The Family Office Podcast
The Family Office Podcast aims to deliver weekly insights, strategies, and trends in the world of family offices. Whether you're a family office executive, a hedge fund, or simply intrigued by the unique challenges and opportunities in managing generational wealth, this is the place for you.
Each episode, we dive into topics like investment strategies, succession planning, philanthropy, and emerging technologies transforming family offices today. Join us as we bring you expert interviews, actionable advice, and the latest industry updates to help you navigate this dynamic landscape.
Catch up on the most recent episodes
Reimagining the MFO without the bureaucracy: William Davies, CEO of Ptarmigan Capital
Not every finance career starts on the front line. William Davies spent five years as an officer in the Light Dragoons, completing two operational tours of Afghanistan, before turning to the world of private wealth. In this episode he joins us to talk about that journey and what it taught him about trust, discipline, and looking after clients.
William built his financial career at JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, and HBS London before co-founding Ptarmigan Capital in 2023. Today he leads the firm's client relationships and growth, drawing on more than a decade of experience working with private clients across the full breadth of their affairs. He's PCIAM qualified and brings a distinctive perspective to how modern wealth should be managed.
It's a compelling founder story and a thoughtful conversation for anyone interested in private client advice and the people behind it.
What It Takes to Run a Family Office, with Felicia Andjel of the Mittal Family Office
Episode 2 of the AYU Family Office Podcast is here. This time we sat down with Felicia Andjel of the Mittal Family Office, meeting in Mayfair, London, for a conversation about the parts of family office work that rarely get talked about.
Felicia walks us through what it takes to manage a family's non-return holdings, the assets and responsibilities that aren't measured in IRR but matter just as much. We get into how a family office actually operates day to day, and what sets this kind of work apart from traditional investment management.
If you're curious about family offices and how they really run, this one's for you.
Attracting and Retaining Top Family Office Talent: Paul Westall of Agreus
This week we were joined by Paul Westall , co-founder of Agreus. Agreus Group is a full-service resources and recruitment consultancy dedicated to working exclusively with Family Offices throughout the World.
Paul gave us a fascinating insight into accessing and retaining top talent for Family Offices today, along with guidance for professionals looking to work in this elite industry.
Check out their 2023 Global Family Office Compensation Benchmark Report.
The Power of Relationships in the Family Office Space, featuring Sam Copley
A fascinating chat with our long term friend and collaborator Sam Copley. Sam joins us with the most interesting career history leading to his current position with Ness Investment Advisors, a european single family office.
We talk spotting fake family offices and how leveraging relationships in this space is our most significant tool, which lead directly to the inception of Family Office Social and its incorporation into the AYU network.
One not to miss, as Sam says and is a complete testament to "vibe will get you most of the way"!
Exposing the Fake Family Office: Matthias Knab of Opalesque and Horizon
In this episode we are joined by Matthias Knab of Opalesque and Horizon, an internationally recognised expert on hedge funds, alternatives and family offices.
Matthias bravely took a stand against fake family offices and recounts his crusade into exposing one of the most extreme cases the industry has seen. From false identities and planted representatives to a self proclaimed knighthood and a Vanity Fair article to boot, this "true crime" story offers a fascinating insight into the social engineering implemented by the conmen of the family office space.
Check out the Horizon Family Office and investor Magazine.
Attracting Wealth and Talent to the UK, featuring John King of the IEA
In this episode we are joined by John King, Director of External Relations, The Institute for Economic Affairs.
John is a fascinating, fluent speaker on economic affairs. Following a successful career in private equity has now rejoined the IEA after beginning his career as an intern there.
We loved hearing more about the genesis of the free market movement and the IEA's non partisan, pro growth mission to attract wealthy and talented people to the UK and the need for a more coherent tax strategy to facilitate this.
Learn more about The Institute of Economic Affairs here.
Relationships as the Foundation of Family Office Investing, with Christine van der Mescht of RisCura
In this episode of we sit down with Christine van der Mescht, Strategic Relationship Manager at RisCura.
Christine shares her insights on the evolving world of investments for family offices. She highlights the growing importance of personal relationships in building trust - an essential foundation for family offices engaging in coinvestment opportunities.
Getting the Wealth Transfer Right: Chris Wheatley on Next-Gen Single Family Offices
In this episode we are joined by Chris Wheatley, advisor to Next Gen Single Family Offices.
We discussed the intricacies and pitfalls to avoid in the great wealth transfer. We cover asset allocation, due diligence, family dynamics and how co-investing opportunities can change the game for family offices.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
Why Brand Is the Family Office's Most Overlooked Asset, with India Woolridge of Catalyst
In this episode we chatted with India Woolridge of Catalyst. India started Catalyst, a consultancy founded on the premise that brand is one of the most under-leveraged assets in many companies. As such, Catalyst helps clients crystallise their brand and define exactly what makes them different through transformative strategies underpinned by innovative research. Most recently, she founded Catalyst Wealth, a bespoke advisory that activates the untapped potential of the family office brand to create clear competitive and reputational advantages today, while bridging the family’s wealth with their future legacy.
She is currently co-leading a groundbreaking new study, Generation Impact, that explores the hopes, challenges and fears of the generation at the centre of the greatest transfer of wealth of all time. Find out more here
https://www.catalystwealth.co/
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
Why US Family Offices Are Looking at the UK, with Harrison Lance of UK DBT
In this fascinating episode we chat to Harrison Lance, Senior Trade & Investment Officer for UK DBT and National Lead of Asset Management & Family Offices for the British Government. We talked US FO appetite in UK investments and how the DBT are paving the way for UK based co-investing opportunities.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
More Than Money: Preparing Heirs for the Wealth Transfer, with Jess McGawley of Dallington
In this episode we delved into the fascinating topic of the next gen wealth transfer and how raising the next wave of financial stewards as resilient, grounded individuals is both complex and utterly essential. An essential insight for any family office and UHNW with children!
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
The AYU Family Office Summit rundown
In this episode we run down our recent Family Office Summit held in London. Gus and Lucy talk through the highlights, insights and contributions from our list of esteemed panelists.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
Building Smarter Portfolios: Julia Rees Toader of PrinCap on Where Alternatives Are Headed
Earlier this year, we sat down with Julia Rees Toader, founder of PrinCap, for one of our most engaging conversations yet.
A true powerhouse in portfolio construction, Julia shared sharp insights on tokenisation, real-world assets, and the growing role of AI across the alternatives landscape. The conversation was so compelling we barely scratched the surface, stay tuned for a follow-up, as we could have talked with her all day.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
From Single Family Office to Industry Game Changer: Mike Muniz of Canoe Intelligence
In this episode we are joined by Mike Muniz, founder of Canoe Intelligence and long standing partner of AYU. On top of secondaries market and funding rounds, Gus and Mike delve into the issue of post investment data extraction and how automating this process was inspired from Canoe's SFO origins.
We love a founder story and hearing the strategy behind a product that is truly an industry game changer. This conversation could have gone on and on so look out for more coming from AYU and Canoe.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
Why Technology Is a Strategic Advantage for Family Offices, with George Ralph of RFA
In this episode, we were joined by George Ralph, a long-standing AYU member and a globally experienced technology leader with over two decades of expertise across cybersecurity, infrastructure, and financial services. George shared his perspective on cybersecurity and risk management in family offices, drawing on a career that has seen him successfully scale MSP, MSSP, and SaaS businesses internationally through to exit.
George’s insights highlighted not only the technical challenges facing the sector, but also the importance of strategic thinking, operational excellence, and strong governance in navigating an increasingly complex risk landscape.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
Full-Spectrum Resilience: Inside Modern Security for UHNW Families, with Richard Roberts of MITMARK Group
In this episode we spoke with Richard Roberts, founder and CEO of MITMARK Group and Neaman Services. Not only is this another fascinating founder story but also a compelling insight into the world private security services and how they operate and provide a service becoming increasingly essential to the Family Office community.
MITMARK provides the only full-spectrum resilience solution designed for HNW families and organisational principals. MITMARK are not just a security company; they are your full-spectrum partner in an uncertain world.
For a security vulnerability and risk assessment, please get in touch.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
Investing in Healthcare with Conviction, featuring Everett Kamin of Gemini Capital Partners
Most people in the family office world broaden over time. Everett Kamin went the other way. After nearly 30 years in healthcare, he's only sharpened his focus, and in this episode he explains why.
As Healthcare Investment Director at Gemini Capital Partners and CIO at the Silverstein Family Office Dream Foundation, he sits at the center of one of the most specialised theses we've featured. His path was anything but linear. It ran from investment banking in Japan, Korea, and the US through a decade of healthcare roll-ups across 30 countries, and eventually into the family office world.
We also get into how he actually invests. He's candid about sourcing, explaining why the best deals come off market. And he makes a compelling case that AI is quietly transforming the sector, from drug discovery to diagnostics.
It's a focused, fascinating conversation about building real expertise and the technologies democratising healthcare, so that where you live no longer decides how, or whether, you live.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.
The UAE Playbook: Hiring, Relocating, and Raising in the Gulf's Family Offices
While headlines fixate on regional instability, the UAE keeps doing something remarkable: growing. In this episode of the AYU Family Office Podcast, we sit down with Oscar Orellana-Hyder of Cordell Partners, an executive headhunter who places elite talent inside the Gulf's family offices, to understand why capital, people, and ambition keep flowing toward the Emirates even as the map around them shifts.
Oscar offers a grounded, real-world look at the infrastructure underpinning the UAE's family office boom: the policy, the stability, and the quality of life that have turned the region into a genuine safe harbour for wealth and the talent that manages it. From there the conversation gets practical. How do you hire the right people for a family office? What does relocating across the GCC actually involve? And what are the realities of raising from established families, including what works, what doesn't, and the trust that has to come first?
Whether you're building a family office, advising one, or simply trying to understand why the Gulf is pulling ahead, this is a candid, optimistic conversation about resilience, opportunity, and the people powering the region's rise.
This episode is sponsored by Canoe Intelligence, unlock the full potential of your alts data with Canoe.