Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.

We were live from iCapital Connect’s conference in Phoenix, where we sat down with some of the industry’s leaders across asset management and wealth management.

We spoke with Ava Mallin, Managing Director, US Private Wealth Solutions at Ardian.

Ava brings a distinctive approach to how she works with the wealth channel. She emphasized that asset managers should treat capital as a client’s legacy rather than “just dollars.”

Speaking of legacy, Ardian is a firm with a rich legacy. The firm was born in 1996, when AXA’s Chairman, Claude Bébéar, chairman of AXA, asked Dominique Senequier to create a private equity arm for the insurer. And so AXA Private Equity was born. The firm’s first fund launched with a $100M French Buyout fund and two external clients.

Today, Ardian stands tall as a giant in private markets, spanning asset classes and managing over $200B AUM.

As a firm that provides investment solutions and customized strategies, Ardian thinks deeply about the breadth and depth of its relationships with LPs. Ava brings this perspective to bear in the wealth channel, which was evident in our conversation.

Ava shared how she brings a uniquely human perspective to fundraising and partnering with the wealth channel. She believes managing money is managing emotion, which is critical for GPs to understand how wealth advisors manage their relationships with clients.

We had a fascinating conversation, covering:

The importance of understanding the human and emotional side that it takes to build enduring partnerships with LPs.
Why US LPs have a growing interest in diversification and want exposure to Europe.
Why secondaries is a partnership business with LPs and GPs.
The importance of educating the wealth channel on private markets.
Why Ardian prefers the term “evergreen” over “semi-liquid.”
Why GPs should work with the wealth channel only if they have true commitment to the channel and top-down support from senior leadership.

Bio

Ava Mallin joined Ardian in 2022. She is responsible for Private Wealth relationships in the US. Prior to joining Ardian, she spent seven years at Carlyle in their Private Wealth group. She is based in New York.

Thanks, Ava, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion for how you approach working with the wealth channel and your focus on EQ as part of building relationships with advisors that enable them to treat their clients' capital as legacy.

Show Notes

00:00 Live From iCapital Connect

00:23 A Message From Ultimus Fund Solutions

01:21 Meet Ardian’s Ava Mallin

01:48 Money And Emotion

03:11 Ardian Culture And Fit

03:45 Secondaries Partnership Model

04:45 Building US Wealth Business

05:59 Evergreen Liquidity Mindset

07:26 Educating Advisors And Clients

09:02 Brand And Leadership Support

10:13 Authenticity In Sales

11:28 Listening And Curiosity

12:29 Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

13:31 Getting Firmwide Buy In

14:11 Wealth Channel Challenges

14:47 Closing Thoughts

A Word from Our Sponsor, Ultimus

This episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.

That’s Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you’re already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team’s deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.

Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.

We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Ardian’s Ava Mallin - “managing money is managing emotion”

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Ardian’s Ava Mallin - “managing money is managing emotion”