Beyond big tech: Arelis Agosto on AI, data centres and robotics

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Arelis Agosto (0:57)

We're seeing the adoption of AI be faster than really any innovation before it. Getting over a billion users in three years, something that took the Internet 15 years, right? This is the kind of change that we really try and capture through that thematic lens. It seems unimaginable until we see it. I go to a conference in Vegas CES, and every year there's a humanoid there. In January, I was playing Blackjack with a humanoid that was dealing the table, and you could play ping pong with a humanoid. Again, seeing that growth year over year, it's difficult for us to comprehend until we actually see it.

Owen Rask (1:33)

Hey there, here's a quick note. This podcast contains general financial information only. That means it's not specific to you, your needs, goals or financial objectives. So don't act on the information until you've spoken to your financial planner. You'll find our full disclosure, disclaimer, and link to our financial services guide in the show notes. Elise, thanks for taking some time to join me.

Arelis Agosto (1:51)

Of course, thanks for having me.

Owen Rask (1:52)

And welcome to Australia. Welcome to Melbourne specifically. I hope the coffee doesn't let you down. Today, we're going to be talking about thematic investing, about mega trends that are shaping all of society, not just AI, hopefully, some other things that we'll throw in the mix. But you lead investment strategy and research for one of the biggest thematic ETF providers in the world, which is great, fantastic indeed.

Can you give us a sense of what your average day looks like?

Arelis Agosto (2:21)

It's difficult to say because no two days are alike. I would say that in core, what I really focus on is I have a great team of analysts working with me that they cover, whether it be specific asset classes or specific sectors. And in terms of consistency across our messaging and our research approach, but also with such a broad lineup of ETFs and products more broadly, it's difficult, right, to communicate a cohesive story around what's topical right now.

And for folks that are looking perhaps a bit more into the future, what might be relevant to them as well. So making sure that we have a cohesive approach across the board is really my main focus at the firm. As a part of that, we also work with product. So whether it is developing new ETFs to bring to market that really solve for a key problem that our clients are facing, making sure that that exposure is as pure and appropriate as possible. And again, telling a cohesive story with our lineup is certainly one of the parts that I enjoy. And finally, making sure that the products that we already have available stay relevant and continue to capture the opportunity as intended. Things play out in different ways than we might have expected. So it's part of our job to make sure that the products that we do have in market continue to be relevant across the board.

Owen Rask (3:31)

For sure. And Global X has a pretty significant reputation in Australia with having quite a diverse product lineup. Many ETFs doing many different things. So imagine it's a full plate.

You're here in Australia because you're presenting, I believe, at a portfolio construction forum in Sydney, which is wonderful. Other side of the world, different time zone, I hope it goes really well. I want to talk a little bit about you. I just asked you some questions off air, but maybe just to get it on record. Your background was on the health care side of things. Can you fill in the blanks here for us? How do you get to where you are? Where did you start? That kind of thing.