The Sub-Advisory Institute is recognizing six Next Gen Industry Visionary Award Winners of the sub-advisory and manager research space this year for their leadership, innovation, and active participation in the investment industry. David Braham, Executive Director, Head of Asset Management Relations, North America Institutional at Institutional Investor, sat down with Next Gen Award Winner Matthew Maronta, CFA, Senior Analyst, Investment Management, Jackson National Asset Management.
Matthew first arrived at Jackson National Asset Management, LLC (“JNAM”) 14 years ago as Senior Lead in Fund Accounting. After two years as a Compliance Analyst, he joined the Investment Management group in 2017, then assumed his current position in March of 2022.
He is a graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Finance. Continuing his career in the Windy City, he entered the financial industry at Northern Trust. During his two years as Technical Coordinator, he oversaw the daily valuation and fund accounting for Net Asset Values, for unitized plan contribution and pension portfolios for large corporate and institutional clients. In addition, he supervised and supported the daily work and the composition of client monthly and annual reports of a six-member team of analysts.
During the course of the interview, Matthew shared his surprise – and optimism – in the wake of the market reaction to U.S.-imposed tariffs, the fear and trepidation surrounding AI, and his life-long pursuit of speaking Spanish and French fluently.
The following is edited for length and clarity.
As you look back at 2025, what was the event that most surprised you and impacted your year?
Quite frankly, for me, the biggest surprise was how strongly equity market valuations recovered from their April lows, following U.S.-imposed tariffs. In hindsight, I underappreciated two things: i.) the ability of businesses to overcome some of the disruptive changes to established trade policies; and ii.) the durability of AI enthusiasm and the cascading effects of related CAPEX spend.
Upon reviewing the events of this past year, I humbly remind myself that I need to focus on the fundamentals, not the noisy headlines.
What are you most excited about, personally or professionally?
AI in general: Although there is a lot of fear and trepidation, and I believe that some of it is justified, I think that AI will be very beneficial in the long run.
The tools are becoming exponentially better as time goes on, and AI has helped me become a better chef.
What type of leader do you want to be, and what skills do you want the people above you to have to make you better leaders?
Beyond the technical skills, I believe that distinguished leaders are those who are highly present, communicate frequently, and show empathy, all of which I think are very important as I look toward leadership for guidance and support.
As for me, beyond what has been already mentioned, I strive to be open-minded, tempered, and transparent, which I recognize can prove to be more difficult in practice than anticipated.
What made you want to work in the investment sector?
I wanted to be in business and finance, as I’ve always had an interest in business in general. I’ve always been fascinated by FX markets because I consider them to be my window to the people at the end of those price quotes.
I really do believe that it is true what they say that working in the investment management industry is one of the most exciting professions that there is: There is never a dull moment as the world turns before our very eyes, and as an analyst, you get a front-row seat to it.
With respect to AI, not only are we talking about how it may be adopted, but we are discussing its impact on various business models, regulation, energy and resources, et cetera. It’s all intertwined and observing that from various angles is all very fascinating to me.
As we look at 2026, what’s the one thing you want to achieve next year, and what’s the one thing you thinks going to happen?
Beyond meeting all my work deadlines and being present for my family, I would like to increase my Spanish-speaking skills: It is a life-long goal of mine to speak both Spanish and French fluently. Several years ago, I made it a personal goal to read a classic book or novel each summer, so hopefully I can complete that, too.
As for 2026 predictions, I think that volatility is inevitable; however, the degree of it will vary throughout the year. I also worry that some investors are too complacent and are underappreciating the potential magnitude of changes that I believe are currently underway. I am speaking with respect to both the macro and the micro, due to increasing changes to established policies, regulatory intervention, and technology: It is these changes, especially when pinned against elevated levels of valuations, that can result in bursts of volatility when the consensus narrative suddenly changes.
Who do you want to have dinner with this year?
Oh boy, what a tough choice. Upon thinking about it for a minute, I would choose either Rick Reider from BlackRock or Zanny Minton Beddoes, the editor-in-chief of The Economist. I believe that both are well-informed, and the dinner conversation would be endless.
Although Rick is among just a handful of managers that I know who trades it all – I mean equities, rates, vol, and foreign exchange – and Zanny writes about all of it.
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