AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Kristin Olson - The Evolution of Alternatives: Bridging Private Markets and Wealth

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.

The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.

2025’s Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm’s recap of its event noted. 

The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. 

Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.

In this special series, we went behind the scenes at the Goldman Sachs Alternatives Conference and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.

This conversation was with Kristin Olson, Partner, Global Head of Alternatives for Wealth within Asset & Wealth Management and a member of the Management Committee. In her role, she oversees the global alternatives platform and alternatives product strategy across wealth client businesses. Kristin joined Goldman Sachs in 1998 as an Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group in the Investment Banking Division. She was named Managing Director in 2008 and Partner in 2014. Kristin is a member of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a leading research institution focusing on cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, and bioinformatics, and is a member of the Georgetown University Board of Regents. Kristin earned a BS in International Economics, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University in 1998.

Kristin and I had a fascinating conversation about private markets, private wealth, how to approach strategic and tactical asset allocation, the evolving needs of an investor, and why education and financial media are becoming increasingly important tools for investors. We discussed:

• Lessons learned from working with Goldman Private Wealth clients that the firm has applied to how they approach serving client needs across the wealth channel with private markets solutions.
• Why Millennials are interested in investing in private markets.
• How investors can access innovation by investing in private markets.
• How can alternative asset managers approach educating the client and investor of the future?
• How private markets fits into a strategic asset allocation framework.
• The next evolution in private markets education for the wealth channel investor.
• The main source of information about private markets for investors.
• The future of implementation, model portfolios, and hybrid products in private markets.

Thanks Kristin for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.

Show Notes
00:41 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast

01:35 Kristin Olson's Background and Career Evolution

01:59 The Evolution of Alternative Investments

02:46 Lessons from Goldman Wealth Clients

03:36 Diversification and Education in Alternatives

04:23 Serving Broader Wealth Channels

05:37 Balancing Customization and Scale

07:20 Survey Insights on Millennial Investors

08:44 Building the Goldman Sachs Brand for the Future

09:43 The Importance of Education in Alternatives

10:53 Early Adoption of Private Markets in Wealth Channels

12:28 Consolidation and Partnerships in Private Markets

16:42 Advice for New Investors in Private Markets

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.