Polina Kurdyavko, head of emerging markets and senior PM at RBC BlueBay Asset Management, was the special guest, sharing insights on her investing approach, career background and the opportunity set in EM heading into 2026. (Recorded Tuesday 7 October).

1:42 — Career background and evolution.

2:26 — Started career in 1998, personal family motivation.

3:40 — Kurdyavko’s big-picture view on EM and why it provides a fertile hunting ground in alts.

6:35 — Moving from relative to directional opportunity.

8:55 — Impact of this year’s volatility and turbulence on the opportunity set going forward.

14:22 — Episode sponsor: Altaira Strategic Partners.

15:05 — Follow-up on de-dollarization trend.

21:28 — Thoughts on China — real estate, general outlook, significance.

24:24 — Rising allocator interest in EM?

26:50 — Looking ahead into 2026.

China article - Polina’s Perspective: a pimple soup experience in China

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Episode 46 sponsor

This episode is brought to you in association with Altaira Strategic Partners, which partners with emerging and established asset managers to provide a state-of-the-art institutional operating environment. Their cutting edge approach helps managers to bring their products and ideas to the marketplace with speed, efficiency and the latest innovations. Its heritage goes back to TIG which has been providing institutional back and middle office services to fund managers since 1980. Meet the team in Mayfair at the AFI Innovation Summit on 13 November, and visit altairastrat.com for more information.

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