Videos & Podcasts

Infrastructure Report: Microsoft spearheading high-speed rail plan for Northwest

The US High Speed Rail Association is collaborating with Microsoft to produce the Cascadia Rail Summit at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., to investigate the prospects of a so-called Cascadia Innovation Corridor rail system running from Vancouver, B.C., to Portland, Ore., with an eye toward creating a rival to Silicon Valley. A study completed in July 2019 by the Washington State Department of Transportation estimates that a state-of-the-art high-speed rail system would generate $355 billion in economic development for the…

In Focus: Sid Vittal on fat tail risk

Sid Vittal, principal with Mercer Alternatives, discusses fat tail risk and the importance of prudent portfolio construction as a way to mitigate against fat tail risk. (10/2019)

Infrastructure Report: One man's quest to transform American energy

Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal reporter and author of Superpower: One Man’s Quest to Transform American Energy, tells the story of Michael Skelly, an infrastructure builder who began working on wind energy in 2000 when many considered the industry a joke. Eight years later, Skelly helped build the second largest U.S. wind power company, which he sold for $2 billion. Wind power is no longer the butt of energy jokes, and Skelly is not done working on converting the U.S.…

In Focus: Catherine Helleux on renewables

Catherine Helleux, head of transactions – Americas, at Allianz Global Investors, discusses the global outlook on renewables, i.e. which country is a leader in creating a favorable long-term investment environment for renewables, how that country's program compares with other major renewable investment markets, what the strengths and weaknesses of various renewables versus traditional energy is today and more. (09/2019)

Investor perspectives in infrastructure

Investors perspectives is a webinar from 2019 that discussed where infrastructure investors are allocating capital and why leading up to IREI’s 2019 VIP infrastructure conference. (09/2019)

In Focus: Iftikhar Ahmed on the investor landscape

Iftikhar Ahmen, associate partner, private equities and infrastructure at Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting, discusses the current infrastructure investor landscape and how it has changed over the past few years. (09/2019)

In Focus: Dan Winters on the importance of ESG reporting

Dan Winters, head of Americas at GRESB, discusses why ESG reporting is important, ESG status reports and if we have hit critical mass for data participation, which of E, S or G has the best reporting data/participation and is there a need for improvement. (09/2019)

In Focus: Mark Weisdorf on managing the manager

Mark Weisdorf, managing partner of Mark Weisdorf Associates, discusses what the strengths and limitations are when it comes to the ILPA guidelines, as well as emerging examples of new terms and structures that managers are adopting to meet fund and joint venture investor demands. (08/2019)

In Focus: Anish Butani on renewables

Anish Butani, director at bfinance, discusses the evolution of renewables as an asset class, the changing economics and risk/reward spectrum in relation to renewable energy, and more. (08/2019)

In Focus: Mark McComiskey on development/construction risk

Mark McComiskey, founding partner at AVAIO Capital, provides some tools on the ground that managers can implement to mitigate development/construction risk, as well as what investors should keep in mind to manage their expectations. *Note: AVAIO Capital is an infrastructure investment advisor focused on a value-added, middle-market, build-to-core strategy in the transportation, water, digital and energy sectors. (08/2019)