Q&A with Liam Gallagher: Catalyzing positive change in Real Assets

You focus on real assets and MAM is one of the largest infrastructure managers in the world. How do these two intertwine?

Infrastructure touches a lot of daily life that most people don't think about— the roads you drive on, the data centers that power applications on all your devices, the cell towers and fiber businesses that enable connectivity on your phone and internet, and the waste that you put at your curb each week. Our businesses are touching tens, if not hundreds of millions of people a day. We look to be conscious of how present those businesses are to the role that they play with regard to sustainability. These sectors are typically going to be more emissions intensive and through this lens we look to identify opportunities for reducing impacts and creating value.

How does your work exemplify Macquarie’s commitment to identifying and capitalizing on unseen opportunities?

My team brings ideas through the lens of data to challenge the status quo. A data-driven mindset is a catalyst for change – and we’re taking this mindset to MAM and its portfolio companies. For instance, when reviewing a portfolio company’s energy procurement strategies, we work with them to assess the feasibility of green energy strategies to find both commercial and environmental benefits. We run similar exercises when assessing how to optimize their fleet operations to reduce those impacts and unlock cost efficiencies. Those ideas may turn into unseen opportunities because they've never been pursued before. We're constantly collaborating with other operating groups within Macquarie and pushing ourselves to identify opportunities and apply them across not only MAM’s global Real Asset platform, but across Macquarie as a whole.

What’s special about doing this work at Macquarie?

You're empowered to be a voice and a contributor within a sound risk culture. Not every idea is going to take off. It does take time, but as long as you have the forum and support to do that, then new ideas can be fostered, developed and executed. Most careers are a series of experiences. Finding somewhere you can grow over time and have the opportunity to do something different and impactful is essential for both personal and professional development.

There is also a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship here that innately fuels our growth, and I am constantly encouraged to bring new ideas to the table. Working on a team focused on advancing Macquarie’s climate solutions, I’ve seen the organization put the people and the expertise behind it to evolve our capabilities in the energy transition space. That’s a testament to where we started and to where we are now.