Episodes

Everyone can see the demand side of the AI boom. The harder question is what's actually constraining supply. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Siuchoon Koay, a research analyst covering large-cap global semiconductors at William Blair, for a technical walk through the AI hardware stack — from GPUs and high-bandwidth memory to substrates and rack-level power. Siuchoon traces how the industry's bottlenecks have migrated over the past two years, weighs Nvidia's and TSMC's strat...

How can organizations build the cultural agility required to remain competitive? In this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo is joined by Mariam Ahmed, co-founder and CTO of Menza, to explore how organizations can navigate fragmented data landscapes and harness AI for genuine decision-making advantage. Mariam brings a distinctive vantage point, having launched an AI platform after spending time as a founding engineer at a commercial large language model company and beginning her career in equity derivati...

Five years after his last appearance, Jay Kannan, CFA, a research analyst on William Blair’s global equity team, returns to The Active Share to explore how technology has fundamentally transformed from software and services to infrastructure and hardware. Where Hugo and Jay’s 2021 conversation centered on e-commerce and cloud adoption, their discussion this time around focuses on the physical constraints powering AI—from semiconductor bottlenecks and substrate shortages to power grids and the ca...

Emerging markets debt (EMD) has evolved from a niche corner of global fixed income into a broad, increasingly resilient asset class. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Marcelo Assalin, CFA, partner, portfolio manager, and head of William Blair’s EMD team, to reflect on how the asset class—and his own investment approach—have matured over the years. Together, Hugo and Marcelo discuss the expanding opportunity set in frontier markets, common misconceptions around risk and EMD, ...

Africa’s growth story has long been misunderstood. On this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Joe Studwell, author of "How Asia Works" and "How Africa Works," to unpack the forces shaping Africa’s economic trajectory. Studwell challenges common misconceptions about the continent’s development, arguing that agricultural productivity, population density, and education are the foundations of sustained growth. He and Hugo also discuss the complex role of China’s investment; lessons from ...

In a world where law enforcement faces unprecedented challenges, the role of leadership has never been more critical. On this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with Kristen Ziman, Aurora, Illinois’ first female chief of police and now a sought-after leadership consultant, who shares her journey and the transformative power of effective leadership in policing. Kristen also reflects on how optimism, transparency, and courageous conversations can transform not just police departments, but...

What happens when elite sport meets elite data? In this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo sits down with Will Lopes, CEO of Catapult Sports, to explore how technology is reshaping the way athletes train, perform, and stay healthy. From wearable devices and real-time analytics to AI-powered insights, Lopes explains how teams are moving beyond intuition to make smarter, more precise decisions. Lopes also offers candid insights on leadership and the role AI will play in enhancing—not disrupting—the future...

“They say the first thing that dies in your life is your taste in music.” In this episode of The Active Share, we invite you to rethink not just your playlists, but your investment mindset for 2026. Hugo is joined by William Blair’s Simon Fennell, partner, and Olga Bitel, partner, for a candid conversation about the emergence of a new investment regime—one shaped by the rise of AI, shifting geopolitics, and rapidly evolving market dynamics. Together, the trio unpacks what these seismic changes m...

On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo sits down with Martin Bruncko, CEO and founder of Schuman Financial, which is the issuer of EURØP, a regulated, fully backed euro stablecoin. They discuss Martin’s journey from tech entrepreneur and investor to a leader shaping digital finance and break down why financial services are moving on-chain. The conversation also explores the technological barriers slowing adoption and the transformative potential of stablecoins and blockchain technology.

What does it take to lead, innovate, and thrive in Asia’s diverse travel market? On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo is joined by Jane Sun, the CEO of Trip.com Group, where she shares her remarkable journey from CPA to CEO. Together, they discuss navigating Asia’s complex markets, leveraging AI to enhance customer experiences, and leading through crises, all while reflecting on how travel and curiosity can shape growth, leadership, and perspective.

What does it take to disrupt an industry as entrenched as banking and keep evolving once you’ve done it? On this episode of SuiteTalk, Gerrie Fourie, former CEO of Capitec Bank, reflects on what it takes to build a truly client-obsessed organization. He shares lessons on the importance of simplicity and transparency, emphasizes the power of purpose in inspiring others, and offers a unique perspective on the evolving role of a CEO in today’s fast-paced environment.

On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo is joined by Alex Hsieh, the president and chairman of Voltronic, to explore the journey behind one of the leading companies in the uninterrupted power supply and solar inverter space. Together, they discuss the resilience needed when starting a company, navigating industry headwinds, and addressing the global demand for energy.

Trust is not something that can be bought or sold—it's earned and built over time. On this episode of SuiteTalk, Hugo is joined by Adrian Blair, CEO of Trustpilot, a global review platform headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, for a conversation about the market for trust, the differences between high- and low-trust societies, and the role of technology in enhancing customer feedback.

In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with William Blair’s Olga Bitel, partner, global strategist, for a conversation all about tariffs—their complexities, their historical context, and their implications on modern economies. With a global perspective in mind, Hugo and Olga touch on the theory of competitive advantage, the impact of tariffs on consumers and producers, the resurgence of tariffs amid globalization, and potential compelling growth opportunities in Europe and China.

What is behind the unprecedented demand for defense spending in Europe? On the first episode of SuiteTalk, an Active Share series that taps into the minds of top business leaders, host Hugo Scott-Gall sits down with Daniel Ljunggren, CEO of MilDef. Together, they discuss the evolution of the defense technology industry, the challenges and opportunities that have arisen in the current geopolitical landscape, and the important role leaderships plays when navigating uncertainty.

Is it possible to identify a market bubble before it bursts? On this episode of The Active Share, Hugo welcomes James Mackintosh, senior market columnist at The Wall Street Journal, for a deep dive into the current state of the U.S. equity market. Together, they explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and U.S. exceptionalism in today’s global economy and explore strategies for identifying compelling investment opportunities and navigating uncertainty in a rapidly evolving landscape.

What drives growth on a global scale? And why does growth occur? On the 50th episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by William Blair’s Olga Bitel, partner, global strategist, and Simon Fennell, partner, portfolio manager, for an insightful conversation on the outlook for 2025. Through the lens of economic growth, they discuss key topics such as accelerating innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), the insatiable demand for compute power, growth dynamics across emerging markets (EMs), and t...

What would it cost to live forever? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Dr. Greg Bailey, co-founder and executive chairman of Juvenescence, for an in-depth discussion about the science of aging, the societal and economic impacts of extended lifespans, and how advancements in biotech are paving the way for longer, and healthier, lives.

In the luxury goods market, there has been growing consumer preference for sustainable products—particularly for diamonds and other fine jewelry. In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Marie-Ann Wachtmeister, co-founder and creative director of Courbet, a Parisian fine jewelry company, for a conversation on how luxury brands are embracing technology, how lab-grown diamonds have upended the traditional diamond industry, and how this shift in values offers new opportunities for com...

In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo is joined by Rob Kaplan, partner and vice chairman at Goldman Sachs and former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, for a conversation that explores the shifting economic and geopolitical dynamics in a post-COVID world. Together, Hugo and Rob touch on the pendulum swing away from excessive globalization, the importance of balancing national security concerns with the economic benefits of trade, and the need for informed debate when ma...

Making the growth case for India involves answering one key question: How can India differentiate itself from China? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo and Raghuram Rajan, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, discuss what it would take for India to evolve into a global economic powerhouse.

Finding success later in life requires a growth mindset—but also the ability to capture the right opportunity at the right time. In this episode of The Active Share, join Hugo and guest Henry Oliver, a London-based author and brand consultant, for a discussion of what it means to bloom late, how pushing past others’ expectations can foster curiosity and self-exploration, and why it’s critical, for businesses and organizations, to look beyond algorithms to identify talent.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, how do we ethically approach a technology with such wide-ranging implications? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo talks with Olivia Gambelin, founder and CEO of Ethical Intelligence, for a conversation about AI ethics, responsible AI, and how our current systems—legal, social, economic, and political—adopt, and adapt to, new technologies.

Will 2024 be the first year of “normal” economic expansion post-COVID? In this episode of The Active Share, Hugo sits down with William Blair’s Olga Bitel, partner, global strategist, and Simon Fennell, partner, portfolio manager, for a wide-ranging conversation on the outlook for 2024. Together, they touch on key topics like inflation and interest rates, Japan’s investment story, the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, and what new ...