Seth Brennan is co-founder of Lincoln Peak Capital, which owns minority stakes in several asset management companies, including Troy. We discuss Lincoln Peak's long-term partnership model and the importance of autonomy and a strong alignment of interests as foundations for success.

Show notes:

[01:15] Seth discusses how he got into the industry

[02:49] Joining Affiliated Managers Group

[03:43] Lessons from AMG

[06:37] Setting up Lincoln Peak

[07:51] Starting a business in 2008

[10:01] The importance of having long-term capital

[14:10] Lincoln Peak’s long-term ambitions

[16:20] Exits

[18:51] The due diligence process and reasons for a transaction

[22:53] Importance of autonomy and alignment

[25:01] Adding value to partner firms

[28:26] Avoiding the temptation to intervene

[31:52] Continuing relevance of active management

[34:44] Catalyst for Troy transaction

[35:35] Why Lincoln Peak is a good partner for Troy

[37:14] Sebastian’s strengths as an investor

[38:35] Be curious and ask questions

Matthew McLennan is co-head of First Eagle’s Global Value team and one of the portfolio managers of Global Value, a strategy that has delivered strong long-term compound returns. We discuss the importance of humility and patience, why resilience is emphasised throughout the portfolio, and how Global Value has survived and thrived across a broad range of market environments.

Show notes:

[01:24] How an unusual childhood informed Matt’s approach to investing
[03:52] Succeeding Jean-Marie Eveillard
[05:46] Continuous refinement of the investment kernel
[07:04] Successful succession planning
[09:45] Sustaining success over different market cycles
[12:15] Important character traits and attributes
[17:01] Impact of passive investing
[19:20] The benefits of having a Senior Advisor Board
[22:09] What value investing means to First Eagle
[26:38] Endogenous integrity with the capacity to suffer
[28:40] Discerning between secular change and noise
[33:44] Approach to asset allocation
[35:46] Benefits of owning gold
[37:45] Role of cash in the portfolio
[40:11] High valuations and prospective returns
[42:51] Gold miners vs bullion
[44:41] Understanding the process of growth and the role of endogenous confidence cycles

Gabrielle Boyle and George Viney co-manage Troy’s Global Equity strategy. We discuss why the market persistently underestimates the compounding power of rare and exceptional companies, the importance of recognising one’s biases and striving to learn and improve as investors, and why Gabrielle and George work so well together as a team.

Show notes:

[01:26] Why the market persistently underestimates the compounding power of rare and exceptional businesses
[02:41] Companies don’t compound in a linear way
[05:09] Having the right environment to sustain success
[08:55] How Gabrielle and George complement each other
[10:35] The importance of having an inner critic
[12:45] Continuous improvement
[14:24] Combining resilience with reinvestment potential
[16:10] Characteristics of special businesses
[18:35] Sell discipline
[20:41] Minimising biases and ensuring accountability
[24:39] Balancing strong operational performance with fair valuations
[27:32] A concentrated portfolio with broadly diversified businesses
[29:17] Troy’s broader team
[30:57] Cognitive diversity with shared values
[33:04] Confidence in the future
[34:29] Back your conviction