In episode 10 of the Alternative Allocations podcast series, Tony and Matt Brown of CAIS share their enthusiasm for alternative asset classes and strategies and discuss the evolution of the alternative investment landscape. With product innovation and further demand for access, the need for world class managers becomes ever more important to continue to provide opportunities to more and more advisors.

Matt Brown is the Founder, CEO, and Chairman of CAIS. He has spent over 30 years at the intersection of wealth management, alternative investments, and platform design. He began his career as a financial advisor at Shearson Lehman Brothers and Smith Barney. In 2009, Matt founded CAIS, the first truly open marketplace for alternative investments, where financial advisors and asset managers can engage and transact directly on a massive scale. Financial advisors, the professionals we designate to oversee our economic futures, do not have the same access to alternative investments in comparison to large institutions. CAIS is changing that. Matt believes entrepreneurship is the major driver of economic and social change. He’s spent the better part of two decades working with Endeavor, the world’s leading organization for high impact entrepreneurs. During his tenure, he had the opportunity to mentor dozens of entrepreneurs from around the world, including Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Matt is honored to have been on Endeavor’s South African and Turkish Boards which ultimately led to a position on the Global Board of Directors. The experience deepened his belief that helping entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses promotes economic growth and prosperity. It’s Matt’s personal mission to ensure that anyone with a dream, and the drive to achieve it, has an equal opportunity to make it happen.

Matt Brown | LinkedIn
Transforming the world of alternative investing - CAIS (caisgroup.com)
Alternatives by Franklin Templeton
Tony Davidow, CIMA® | LinkedIn

In episode 9 of the Alternative Allocations podcast series, Tony sat down with Patrick McGowan of Sanctuary Wealth, to discuss the importance of educating advisors on alternative asset classes. Patrick shared his thoughts on structure versus strategy as well as the importance of conducting due diligence.

Patrick McGowan is a Managing Director, Head of Manager Research and Alternative Investments at Sanctuary Wealth. In this role, Mr. McGowan oversees a team responsible for all alternative investment matters including manager sourcing, due diligence, selection, and monitoring. He serves as a member of the Alternative Investment Committee. Previously, Patrick was a Senior Vice President and Head of Product Management at Azimut Alternative Capital Partners, the New York-based GP-stakes arm of Azimut Group, one of the largest independent wealth management companies in Europe. Mr. McGowan joined Azimut from Invesco Private Capital, the $1 billion private equity and venture capital arm of Invesco (NYSE: IVZ), focusing on efforts for Invesco’s CalSTRS SMA and a fund-of-funds. Prior to Invesco, Mr. McGowan was at OC Private Capital, a joint venture between The Carlyle Group and OppenheimerFunds, the advisor to a $1 billion close-ended interval fund focused on private credit. Prior to this role, Mr. McGowan was a Senior Director at AI Insight, supporting RIAs and wealth management firms’ alternative investment due diligence efforts, and establishing regulatory and fiduciary best practices. Mr. McGowan started his career at OppenheimerFunds, then worked at Altegris Investments as a Vice President. Mr. McGowan earned a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 registrations.

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Patrick McGowan | LinkedIn
Alternatives by Franklin Templeton
Tony Davidow, CIMA® | LinkedIn

Check out episode 8 of the Alternative Allocations podcast series, Tony had the opportunity to sit down with Jeb Belford, CIO of Clarion Partners, to discuss the challenges and opportunities with commercial real estate. They discuss the headwinds, rising interest rates and a challenging office sector, and where Jeb sees opportunities in the coming years.

Jeb Belford, Managing Director, is the Chief Investment Officer of Clarion Partners. He is an equity owner in the Firm, chairman of the Firm’s Investment Committee, and a member of the Executive Board. From 2013-2021 Jeb was the lead Portfolio Manager of the Firm’s open-end core fund, with overall responsibility for fund management and portfolio strategy. From 2005-2012, Jeb was the Portfolio Manager for the Lion Value Fund, the Firm’s value-add investment platform. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager, Jeb was a senior member of the Firm’s Acquisitions Group, completing investments across a broad range of strategies. His background includes all key aspects of portfolio management, including acquisitions, financing and sales totaling over $20 billion in all property types and risk strategies, in markets across the U.S., Brazil and Mexico. Jeb joined Clarion Partners in 1995 and began working in the real estate industry in 1984 at Winthrop Financial Associates, Boston, MA. Jeb has a B.A. in Mathematics and Religion from Dartmouth College.

About Clarion Partners | Alternatives by FT
Alternatives by Franklin Templeton
Tony Davidow, CIMA® | LinkedIn