Alternative Fund Insight

Hosted by Will Wainewright

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May 2026

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About the show

The AFI podcast takes listeners behind the headlines to explore the key trends in hedge funds and private markets. It features key decision-makers at leading management firms as well as investors, regulators, journalists and other stakeholders. Host Will Wainewright has reported on the sector for more than a decade in London and New York, working for the Bloomberg newswire and editing the trade magazine EuroHedge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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56 recent

May 26, 202615 min

Ep 56 - Hedge funds rebound in April ⬆️

Will is joined by Declan Quilligan, head of hedge fund services, and Martin McCarthy, head of hedge funds (Europe) at Citco, to explore the drivers behind the sector's rebound in April; continued inflows into the space and operational priorities across data integration and automation. Related materials:AFI report on Citco research: https://alternativefundinsight.com/hedge-funds-stage-sharp-april-rebound-after-march-selloff/Download AFI's Multi-Strategy Outlook 2026 report, in association with Citco: https://alternativefundinsight.com/multi-strategy-outlook-2026/AFI Hedge Fund Acceleration Summit 2026 - view the gallery: https://alternativefundinsight.com/hedge-fund-acceleration-summit-2026-gallery/View our 2026 events schedule: https://alternativefundinsight.com/events/Coming up on 25 June: AFI Private Markets Wealth and Innovation Summit in Mayfair! https://alternativefundinsight.com/afi-private-markets-innovation-summit-2026/Contact the team to get involved! commercial@alternativefundinsight.com2026 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 28, 202619 min

Ep 55 - Hedge funds tested by March maelstrom; AFI Acceleration Summit lookback

Will is joined by Declan Quilligan, head of hedge fund services at Citco, to review hedge fund performance and flows in March and Q1, an eventful few months for the sector. the agenda this episode: a review of performance and flows trends in 2025, a historic year of hedge fund growth, with Declan Quilligan, head of hedge funds at Citco. Related materials:AFI report on Citco research: https://alternativefundinsight.com/march-ructions-bring-losses-but-hedge-fund-inflows-continue-citco/Citco report: https://www.citco.com/insights/citco-2026-q1-hedge-fund-reportDownload AFI's Multi-Strategy Outlook 2026 report, in association with Citco: https://alternativefundinsight.com/multi-strategy-outlook-2026/Hedge Fund Allocator Power List research 2025: https://alternativefundinsight.com/hedge-fund-allocator-power-list/AFI Hedge Fund Acceleration Summit 2026 - view the gallery: https://alternativefundinsight.com/hedge-fund-acceleration-summit-2026-gallery/View our 2026 events schedule: https://alternativefundinsight.com/events/Contact the team to get involved! commercial@alternativefundinsight.com2026 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 2, 20268 min

Ep 54 - Live in Miami - Borealis Strategic Capital Partners on emerging manager alpha

In this episode, Will spoke to Dan Harris of the Chicago-based hedge fund seeding firm Borealis Strategic Capital Partners about his meetings-filled week in Miami; their research into emerging manager alpha (which sees a 4% performance premium during the first 36 months); the role of SMAs; and more.It was recorded last week in Florida where thousands of fund managers and LPs gathered for Global Alts 2026 by iConnections and the multiple events organised on the sidelines on Miami Beach, for the ultimate coming together of alpha and art deco.AFI's Miami notebook:https://alternativefundinsight.com/global-alts-notebook-tpa-plans-loeb-launch-cta-comeback-and-smas-in-spotlight/New data confirms emerging manager alpha, reports seeder Borealis:https://alternativefundinsight.com/new-data-confirms-emerging-manager-alpha-reports-seeder-borealis/Related on TPAs:https://alternativefundinsight.com/global-alts-day-1-allocators-reveal-how-tpa-is-re-shaping-strategy/More information about PivotalPath:https://www.pivotalpath.com/This podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the . Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 27, 202617 min

Ep 53 - State of the industry with PivotalPath, live from Miami hedge fund week

AFI headed to Florida this week to join thousands of fund managers and LPs gathered for Global Alts 2026 and the multiple events organised on the sidelines on Miami Beach, for the ultimate coming together of alpha and art deco.In the week of President Trump's annual State of the Union address in DC, AFI took the opportunity to explore the state of the hedge fund industry with Jon Caplis, ceo of New York research firm PivotalPath. We discussed performance, flows and the many talking points which came up at the conference, ranging from private credit pressures to SMA growth to TPA plans by LPs.Note: Apologies for sound interference, this episode was recorded in a live setting.AFI's Miami notebook:https://alternativefundinsight.com/global-alts-notebook-tpa-plans-loeb-launch-cta-comeback-and-smas-in-spotlight/Related on TPAs:https://alternativefundinsight.com/global-alts-day-1-allocators-reveal-how-tpa-is-re-shaping-strategy/More information about PivotalPath:https://www.pivotalpath.com/This podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the . Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

February 5, 202614 min

Ep 52 - Hedge funds post gains and draw capital in 'historic' 2025

On the agenda this episode: a review of performance and flows trends in 2025, a historic year of hedge fund growth, with Declan Quilligan, head of hedge funds at Citco. Related materials:AFI report on Citco research: https://alternativefundinsight.com/big-gains-and-returning-inflows-drive-landmark-year-for-hedge-funds-citco/Citco report: https://www.citco.com/insights/citco-2025-hedge-fund-reportDownload AFI's Multi-Strategy Outlook 2026 report, in association with Citco: https://alternativefundinsight.com/multi-strategy-outlook-2026/Hedge Fund Allocator Power List research 2025: https://alternativefundinsight.com/hedge-fund-allocator-power-list/AFI Hedge Fund Innovation Summit - view the gallery: https://alternativefundinsight.com/afi-innovation-summit-2025-gallery/View our 2026 events schedule: https://alternativefundinsight.com/events/Contact the team to get involved! commercial@alternativefundinsight.com2026 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

December 22, 202510 min

Ep 51 - Hedge funds close in on banner 2025 after navigating turbulent November

On the agenda this episode: a review of November performance and flows trends, with Declan Quilligan, head of hedge funds at Citco, as hedge funds close in on one of their best years of recent times. Some links: AFI report on Citco research: https://alternativefundinsight.com/hedge-funds-near-banner-year-after-november-gains-and-inflows/Hedge Fund Allocator Power List research 2025: https://alternativefundinsight.com/hedge-fund-allocator-power-list/AFI Hedge Fund Innovation Summit - view the gallery: https://alternativefundinsight.com/afi-innovation-summit-2025-gallery/View our 2026 events schedule: https://alternativefundinsight.com/events/Contact the team to get involved! commercial@alternativefundinsight.com2025 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

November 28, 202515 min

Ep 50 - Innovation in the hedge fund middle-office; October review

On the agenda this episode: a review of October performance and flows trends, with Declan Quilligan, head of hedge funds at Citco, and an exploration of innovation in the middle office with his colleague US-based Ryan Fitzgerald, who heads up middle office services at the firm.AFI Hedge Fund Innovation Summit - view the gallery: https://alternativefundinsight.com/afi-innovation-summit-2025-gallery/View our 2026 events schedule: https://alternativefundinsight.com/events/Contact the team to get involved! commercial@alternativefundinsight.com2025 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

November 3, 202532 min

Ep 49 - Trium Capital's Tom Roderick on the macro opportunity

This week we speak to Trium Capital’s Tom Roderick, a fund manager from the in-demand world of global macro, which has been one of the sector’s strongest performing sectors this year.Talking points:1:45 - Introduction to Tom Roderick, career background.4:56 - Structured as Ucits fund; focus on strong period for global macro.8:35 - Why is it such a fertile environment for macro managers; how does it translate into alpha?11:47 - Focus on commodities, growth in opportunity, shape of market.16:37 - What does macro offer investors in today’s market environment?20:28 - Speed of movement, action in policy is accelerating, creating more opportunities.24:12 - Altaira partnership.24:42 - How do you use AI in your business/team at the moment?27:30 - What does a typical day look like?A quick reminder to sign up for our AFI Hedge Fund Innovation Summit in Mayfair on Thursday 13 November, head to the website for details: https://alternativefundinsight.com/afi-innovation-summit/2025 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information.Episode 49 sponsorThis episode is brought to you in association with Altaira Strategic Partners, which partners with emerging and established asset managers to provide a state-of-the-art institutional operating environment. Their cutting edge approach helps managers to bring their products and ideas to the marketplace with speed, efficiency and the latest innovations. Its heritage goes back to TIG which has been providing institutional back and middle office services to fund managers since 1980. Meet the team in Mayfair at the AFI Innovation Summit on 13 November, and visit altairastrat.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 29, 202517 min

Ep 48 - Strong Q3 puts hedge funds on course for best returns of decade

Hedge funds posted a twelfth straight quarter of gains in Q3, putting the $5trn industry on course for its best calendar year of the decade. On this episode, Will dissects the latest trends in the hedge fund space with Declan Quilligan, head of hedge fund services at Citco, and explores North American trends and the firms focus on client shadow footprint reduction and workflow optimisation programs with regional head Peter Kane. Will also provides an update on the upcoming AFI Hedge Fund Innovation Summit: https://alternativefundinsight.com/afi-innovation-summit/AFI report on Citco research: https://alternativefundinsight.com/strong-q3-puts-hedge-funds-in-sight-of-best-returns-of-decade-citco/Citco research: https://www.citco.com/insights/citco-monthly-hedge-fund-update-september-20252:00 - Introduction to Declan Quilligan.2:38 - DQ round-up on key performance and flows trends in 2025.4:00 - Macro, multi-strategy, equity strategies lead in Q3 and YTD.6:34 - Multi-strategy dominate inflows data. Sector now at $5trn.7:37 - Introduction to Peter Kane, head of Citco Fund Services (North America). Overview of key trends in that market, focus areas for the firm.9:31 - Client shadow footprint reduction and workflow optimisation programs that go alongside.13:43 - Momentum of hedge fund space from his seat in NY, profile of firms they work with.2025 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 10, 202539 min

Ep 47: Future of the West - Simon Nixon on a new world order; Acceleration Summit follow-up

A conversation with Simon Nixon, a senior financial journalist and leading macro thinker. Nixon, formerly the chief European commentator at the Wall Street Journal, was a keynote speaker at the AFI Acceleration Summit on 1 October and shares his thoughts in a separate conversation with Will Wainewright. Future of the West - Making sense of a new world order where power rules — and economic norms no longer apply. This briefing explores global trends in geopolitics and macroeconomics, including the impact of Trump’s trade policies, the enduring rise of China, the future of Europe and the UK in a thought-provoking fireside conversation.A link to Simon's newsletter: https://nixons.substack.com/Euractive article: Where is Europe's economic drone wall? https://www.euractiv.com/opinion/where-is-europes-economic-drone-wall/2025 headline partnerThis podcast is brought to you in association with Citco, the leading asset servicer with over $2 trillion of assets under administration (AUA) and the top hedge fund administrator according to the AFI 500 research ranking. Citco acts as a true partner to its clients, dedicated to developing rich long-term relationships through gold standard services and industry leading technology. Head to Citco.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.