June 18, 2026
Strand Global Macro Talks Ep 12

In this episode, Jinwoo and Hugo sit down with Shaun Heelan, CIO of Maat Investment Group, to discuss his path from shorting CDOs in 2008, the case for running a highly concentrated portfolio, and why the greatest investors size up aggressively when conviction is high. They wrap up with a crucial look at why narratives drive markets, but reality always strikes back.

0:00 Intro

0:56 Shaun's background & surviving the 2008 GFC

1:30 Psychological capital & risk management

4:55 Running a high-concentration portfolio

7:07 Filtering the right LPs (the Costco analogy)

13:45 Sizing positions: defined by downside, not upside1

4:50 The CMBS trade post-GFC

19:56 Private equity mindset in public markets

22:43 Vistry & home builders — a PE due diligence lens

28:46 Small/micro caps vs. venture capital

33:39 Capital allocation & advising companies

37:46 AI, hyperscalers & staying in your circle of competence

42:04 Finding opportunity in overlooked markets

Download Pdf