Name:
Title: Chief executive officer
Company: iCapital Network
Web Address: https://www.icapitalnetwork.com/
Lawrence Calcano is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of iCapital Network. He was previously a partner at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he spent 17 years, most recently serving as the co-head of the Global Technology Banking Group of the Investment Banking Division. iCapital Network is a financial technology company dedicated to driving access and efficiency in alternative investing through tech-based solutions for advisors and their high-net-worth client base. The platform, which services more than $51 billion in invested capital across approximately 100,000 underlying accounts, also offers general partners an opportunity to expand their fundraising efforts to the retail marketplace.
What is your role within your firm and what do you do there on any given day?
iCapital Network opens up access to alternative investments such as private equity and hedge funds—which have historically been considered out of reach for individual investors—to financial advisors and their high-net-worth clients via a flagship platform and a custom white label business. iCapital supports the full alternative investing lifecycle – our in-house diligence team reviews and selects high-quality alternative investment managers to curate a menu of investment options for the flagship platform, and our technology simplifies the subscription, administration, and reporting processes of these investments. Within this context, as CEO I lead the development of our strategy, business development activity and manage overall operations and resources and spend a significant amount of time supporting our client activities and relationships.
On any given day, I interact closely with our current clients and prospects, discussing their business challenges. General Partners are adept at marketing to and servicing institutional investors but often come to us to help them access the retail marketplace. Similarly, wealth management firms and banks that service investors are often seeking ways to automate the alternative investing process and are interested in the efficiencies our technology can provide. I also spend a significant amount of time with our team helping to build and drive a culture of teamwork and relentless focus on client success.
Our days are obviously a bit different now that COVID-19 has necessitated we work remotely. I have made a concentrated effort to emphasize the importance of communication and connectivity to ensure iCapital team members continue to operate as a cohesive team despite our physical distance. In lieu of morning coffee in the office kitchen with colleagues, I now start each day by sending an “Opening Bell” email to the iCapital team with updates from across the company and words of encouragement for the day ahead. We have made the most of the technologies that allow for video conferencing and instant messaging to maintain connectivity and facilitate spontaneous discussions throughout the day. We have implemented many other ways to stay connected and engaged, and I find myself looking forward to hearing from different team members during our virtual Friday lunch catch-ups, Buddy Check Days, and Zoom happy hours.
Our methods may have changed a bit to accommodate the current circumstances, but our mission is unchanged. Frankly, the iCapital team has risen to the challenge beyond my most ambitious expectations and I am proud of how we have continued to provide the high level of service our clients have come to enjoy.