LSE Focal Point Podcast

Hosted by LSESU Business and Investment Group

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Episodes

279

Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

The Focal Point Podcast, founded in 2020 by Daniel Tamary MacLeod with special mention to Seongyun Hong, is the official podcast of the LSESU Business and Investment Group. Weekly episodes featuring industry-changing leaders from across the professional landscape are uploaded to provide exclusive insights and enhance commercial awareness. To find more and summaries of our episodes, visit our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lse-focal-point!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 16, 202622 min

Alex Grant - Senior Vice President, UK Country Manager, and Global Head of Crude, Products and Liquids Trading at Equinor

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Alex Grant, the Senior Vice President, UK Country Manager, and Global Head of Crude, Products and Liquids Trading at Equinor. Prior to his current role, he was Senior Vice President for Global Business Development at Equinor and spent over two decades in investment banking at JPMorgan, ABN AMRO, and Jefferies, specializing in M&A and capital markets transactions in the energy sector. Alex holds a master’s degree in Engineering from Oxford and is a leading voice on energy markets, the energy transition, and capital allocation across oil, gas, and renewables.Recorded in March, 2026

May 14, 202620 min

Yann Robard - Founder and Managing Partner of Dawson Partners

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Yann Robard, the Founder and Managing Partner at Dawson Partners. Prior to his current role, he was the Managing Director and Head of Secondaries and Co-Investments at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, helped establish CPPIB’s London office, and worked at JPMorgan Chase following his entrepreneurial venture building a Mexican furniture store in Toronto. Yann holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University and is widely regarded as one of the leading thought leaders and advocates for the evolution of the global secondaries market.Recorded in March, 2026

May 12, 202619 min

Evie Vanezi - EMEA Chief Executive Officer at Jefferies

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Evie Vanezi, the EMEA Chief Executive Officer at Jefferies. Prior to her current role, she was the Chief Risk Officer at Jefferies and held positions at KPMG and the FCA. Evie holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from the LSE and a Master's in Mathematical Finance from Oxford University, and is named one of the Top 100 most influential women in finance in Europe.Recorded in March, 2026

May 5, 202621 min

Scott Adelson - CEO of Houlihan Lokey

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Scott Adelson, the CEO at Houlihan Lokey. Prior to his current role, he was Co-President and Global Co-Head of Corporate Finance. Scott holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and is also an entrepreneur with experience founding companies in the food and apparel industries.Recorded in March, 2026

April 30, 202619 min

John Taft - Vice Chair of Baird

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by John Taft, the Vice Chair of Baird and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Prior to his current role, he was the CEO of RBC Wealth Management for a decade, and has served multiple terms on the board of directors of the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), including one year as board chairman. John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and a master's degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Organisation and Management. He is also an author of two books and writes a blog for Baird, "Finance for the Greater Good", about where finance and society align.Recorded in March, 2025

April 21, 202619 min

Bruno Scaroni - Country CEO of Zurich Insurance Italy

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Bruno Scaroni, the Country CEO of Zurich Insurance Italy. Prior to his current role, he was the Group Chief Transformation Officer at Generali, following roles across management consulting at McKinsey. Bruno holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and is passionate about the social impact of insurance—helping individuals and enterprises prepare for life’s most significant risks.Recorded in March, 2026

April 16, 202621 min

Michael Woolhouse - Co-Managing Partner of TPG GP Solutions

Join us for another engaging episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Michael Woolhouse, the Co-Managing Partner of TPG GP Solutions. Prior to his current role, he was an Investment Aanking Analyst in the FIG team at Salomon Brothers, a Manager at Bain & Company across Toronto, Singapore and Hong Kong, Head of Strategy at AXA Japan, and a Director in the FIG team at TD Securities in Toronto. Michael holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University. He is also the former Head of Co-Investments and Head of Secondaries at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Recorded in February, 2026

April 14, 202622 min

Francisco Almeida - Managing Director and Head of Global Markets Client Strategy at Barclays

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Francisco Almeida, Managing Director and Head of Global Markets Client Strategy at Barclays. Prior to his current role, he was Global Markets Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff to the Credit Trading business, and worked in strategic consulting and organisational transformation across Europe and Southeast Asia. Francisco holds a master’s degree in International Management from IE Business School, having originally studied psychology at the University of Lisbon, and is a leader at the intersection of market strategy, client engagement, and business leadership.Recorded in March, 2026

April 9, 202620 min

Michael Schad - Partner and the Head of Credit Secondaries at Coller Capita

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Michael Schad, a Partner and the Head of Credit Secondaries at Coller Capital. Prior to his current role, he was an investment banker at Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse First Boston. Michael holds a BA in International Business Studies from European Business School and an MSc in Finance from London Business School and is an Executive Fellow at London Business School.Recorded in February, 2026

April 2, 202621 min

Michael Grampp - Chief Economist and Head of Thought Leadership at Deloitte Switzerland

Join us for another insightful episode at Focal Point where today we are joined by Michael Grampp, the Chief Economist and Head of Thought Leadership at Deloitte Switzerland. Prior to his current role, he worked in financial services in London, held roles in investment banking research at Bankers Trust, and co-founded a renewable energy venture in Australia. Michael holds a Master’s degree from the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, an Executive Master’s from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and a PhD from Leipzig University. He is also a guest lecturer at the University of Zurich and the host of the Deloitte Future Talk podcast. Throughout the conversation, Michael references several pieces of thought leadership his team has produced, including Confidence Despite Global Uncertainties (October 2025), Opportunities and Risks in 2026: What Lies Ahead for Boards of Directors (March 2026), Ageing Switzerland: Growth Despite Demographic Change (February 2025), and the Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Study 2025 (October 2025). Episode recorded on February 20th, 2026.