The Long-Short

Competition between Asia-Pacific's leading financial centres is intensifying, but what does it take to remain competitive in today's global investment landscape?

Hosts Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol are joined by Kher Sheng Lee, Co-Head of AIMA Asia Pacific, to discuss AIMA's latest advocacy work in Singapore, the lessons from Hong Kong's recent reforms, and the broader strategy to strengthen the region's asset management ecosystem. Together, they explore the policy, talent and innovation priorities shaping the future of alternative investment across Asia-Pacific.

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In this episode of The Long-Short, hosts Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol speak with Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Executive of British International Investment (BII), about the growing role of institutional investors in financing climate resilience. From blended finance and emerging markets to adaptation and long-term investment, they explore how public and private capital can work together to address one of the defining challenges of our time.

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The FCA and HM Treasury have unveiled the biggest overhaul of UK rules for alternative investment managers since Brexit. From reporting and remuneration to risk management, the proposals could reshape how hedge funds, private credit managers and other alternative investment firms are regulated.

What exactly is changing and why? In this episode, AIMA's Jennifer Wood, Global Head of Asset Management Regulation & Sound Practices, and James Hopegood, Director of Asset Management Regulation, explain the thinking behind the reforms, highlight the proposals that matter most, and discuss what firms should expect next.

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What do Korean hedge funds, Hong Kong tax reform, football managers, SMAs and quantum computing have in common? They all featured in the conversations that The Long-Short hosts Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol couldn't stop talking about long after the microphones were put away. 

This week, we're revisiting a standout episode from 2025 whose themes are even more relevant today. As climate change and El Niño-driven weather events continue to influence global catastrophe risks, Tom and Drew explore one of the most fascinating and fast-evolving areas of alternative investing: insurance-linked securities and catastrophe bonds, where finance meets the forces of nature.

Joined by Tim Yip of ILS Advisers and Steve Smith of Maybole Capital, they explore how investors manage disaster risk, earn uncorrelated returns, and build resilience in a changing climate. Tune in as they unpack what lies ahead fo...

Quantum computing promises breakthroughs that could transform life as we know it – but what happens when the technology becomes powerful enough to crack the cryptography underpinning billions of dollars in digital assets?

In this episode of The Long-Short, we speak with Bill Laboon, Vice President, Technical Operations at Web3 Foundation, to explore the looming collision between quantum computing and blockchain technology. They discuss why Google's plan to migrate to post-quantum cryptography by 2029 is a wake-up call, how advances in quantum computing could threaten cryptocurrencies, and why the transition to quantum-resistant systems presents both technical and social ch...

A major milestone for Hong Kong's asset management industry is now within reach. After more than six years of sustained advocacy, engagement and collaboration led by AIMA alongside industry leaders, long-awaited reforms to Hong Kong's carried interest and performance fee regimes are edging closer to reality.

In this episode of The Long-Short Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol are joined by Darren Bowdern, Head of Asset Management Tax, Hong Kong, KPMG China, to discuss these highly anticipated changes and what they could mean for asset managers, investors and Hong Kong's future as a leading global asset management...

After a decade of relative stability, the investment landscape is changing fast. Higher interest rates, geopolitical fragmentation and persistent market volatility are forcing institutional investors to rethink how they allocate capital, construct portfolios and manage risk.

In this episode of The Long-Short, we speak with Brandon Gill-New, Managing Director and Head of External Partnerships at the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), one of Canada’s leading institutional investors.

Gill-New sits at the centre of AIMCo’s relationships with external managers across public and private markets, giving her a rare perspective on how large asse...

Europe’s credit markets are flashing mixed signals: some see a drought of opportunity, others see one of the richest hunting grounds in years. So, who’s right?

Akshay Shah, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Kyma Capital, joins Tom and Drew to unpack why he believes today’s European distressed debt market offers one of the deepest and most durable opportunity sets in decades.

Shah also explores what makes Europe’s credit markets so complex and inefficient compared with the US, how private credit is reshaping the landscape, and why the rule o...

Why are football clubs - volatile, emotionally driven businesses - attracting billions from private equity firms, celebrities, and sovereign wealth funds?

In this episode, football finance expert Kieran Maguire joins The Long-Short to unpack the economics of the global game: where investors find alpha, the true financial cost of relegation from the Premier League, the rise of multi-club ownership, regulation, valuations, and why capital keeps flowing into the world’s most popular sport.

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South Korea is having a capital markets moment.

Home to global leaders in semiconductors, automotive manufacturing and advanced technology, Korea’s markets have delivered extraordinary returns in recent years, fuelled by a powerful combination of market momentum, policy reform and shifting global capital flows. As a result, the country is increasingly attracting the attention of some of the world’s largest hedge funds and asset managers, alongside a groundswell of new domestic capital pouring into public markets.

But can Korea finally move beyond the long-discussed “Korea discount” and build a more sustainable growth market f...

This episode tackles one of the most misunderstood, and, frankly, misrepresented topics in private markets right now: gating. Often painted as a crisis measure, gating is in fact a tool designed to match investor liquidity with inherently illiquid assets.

Joe Morrissey, a Partner at Seward & Kissel, joins Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol to explain why gates exist, the difference between fund-level and investor-level restrictions, and why better investor education may be the real key to avoiding panic when markets turn.

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The UK has already seen a significant push of regulatory reform affecting alternative investments this year, with much more still to come.

Aniqah Rao, Associate Director of Markets, Governance and Innovation at AIMA, joins The Long-Short to analyse last week’s FCA publication on short selling, the ongoing consultation around a potential ban on non-competes and highlight the key proposals that should be on your radar for the rest of 2026.

We’re also launching a new The Long-Short newsletter for deeper insights and to continue the conversation. Sign up here to receive it: https...

After a packed first quarter, The Long-Short co-hosts Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol break down the key forces shaping markets, from geopolitical fault lines and economic chokepoints, to mounting pressure in private credit and what the next phase of AI adoption really means for fund managers. This isn’t a recap, it’s our read on what mattered for alternative investments, and where markets go next.

We’re also launching a new The Long-Short newsletter for deeper insights and to continue the conversation. Sign up here to catch the first edition: https://www.aima.org/join-the-long-short-mailing-list.html<...

As part of our ongoing series revisiting timely and relevant conversations, we’re republishing this episode for listeners who may have missed it the first time around ,a clear, practical look at why quant matters more than ever.

In June 2025, Philip Seager, Head of Portfolio Strategy at Capital Fund Management (CFM), joined The Long-Short to demystify quantitative multi-strategy hedge funds. From navigating volatile markets to building resilient, data-driven portfolios, this episode explores the science behind systematic investing and its role in diversifying risk, enhancing returns, and future-proofing allocations.

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As geopolitical tensions escalate in the Middle East, this episode of The Long-Short explores what a broader regional conflict could mean for hedge funds, energy markets, and macro positioning.

Damien Bruckard, Co-Founder and Chair of Geopolitical Strategy, explains why the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for roughly 20% of global oil supply, is central to the investment outlook, how disruption could ripple through inflation, rates, and the broader question of US dollar dominance

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Last year, hedge funds delivered their strongest performance since the 1990s. In this episode, Freddie Parker, Goldman Sachs’ Managing Director and Co-Head of Prime Insights and Analytics, explains what drove the surge, which investment strategies did best, and how investors are reacting. Freddie also highlights the rebound in quant, why Asia is becoming a growing focus for managers, and what it signals for the year ahead.

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In this episode of The Long-Short, Chenavari Chief Co-Investments Officer & Head of Investment Solutions Edward Smalley unpacks structural credit, bank–private credit dynamics and mispriced risk. He also explores whether private credit is truly “untested,” and how AI and data are reshaping modern credit investing.

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Financial Times investigative journalist, Dan McCrum, joins The Long-Short to explore the striking parallels between the HBO/BBC drama Industry and the real-world collapse of Wirecard. Drawing on his experience exposing one of Europe’s biggest corporate frauds, Wirecard, Dan explains how accurately the series captures the mechanics of accounting scandals, the controversial but often misunderstood role of short sellers, and the high-stakes reality of investigative reporting.

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In this episode, hosts Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol explore the risks and rewards of emerging market debt - an often misunderstood, high-yielding asset class. Joining them is Polina Kurdyavko, Head of Emerging Markets at RBC BlueBay Asset Management, who shares her expert insights on navigating volatility, managing risk, and uncovering opportunity in today’s shifting macro landscape.

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With Japan’s recent election results bringing markets and policy back into the spotlight, this episode of The Long-Short is worth a revisit. Tom Kehoe is joined by Masaki Taniguchi, Founder and COO of Pleiad Investment Advisors, to unpack how Japan’s asset management landscape has evolved from the 1997 deregulation era to today’s “double asset income” policy, and what it means for Japan’s ambitions (and challenges) as a growing hub for alternative investments.

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The UAE is one of the world’s fastest-expanding hubs for hedge funds and other alternative investment firms, attracting people from around the world. Not long ago, we spoke with recruiter Oscar Orellana-Hyder of Cordell Partners to get the inside track on hiring trends, the most in-demand roles, and what it takes to land a job in the rapidly evolving financial centre.

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Hedge funds delivered in 2025 and investors are happy but aren’t exactly throwing more money on the table. In this episode of The Long-Short, Tom Kehoe is joined by Hedgeweek’s Manas Singh to unpack the latest AIMA research on why investors still prize hedge funds for uncorrelated returns and capital preservation yet remain cautious on increasing allocations or backing new managers. They break down demand by strategy, the growing pull of private credit, and why fee pressure is still front and centre. 

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In this episode of The Long-Short, McKinsey’s Global Head of Technology and AI Kate Smaje cuts through the hype to explain where AI is delivering real value, what agentic AI could change next, and how asset management firms should think about talent, risk, and strategy as AI scales. A practical, forward-looking conversation for leaders navigating the AI moment.

Additional resources:

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From crypto ETFs and institutional adoption to tokenisation, DeFi and on-chain markets, we unpack the biggest shifts from 2025 — and what they mean for the future. Henri Arslanian joins us to share his key predictions for the digital assets landscape in 2026.

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As 2025 draws to a close, The Long-Short team delivers its annual year in review episode. Host Tom Kehoe unpacks a transformative year marked by seismic geopolitical shifts, the rise of private credit as a defining industry narrative, and landmark legal wins for the industry. Joining him is AIMA CEO Jack Inglis, who reflects on hedge fund performance, a whirlwind year of global advocacy, and what lies ahead for hedge funds and private markets in 2026.

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This week on The Long-Short, Chris Hughes, Editor-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, joins us to preview a record-setting edition of the event, now drawing more than 40,000 attendees and institutions representing over half of global GDP. With more than 70 sessions on the agenda, including the inaugural AIMA Private Credit Summit, we explore how this year’s theme reflects the tightening links between global financial hubs and the growing impact of technologies like AI. 

Tom and Drew also unpack Abu Dhabi’s rising influence on the world stage and what this accelerating momentum means for alternative invest...

This week on The Long-Short, we sit down with David Cartwright Forbes, Head of Specialist Markets, Gallagher Reward & Benefits Consulting, to talk about an asset manager’s most overlooked competitive edge: people. From attracting top talent to keeping teams motivated in an era of rapid tech change and generational shifts, David shares why a forward-looking people strategy is no longer a “nice to have” but a must. We explore how smaller firms can stand out with culture and purpose, how investors increasingly influence workforce priorities, and why flexibility and autonomy now sit at the heart of every great talent plan.

Hos...

This week on The Long-Short, Tom and Drew are joined by Damien Bruckard, Founder of Geopolitical Strategy, for a trip around the world to map out the economic and political fault lines reshaping global markets, from Trump-era trade shifts and the rise of regional trading blocs to recent record-breaking gold prices and the artificial intelligence capex surge. Damien also charts how India and the Gulf are becoming power players, and signposts where the next geopolitical shock could hit investors' portfolios.

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In this episode of The Long-Short, Drew Nicol is joined by Elliot Refson, Head of Funds at Jersey Finance to unpack the relationship between managers and their underlying funds, which operate out of different places around the world. Jersey is one fund domicile among several that has become a key hub in the global investment landscape, from its tax-neutral framework and flexible regulation to its reputation for efficiency and stability.

They discuss how Brexit reshaped the role of fund domiciles, the rise of private credit and digital assets products. The conversation also looks ahead to w...

This week, Tom and Drew dive into one of the most fascinating and fast-evolving areas of alternative investing, insurance-linked securities and catastrophe bonds, where finance meets the forces of nature. 

Joined by Tim Yip of ILS Advisers and Steve Smith of Maybole Capital, they explore how investors manage disaster risk, earn uncorrelated returns, and build resilience in a changing climate. Tune in as they unpack what lies ahead for this unique asset class as a new hurricane season approaches.

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Japan is back in focus. The Long-Short welcomes Masaki Taniguchi, Founder and COO of Pleiad Investment Advisors, to explore Japan’s evolving asset management landscape — from 1997 deregulation to today’s double asset income policy — and the opportunities and risks shaping its future as a hub for alternatives.

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Ten years ago, Point72 launched a bold initiative to reimagine talent development in the hedge fund world. The result? The Point72 Academy—a programme that’s transformed how buy-side firms find, train, and support future investment professionals.

In this episode, Jaimi Goodfriend shares the Academy’s origin story, how it balances theory with hands-on learning, and what makes its approach unique in a landscape dominated by MBAs, CFAs, and traditional bank pipelines.

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AIMA CEO Jack Inglis joins us fresh from a series of high-level meetings in Washington, D.C. - including one of the first with newly appointed SEC Chair Paul Atkins. Jack shares insights from these critical conversations with US regulators and policymakers, covering key industry priorities such as private credit, digital assets, and regulatory reform.

We also look beyond the US, discussing how AIMA is shaping global policy developments in the UK, Europe, and beyond. A must-listen for anyone tracking the future of alternative investments.

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Philip Seager, Head of Portfolio Strategy at Capital Fund Management (CFM), joins The Long Short to demystify quantitative multi-strategy hedge funds. From navigating volatile markets to building resilient, data-driven portfolios, this episode explores the science behind systematic investing and its role in diversifying risk, enhancing returns, and future-proofing allocations. A clear, practical look at why quant matters more than ever.

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In the final episode of our UAE mini-series, we’re joined by Muneer Khan, Head of Middle East financial services and regulatory practice at Simmons and Simmons. Muneer breaks down the rapid growth of hedge funds in the UAE, the evolving regulatory landscape, how tax benefits are attracting global asset managers to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and what’s to come for the alternatives and fintech space over the next 12 months.

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In part two of our UAE mini-series, we’re joined by recruiter Oscar Orellana-Hyder of Cordell Partners to get the inside scoop on hiring trends, in-demand roles, and what it takes to land a job in the UAE's fast evolving financial hub.

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We’re delighted to announce the first of three podcast specials which focuses on one of the most dynamic regions in global finance - the UAE.

In the first of these episodes, we’re joined by Clare Curtis, Head of ACA Effecta, and a true expert on the UAE’s regulatory and compliance landscape. With over a decade of experience, Clare shares her insights on the hedge fund boom, fintech momentum, and what it takes to build a successful presence in this fast-growing hub.

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What’s driving China’s elite investors in 2025? In this must-listen episode, Jeff Li, CEO of Olive Asset Management, reveals how high-net-worth individuals are navigating hedge funds, private markets, ESG, and global diversification. From Hong Kong to global capital flows—get insider insights on how Chinese high net worth investors are thinking.

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This week on The Long-Short, hosts Tom Kehoe and Drew Nicol explore the risks and rewards of emerging market debt—an often misunderstood, high-yielding asset class. Joining them is Polina Kurdyavko, Head of Emerging Markets at RBC BlueBay Asset Management, who shares her expert insights on navigating volatility, managing risk, and uncovering opportunity in today’s shifting macro landscape.

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