Building New Financial Products with BlackRock's Stephen Cohen

In this episode of Masters in Business, Barry Ritholtz interviews Steve Cohen, BlackRock's Chief Product Officer and Head of Product Solutions, about his career, the evolution of ETFs, and product development in the asset management industry. Cohen discusses his early experiences in the Japanese markets, his move to BlackRock to expand the iShares business in Europe, and the increasing acceptance of ETFs as a tool for both retail and institutional investors. The conversation explores the shift towards blending active and passive investment strategies, the potential for private market assets in an ETF wrapper, and the impact of technology and AI on product development. Cohen also shares insights on emerging trends in fixed income, digital assets, and the importance of continuous learning in the rapidly changing financial industry.