Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today’s episode dives into the rapidly expanding world of secondaries with a senior leader at one of the pioneering firms in the secondaries space.We sat down at Franklin Templeton’s New York office with Taylor Robinson, a Partner on the Secondary team at Lexington Partners, which has over $77B in total capitalization and is part of Franklin Templeton’s family of private markets funds and strategies.Taylor, who joined the firm in 2008, is primarily focused on the origination, evaluation, and execution of secondary opportunities, including partnership and GP-led transactions. He’s also a member of Lexington’s ESG Steering Committee.Taylor and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of the secondaries market. We covered many of the hot button topics and trends that are shaping the secondaries market, including:Why secondaries have become an integral part of many LPs portfolios.How secondaries have become a portfolio management tool for LPs.The rise of GP-led secondaries.Why not all CVs are created equal.Why secondaries can be a good on-ramp to private markets for wealth channel investors.What the future holds for secondaries.Thanks Taylor for coming on the show to share your expertise and wisdom about private markets and secondaries.Show Notes00:00 A Different Way of Thinking About Private Equity00:43 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:20 Introduction to Taylor Robinson02:35 Taylor Robinson's Background and Career04:25 The Evolution of the Secondaries Market05:20 Impact of the Financial Crisis on Secondaries06:34 Growth and Liquidity in Private Markets07:13 Current State of the Secondaries Market07:29 Traditional vs. GP-Led Secondary Deals09:18 Challenges and Opportunities for Institutional LPs11:22 Active Portfolio Management Strategies13:06 Driving Returns and Gaining Edge14:46 Evaluating and Partnering with GPs16:30 Nuances of the Secondary Market17:22 Market Dynamics and Investment Strategies18:04 The Role of Data and Technology19:35 Regulation and Standardization in Private Markets20:08 Evolving Focus of Secondaries Firms20:51 Investment Horizons and Return Expectations22:17 Primary vs. Secondary Fund Investing27:07 Specialization and Diversification in Private Equity28:41 Managing Favorite Assets28:49 Diversified Portfolio Nuances29:37 Generating Alpha in Secondaries30:22 Asset Selection and Value Drivers31:09 Consistent Investor Experience33:53 Comparing Secondaries and Primaries35:51 Evaluating Secondaries Over Time37:18 Evergreen Funds and New Structures38:11 Benefits of Locked-Up Capital40:34 Challenges in Evergreen Space41:39 Wealth Channel and Scale43:04 Skillset for Secondaries Investors45:16 Intellectual Curiosity and Success47:45 Industry Trends and GP Consolidation49:16 Understanding Market Dynamics50:18 Training and Retention at Lexington50:41 Future of Secondary Markets52:54 Misconceptions About Secondaries54:31 Shifting Mindsets on Discounts54:54 Consistent Returns Through Cycles55:42 Secondaries as a Real Asset Class56:16 Excitement for Future Growth56:22 Conclusion and FarewellEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

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