of discussion: What does ESG mean in the context of sovereigns versus corporates?

Powerful global forces could cause billions of people to relocate over the next few decades, a transition that may have significant investment implications. Join Hugo and Parag Khanna, Ph.D., founder and managing partner of strategic advisory FutureMap and author of Move: The Forces Uprooting Us, for a discussion of what’s driving migration, including demographics, climate change, and politics.

The future of manufacturing is digital—through sensors, software, robots and cobots, and connectivity. In the last installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Associate Monika Budyn, and Global Research Analyst Andy Siepker, CFA, to discuss the “rise of the machines.”

In the current environment, it’s easy for investors to anchor on concerns about Chinese geopolitical tensions and increasing policy risk. But are these risks overshadowing the growth opportunity in China? In this episode, Hugo is joined by three guests with extensive experience in China who take us on a journey through the evolution of the Chinese system and discuss how investors can successfully navigate related challenges.

Cooking takes place in a high-performance environment but also requires teamwork. Join Hugo and CJ Jacobson, former member of the U.S. National Volleyball Team and current chef partner at Chicago restaurants Aba and Ēma, for a discussion about food and sports, creativity and process, and how COVID has changed the restaurant industry.

Almost two years after the COVID-19 outbreak, much is still unknown. Why are heavily vaccinated countries such as Israel and the United States seeing record cases? Will children drive infections as we open up? And how will the economy stay on course? In this episode, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Analyst Camilla Oxhamre Cruse, Ph.D., and Global Strategist Olga Bitel, about what’s next in the COVID crisis.

Everything is becoming smart these days—buildings, grids, and cities. In the fourth installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo Scott-Gall speaks with Alaina Anderson, CFA, portfolio manager and global research analyst, and Anil Daka, CFA, global research analyst to discuss renewable energy, smart infrastructure, and new business models, as well as how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are accelerating these trends.

Diversity in the financial services industry is an ongoing challenge, but it’s not due to a lack of talent—it’s due to a lack of exposure, education, and opportunity. But two nonprofits are hoping to change that. Join William Blair’s Hugo Scott-Gall for a conversation with Bevon Joseph, co-founder of the Greenwood Project, and Katherine Jollon Colsher, CEO of Girls Who Invest, which seek to connect women, Black, and Latinx students with careers in financial services.

Green can be a moral color, a political color, or an economic color. Join William Blair’s Hugo Scott-Gall for a conversation with Adam Tooze, history professor at Columbia University and author of "Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World," for a multidisciplinary discussion of how the decade is shaping up from an economic historian’s perspective—including climate change, inequality, geopolitics, and fragile financial markets.

The world is not just being recreated click-by-click instead of brick-by-brick; it is being reimagined. In the second installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Analyst Jay Kannan, CFA, about what we call “connected commerce,” which covers the entire architecture of the digital economy.

Investing in a photograph means investing in its power to affect the viewer. Take a step inside the world of photography with Michael Hoppen, CEO and founder of the Michael Hoppen Gallery, as we review the art form and its ties to society, discuss the impact of technology on photography, and explore parallels to investing.

Harnessing technology to solve known problems in healthcare and food is something we’ve been exploring in depth. In the first installment of our Convergence series, which examines five growth themes that are shaping the future of investing, Hugo speaks with William Blair Global Research Analysts Tommy Sternberg, CFA, and Ben Loss, CFA, to discuss what we call “EditGenetics.”

What do cricket and investing have in common? A lot more than you think. Join Hugo and Simon for a conversation with Tim Harkness, sports psychologist and author of 10 Rules for Talking: An Expert’s Guide to Mastering Difficult Conversations, and hear how his rules can help improve your personal and professional lives—and your cricket game.

Is success the luck of the draw? Tune in as Hugo speaks with Michael Sandel, a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University. Michael has authored several books, including What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, and most recently, The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? Hugo and Michael discuss the impact of meritocracy and credentialism on society, investing, and politics.