Brandeis International Business School

The Origins and Evolution of FinTech: A Conversation with Mitch Caplan ’79

Friday, September 24, 2021

Members of the finance community attended a virtual conversation with Mitch Caplan ’79, president of Tarsadia Investments and a founding innovator in the world of financial and regulatory technology. Caplan is the former CEO, president and vice-chairman of internet banking pioneer Telebanc Financial Corporation, and the former CEO of E*Trade Bank and E*Trade Financial. He has served in a wide variety of leadership roles in the financial services and private equity industries, including his newest venture as the CEO and chairman of Velocity Merger, a blank check company with a focus on the FinTech industry.

Speaker

Mitch Caplan ’79, former CEO of E*Trade

Moderator

Debarshi Nandy, Barbara and Richard M. Rosenberg Professor of Global Finance at Brandeis International Business School, Director of the Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program, Director of Rosenberg Institute for Global Finance

Environmental Investing

Environmental Investing

April 14, 2021

A discussion focused on environmental investing and the broader topic of sustainability with perspectives from three investment pioneers across the public and private markets.

Speakers

Robert Brown ’88, MA’89, Founder and Senior Partner at Atlas Impact Partners

Tim Dunn, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Terra Alpha Investments, an environmental investing firm

Dimple Sahni, Managing Director, Impact Funds Portfolio at Anthos Fund & Asset Management

Dr. Aniket Shah, Senior Fellow at Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment and Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Finance

Innovative Financing for the COVID-19 Recovery: The View from the IMF, UN and World Bank

Innovative Financing for the COVID-19 Recovery: The View from the IMF, UN and World Bank

March 24, 2021

How are multinational organizations financing the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic? Brandeis International Business School alumni working at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations (UN) and World Bank shared their insights, along with the latest prospects for an economic recovery. This event was co-sponsored by the Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership. 

Speakers

Andrea Dore, MA’98, Head of Funding at the World Bank

Peter A. Petri, Panel Moderator, Carl Shapiro Professor of International Finance and the founding dean of Brandeis International Business School

Elida Reci, MA’99, Governance and Public Administration Officer at the United Nations

Olaf Unteroberdoerster, MS’98, PhD’98, Division Chief at the International Monetary Fund

Investing for Future Generations: Major Trends in Endowments

Investing for Future Generations: Major Trends in Endowments

February 24, 2021

Panelists examine the historical performance of major university endowments and address these major questions: 1) How have universities invested for the long term? What have been the major trends in their strategies? Have they benefited from their long horizon? How have they responded to crisis situations? 2) Followed by a discussion on current issues: What will be the impact of low interest rates and lower expected returns? What role should asset allocation play? Are universities "responsible" investors? Our expert panel provided both practical and academic insights. This event was co-sponsored by the Rosenberg Institute of Global Finance.

Speakers

Leslie Aronzon ’84, Vice-Chair of the Brandeis University Board of Trustees Investment Committee

Elroy Dimson, author and Chair of the Centre for Endowment Asset Management at Cambridge Judge Business School

Nicholas Warren, Chief Investment Officer at Brandeis University

Supporting Materials:
Seventy-Five Years of Investing for Future Generations, Financial Analysts Journal, 2020, 76(4): 5–21.

Global Asset Management Insights for the Post-Pandemic World

Global Asset Management Insights for the Post-Pandemic World

December 1, 2020

As countries look to emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic impact, corporate leaders across the asset management industry need to adapt to a variety of changes that have impacted global business, as well as political, social and public health realities.

Speakers

Perry Traquina ’78, former CEO and Chairman of Wellington Asset Management Company in the United States and current Director at Morgan Stanley, eBay and Allstate

Sanjay Sachdev, former CEO of Tata Asset Management in India and current Chairman at Zyfin Holdings

Deborah Bannon, Head of Institutional Distribution and Consultant Relations at BNY Mellon in Hong Kong

Debarshi Nandy, moderator, Barbara and Richard M. Rosenberg Professor of Global Finance, Brandeis International Business School

Diversity in Asset Management

Diversity in Asset Management

October 8, 2020

The asset management industry has long recognized the value that can be created by having a diversity of opinions around the table, however, the industry has lagged in the representation of diverse personnel. Why has this disconnect persisted? What hidden biases have innovative asset managers had to overcome to identify and attract a more diverse workforce? We spoke with a few leading organizations that have already taken several steps to address this issue and what work they still have to do. We also discussed what these organizations are doing to create opportunities for diverse employees and diverse-owned firms beyond their own organizations.

This individual event was co-sponsored by the Brandeis University Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. You can learn more about the university's commitment to DEI and anti-racism work here: https://www.brandeis.edu/diversity/.

Speakers

Pam Chan, CFA, Managing Director, is Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of the Alternative Solutions Group (“ASG”) within BlackRock Alternative Investors (“BAI”)

Stephen Denny, Head of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion, Putnam Investments

Robert Manilla, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Kresge Foundation

Deborah Shufrin ’93, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Brandeis University

Anna Scherbina, Associate Professor of Finance in the Brandeis International Business School

Supporting Materials:

“Performance Isn’t Everything: Personal Characteristics and Career Outcomes of Mutual Fund Managers” by Brad Barber, Anna Scherbina and Bernd Schlusche

Value Investing in the Long-Term: A Conversation with Seth Klarman and Dan Jick '79

Value Investing in the Long-Term: A Conversation with Seth Klarman and Dan Jick ’79

September 24, 2020

A chat with investing legend Seth Klarman, CEO and Portfolio Manager of Boston-based investment manager The Baupost Group, in conversation with Dan Jick ’79, Vice Chairman, Founder, HighVista Strategies and Vice-Chair of the Brandeis University Board of Trustees. Often called the “Oracle of Boston,” Klarman has overseen Baupost's investments since the firm's inception. Today Baupost manages roughly $28 billion with a broad and flexible charter, investing in a wide range of asset classes, including significant holdings in publicly traded debt and equity securities, private debt, real estate, and private equity. Klarman is also the author of the 1991 book “Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor,” which outlines his value investment philosophy, and the lead editor of and contributor to the Benjamin Graham and David Dodd classic “Security Analysis, Sixth Edition.”