NC15 Podcast

Tracie McMillion, CFA, is Head of Global Asset Allocation Strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company.  We talk with Tracie about global asset allocation and historical lessons, how portfolios are impacted by inflation, geopolitical risks and exogenous shocks, and her latest findings on women and investing.  

Tracie McMillion is focused on delivering the highest quality investment expertise and advice to help investors manage risk and succeed financially. Wells Fargo Investment Institute serves Wealth and Investment Management, a division of Wells Fargo & Company, and is comprised of Wells Fargo Private Bank and Wells Fargo Advisors businesses.

In her current role, Ms. McMillion leads a team that develops capital market assumptions and asset allocation recommendations. She also writes market commentary and analysis. She is frequently quoted in the national media, including The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg Television, and CNBC.

Prior to her current role, she served as an asset allocation strategist and a senior investment research analyst for Wells Fargo and predecessor firms. Earlier in her career, she managed assets for high-net-worth clients and philanthropic organizations.

Tracie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. She is a CFA® charterholder and member of the CFA Society North Carolina. Ms. McMillion is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

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We talk with Taylor Riggs, CFA, about her rise to the top, the importance of the CFA program and mentors, and finding the perfect culture and ecosystem to grow your career!

Taylor Riggs, CFA, co-hosts Bloomberg Television’s “The Close.” Riggs is also an on-air reporter for Bloomberg TV, covering general news and bonds, equity, and currency markets.

She was previously an editor for Bloomberg Brief: Municipal Market, a daily print publication covering municipal debt. Before joining Bloomberg LP, she was a markets reporter for The Bond Buyer, a daily print trade publication covering municipal bond buy-side investors and sell-side analysts.

Riggs received her BS in communication studies and BA in journalism from New York University. She is a CFA Charterholder. She earned an MS in finance at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School.

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Anders S. Persson, CFA is Chief Investment Officer, Head of Nuveen Global Fixed Income.  We talk with Anders about his investment outlook, Nuveen’s success, and how the CFA program and sound values can position you for a successful investment career!

Anders is responsible for overseeing all portfolio management, research, trading, and investment risk management activities. He is also member of the Nuveen Global Investment Committee.  

Prior to his current role, he was head of global fixed income portfolio management and head of research. Before joining the firm, he was a founding member of the team that established SG Cowen’s European high yield effort in London, and later worked to establish the high-yield research effort within Schroders Investment Management. He has also worked as a sell-side high-yield research analyst at Wells Fargo (formerly First Union).

Anders graduated with a B.S. from Lander College and an M.B.A. from Winthrop University. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the North Carolina Society of Security Analysts.

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Nuveen, a TIAA company, manages approximately $1.2 trillion in several investment asset classes worldwide.

Important Disclosures:

This material is not intended to be a recommendation or investment advice, does not constitute a solicitation to buy, sell or hold a security or an investment strategy, and is not provided in a fiduciary capacity. The information provided does not take into account the specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on an investor’s objectives and circumstances and in consultation with his or her financial professionals. 

The views and opinions expressed are for informational and educational purposes only as of the date of production/writing and may change without notice at any time based on numerous factors, such as market or other conditions, legal and regulatory developments, additional risks and uncertainties and may not come to pass. This material may contain “forward-looking” information that is not purely historical in nature. 

Such information may include, among other things, projections, forecasts, estimates of market returns, and proposed or expected portfolio composition. Any changes to assumptions that may have been made in preparing this material could have a material impact on the information presented herein by way of example. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk; principal loss is possible. 

All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. There is no representation or warranty as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information and it should not be relied on as such. For term definitions and index descriptions, please access the glossary on nuveen.com. Please note, it is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Alan McKnight is Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Regions Asset Management. We talk with Alan about his investment philosophy and what issues worry him, ways to improve as an investment professional, and how to build a winning culture!

Alan is responsible for overall investment strategy, portfolio and risk management, and portfolio construction for approximately $50 billion in assets under management. He is also responsible for the development and execution of investment policies, strategy, and tactics, and is chairman of the Investment Working Group.  Alan is the chief spokesperson with media groups on portfolio strategy, asset allocation and overall markets for the Bank. Prior to joining Regions in 2015, he held senior leadership roles with SunTrust, Equitable Asset Management and Morgan Stanley. Alan has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington and Lee University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.  He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a CFA Institute member.  Alan serves on several Board of Directors for prestigious organizations.  

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David Trainer is CEO of New Constructs. We talk with David about data science and machine learning, what technology skills finance and investment professionals need, and the future of investments and artificial intelligence!

New Constructs is an independent debt & equity research firm that specializes in leveraging cutting edge machine learning technology. The company was started in 2002 by David Trainer who is a Wall Street veteran and corporate finance expert. He has previously advised the Financial Accounting Standards Board on how to ensure accounting rules align with the best interests of investors as a member of the Investors Advisory Committee.  David has held numerous prominent roles with hedge funds, asset managers, and Wall Street firms. He has created many world-renowned financial and economic models. Prior to Wall Street, David worked with Arthur Andersen. In 1994, he earned his B.S. in International Business from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. David is also author of Modern Tools for Valuation.

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Clay Grubb is CEO of Grubb Properties. We talk with Clay about his highly praised book, the booming real estate market, emphasizing values that transcend time and much more!  Founded in 1963, Grubb Properties is a real estate investment and development firm. Since 2002 it has made investments in more than $2.4 billion of real estate including commercial property and apartment units. The current investment strategy is born from the firm’s experience in both multifamily and office investment and focus on development of Link Apartments to drive investment returns. Clay earned his BSM in Finance and Economics from Tulane University and his JD from The University of North Carolina School of Law. He lives in Charlotte with his wife and their two children. 

Clay’s bio: click here

Article: Essential Housing: Resiliency in a time of scarcity – a unique approach to the U.S. housing crisis.

Book:  Creating the Urban Dream, by Clay Grubb 

The Broyhill Fellows team from Appalachian State University talks to us about their CFA Institute Research Challenge journey.  The team comprised of seniors Samuel Crouse, Olivia Guillebeau, Sean James, Obi Ludwig, and Zachary Stowell entered the 15th season of CFA Institute’s Research Challenge and ended the competition as a top five team in the world.  We talk with the team and their advisor, Dr. Brandy Hadley, about how to build a world class investment team, how App State’s rigorous program prepares students for world class competitions, reflections from their experience, and much more!

In this podcast you meet recent graduates, Sam who is passionate about coding & finance, Olivia who is a social media star & future CFA candidate, and Sean who balances his love for sports and investments.  You will also meet Obi who served as a weapons tech in the Navy, Zach whose humor prowess matches his drive for investment research, and highly renowned professor, Dr. Hadley.  A truly riveting, high performance team!  For their complete bios, please look at {insert Research Challenge blog post URL you created above}.

For CFA Society North Carolina information, please visit Upcoming Events – CFA Society North Carolina (cfanorthcarolina.org) for events, Blog - CFA Society North Carolina (cfanorthcarolina.org) for blogs, and Podcast - CFA Society North Carolina (cfanorthcarolina.org) for podcasts.

Top ranked Wall Street analyst, Bryan C. Hunt, CFA talks about how you can position yourself to become a successful professional on Wall Street, the importance of the Research Challenge, pursuing the CFA designation, and much more!