Commonfund CIO & CEO Mark Anson on finding alpha in a more crowded private market

Alt Goes Mainstream: The Latest on Alternative Investments, WealthTech, & Private Markets

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.

Today’s show was recorded live from AltsLA 2023 in partnership with CAIA. CAIA is the leading global professional body dedicated to alternative investment credential programs.

On this episode, we speak with Mark Anson, the CEO and CIO of Commonfund ($28B AUM).

Mark and I had a fascinating discussion on private markets. We discussed:

• Why size discipline and sector focus defeat the explosion of capital in private markets.
• Why multi-manager strategies or commingled vehicles make sense for wealth managers (particularly in VC).
• How allocators can invest in the next Sequoia.
• Why the concept of lagged beta matters for allocators.
• How ESG and impact investing can be integrated into an investor’s portfolio.

Mark Anson is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of the Commonfund and Chairman of the Board of Commonfund Capital Inc. and Commonfund Asset Management Company.

Previously, he was the President and Chief Investment Officer for the Bass Family Office. He was the President and Global Head of Investment Management at Nuveen Investments, a full-service asset management company with over $900 billion in assets under management.

Prior to Nuveen, Mark served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for the British Telecom Pension Scheme (BTPS), the largest institutional investor in the UK with assets of £55 billion.

In addition, Mark was the CEO of Hermes Pensions Management in London, a £60 billion asset management company that is wholly owned by the BTPS. Prior to joining BTPS, he served as the Chief Investment Officer of the California Public Employees' Retirement System.

Thanks Mark for coming on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to share your views and knowledge.