1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 2: Joining us right now is Daval. 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 3: Patrick is the former governor of Massachusetts and now a 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 3: senior advisor at the private investment firm the Vistria Group. 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 3: It's also co director of the Center for Public Leadership 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 3: at the Harvard Kennedy School. 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 2: Daval, great to have you. 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 3: Here, and I want to kind of pick up absolutely, 9 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 3: and I want to pick up where we left off 10 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 3: with our last guest, Mark Lipscholtz. Of course a pioneer 11 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 3: in the private credit space. You have a long history 12 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 3: in the investment space, particularly on the private equity side, 13 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 3: and now of course in your role at the Vistria Group. Here, 14 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 3: how is business right now? 15 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 2: Business is good. 16 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 4: You know, we are facing some of the same challenges 17 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 4: everyone else is. But because we take a view of 18 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 4: long term value, which is, you know, how do you 19 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 4: build an economy company by company that is good not 20 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 4: just for shareholders as cordon as that is, but also 21 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 4: for employees, for members of the community, for the environment. 22 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 4: And I think that shift in thinking about capitalism as 23 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 4: being more inclusive is exactly what the vistory of Group 24 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 4: is about. And frankly, where lots of our trends are pointing. 25 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 4: So from that perspective, I think our prospects are very 26 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 4: very good. 27 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 3: Well, can you give us some specific examples of potential 28 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 3: investment opportunities with the idea of inclusive capitalism, the idea 29 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 3: of making an impact, because I'm sure as you know, Devaul, 30 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 3: and we've come a long way over the last four 31 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 3: years where everybody seemed to be talking about or reimagining 32 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 3: of capitalism, to today where we have this huge pushback 33 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 3: where now everyone just wants to keep their head down 34 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 3: and not say anything. 35 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 2: Well, I don't know how huge it is. 36 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 4: It may be a few leaders who are trying to 37 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 4: keep their heads down, but it takes some courage really 38 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 4: to lead us to the next place. And frankly, there 39 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 4: are a lot of secular trends, especially from young people, 40 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 4: who are insisting that capitalism cannot be just about a 41 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 4: few winners and everyone else being losers. That we have 42 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 4: to have a way of thinking about value that includes 43 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 4: the interests of all of those affected. And frankly, what 44 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 4: we have seen in our own investment here is that 45 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 4: there's a premium to be harvested. 46 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 2: For that for everybody. 47 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 4: So we're investing in some sectors that are inherently impactful. 48 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 4: That is healthcare for example, knowledge and learning or education generally, 49 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 4: financial services, the kinds of things that are fundamental for 50 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 4: people being able to lift themselves and their families into 51 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 4: the middle class and to sustain themselves there. And we 52 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 4: are measuring both financial return and the ways in which 53 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 4: we can drive that, and they very much connected social 54 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 4: or environmental impact. And we've been able to deliver both 55 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 4: the superior returns and measurable, meaningful and lasting impact. I 56 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 4: think that's exactly what capitalism ought to be and can be. 57 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: Same time, healthcare plus private equity have equaled a lot 58 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: of negative headlines in recent years. 59 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 2: And we've seen we've been following that yet. 60 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we've seen regulators take a closer look into 61 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: this sector and the involvement of private equity firms. What 62 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: kind of level of screening. What's your sense of regulators 63 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: devoting resources into looking into private markets and their investments 64 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: in this space since this is a space you are 65 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: pretty active. 66 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 4: In, so Scarlet, the first thing I want to say 67 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 4: is I want to acknowledge that the regulators and others 68 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 4: who are policy bakers have reason to be concerned about 69 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 4: what's going on in healthcare. Not all of that is 70 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 4: attributable to or because of private equity. We have a 71 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 4: really fractured, overly complicated healthcare system that is often about 72 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 4: sick care and that healthcare. 73 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 2: So I want to make that point first of all. 74 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 4: Secondly, I think there are a number of proposals we've 75 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 4: seen out there, including ones from the federal government, on 76 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 4: a set of principles around health private equity and it's 77 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 4: involvement in healthcare that frankly, we've been doing already and 78 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 4: seem to make sense to us. 79 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: We're taking a closer look at them. 80 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 4: We're scrutinizing those and other proposals against our own set 81 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 4: of our own playbook, if you will, with respect to 82 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 4: how we invest in, why we invest in, what our 83 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 4: expectations are of the companies that we invest in in 84 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 4: terms of building them from where they are today to 85 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 4: where they need to be. But that is what inclusive 86 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 4: capitalism is or ought to be about. I think the 87 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 4: best and most effective regulation is not no regulation. It 88 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 4: is regulation that is working alongside those of us who 89 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 4: are trying to do the right thing and those of 90 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 4: who are affected by what we're trying to do to 91 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:49,720 Speaker 4: make sure we get things in the right balance. 92 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 3: You know, Deval, given all that you said, and I 93 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 3: don't mean to put you on the spot here, but 94 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 3: I do want to get your thoughts on the passing 95 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 3: recently of someone that I know you were close to 96 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,799 Speaker 3: and that a lot of us really followed in this space. 97 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 3: And that's the passing on Christopher Adley. I mean, he 98 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 3: really sort of espouse for years, for decades, really the 99 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 3: idea of how to create a more inclusive economy, a 100 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 3: more inclusive society here and I kind of wonder, and 101 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 3: forgive me that this is the wrong question, but where 102 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 3: are those thought leaders today? Where is that leadership today 103 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 3: coming from to sort of push us forward? 104 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 4: You know, first of all, Chris was a teacher and 105 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 4: a friend and a colleague of mine. And my heart 106 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 4: goes out to his family and to his professional family, 107 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 4: which is huge because we're all feeling that loss. 108 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 2: He believed, as I do, that we oughtn't have. 109 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 4: You know, we should be thinking about how to improve 110 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 4: our society from the perspective of one sector alone. Right, 111 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 4: It's not going to be government alone that solves the 112 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 4: big challenges that face humankind. And I say that as 113 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 4: someone who was a policymaker and believes in the role 114 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 4: of government. It's not going to be the not for 115 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 4: profit sector alone. It's going to take all of us, 116 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 4: including the business and commercial sector, and so taking that 117 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 4: broader view about how we include and are conscious of 118 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 4: and manage around all of the interests that are affected 119 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 4: by business and by our commercial interests is critical, and 120 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 4: it is how we will actually solve problems. It's been 121 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 4: a false choice for a long time that you had 122 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 4: to trade return for impact, that business could just do 123 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 4: what it did and only should do what it did 124 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 4: to deliver financial return for owners, and the consequences of 125 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 4: that would fall on government or the not for profit sector, 126 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 4: by the way, all of which we all also pay 127 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 4: for today. The scope and scale of our challenges as such, 128 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 4: it's going to take all sectors pulling in the same direction. 129 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 4: And that's what inclusive caplism is about. Chris was right 130 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 4: about it in his time. I think there are many 131 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 4: many of us, including the as yet undiscovered young people, 132 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 4: who have been forcing these questions, sometimes in very different 133 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 4: language that we have to learn to listen to as well. 134 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: All right, Daval, we really appreciate your joining us to day. 135 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: Daval Patrick is the former governor of Massachusetts, and of course, 136 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: he is the current co director of the Harvard County 137 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: School of Central for Public Leadership and the senior advisor 138 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: of the Vistria Group.