Mark Baumgartner is the CIO of the Institute for Advanced Study, where he oversees a $1 billion portfolio that seeks to achieve just median returns but with significantly less risk.  Prior to joining IAS, Mark had stints at the Ford Foundation overseeing risk, at Morgan Stanley’s Alternative Investment Partners, at both quantitative and qualitative hedge funds, and as a management consultant.  Oh, and he studied to be a rocket scientist before that.   Our conversation covers Mark’s path to IAS and the principles of luck, risk, and uncertainty on that path. We discuss the IAS portfolio, one catered to achieve a low risk profile, and how he has stayed the course when that structure hasn’t been rewarded by markets.  We talk about identifying managers that fit into his approach and different metrics of defining risk at both the manager and portfolio levels. Learn More   Discuss show and Read the Transcript   Join Ted's mailing list at CapitalAllocatorsPodcast.com   Join the Capital Allocators Forum   Write a review on iTunes   Follow Ted on twitter at @tseides   For more episodes go to CapitalAllocatorsPodcast.com/Podcast

Michael Lombardi is a thirty-year veteran of professional football, including as a General Manager and a three-time Super Bowl winning executive.  He is the author of the fantastic recently released bookGridiron Genius, A Master Class in Winning Championships and Building Dynasties in the NFL. The book is a tour de force of applied leadership through his learnings working alongside football greats Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick.  Since stepping aside from the front office to write his book, Michael appears as a commentator on television, hosts the top-ten sports podcast, GM Street, and speaks to businesses about leadership and teamwork. Our conversation covers his early passion for football, the contrasting leadership styles of Bill Walsh and Al Davis, the magic of Bill Belichick, the four areas of leadership, the science and art of scouting, and where the front office breaks down. Michael embodies the style of leader that he describes, and his lessons are applicable to investment and business leaders alike. Learn More   Discuss show and Read the Transcript   Join Ted's mailing list at CapitalAllocatorsPodcast.com   Join the Capital Allocators Forum   Write a review on iTunes   Follow Ted on twitter at @tseides   For more episodes go to CapitalAllocatorsPodcast.com/Podcast