🎙 Guest: Issac Septon, CIO, The Observatory

🎙 Host: Alvin Fan, CEO, OPIM

00:00 Welcome & Introduction

01:35 Family Office Structure & “Skin in the Game”

04:56 Why This Family Office Prefers Public Markets

08:34 Private Markets, Secondaries & Liquidity Risks

14:26 Why We Back Emerging Managers

19:50 Courting Managers & Cultivating Talent (Japan example)

24:24 The Diligence Mindset: Priorities over Checklists

31:45 Family Offices Becoming Institutional — Concentration vs Diversification

39:06 Thematic Exposures: Trading, Biotech, Japan (3-Year View)

45:44 Advice to Emerging Managers: Gut & Leaving Money on the Table

52:51 AI, Quants & The Human Edge in Discovery

56:05 Closing Thoughts & Where We Meet Next

Alvin Fan talks with Isaac Septon, CIO of The Observatory, about how a modern family office finds real alpha — from “skin in the game” alignment to courting emerging managers and building thematic portfolios.
They cover why this office favours public markets, what it looks for in managers, and the 3-year playbook ahead: Japan, biotech, and AI.

📅 Recorded in Sep, 2025

FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

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