Laurence Russian - Covering the World at ABS Global

Today, we are joined by Laurence Russian, a Founding Partner at ABS Global Investments, which manages more than $12 billion in assets. Laurence's career began at the legendary Brazilian investment bank Banco Garantia, the predecessor to 3G Capital. After a tenure at Credit Suisse, Laurence and his partners struck out on their own in 2002 to build a firm that prioritizes specialist expertise over generalist breadth.

In this episode, we trace the 22-year evolution of ABS into a data-driven powerhouse managing billions for some of the world's largest pension plans. While many firms rely on off-the-shelf data, Laurence and his team built their own ecosystem to track specialists in everything from Taiwanese semiconductors to Middle Eastern fintech.

Today, we dive into the convergence of public and private markets, exploring why ABS is taking significant stakes in late-stage giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cerebras. We discuss the "Goldman Sachs of Brazil" influence, the art of firing managers, and why local boots on the ground are the only way to find true alpha in emerging markets.

Please enjoy my conversation with Laurence Russian.

Laurence Russian is a Founding Partner and Portfolio Manager at ABS Global Investments. He is a member of the firm's Management Committee and Operating Committee. Prior to co-founding ABS, Mr. Russian was a Director in the Alternative Investments Group at Credit Suisse Asset Management. He joined the firm in 1998 following Credit Suisse Group's acquisition of Garantia.

Mr. Russian joined Banco de Investimentos Garantia in 1994 to help build the firm's alternative asset management business. He began his career in 1993 at Scudder, Stevens & Clark.

He holds a BA in Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MBA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business. He is also a CFA charterholder.

ABS Global Investments: https://www.absinv.com/

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