Bolton celebrates one year covering alternative investments on Fox

Deirdre Bolton joined Fox Business Network as an anchor in February 2014 and is the host of “Risk and Reward with Deirdre Bolton,” which started one year ago this week and reports on alternative investment strategies.

Prior to joining Fox Business, Bolton served as an anchor at Bloomberg Television, most recently as host of “Money Moves.” She also co-anchored the network’s morning programming. During her tenure there, Bolton interviewed major financial newsmakers, including, Pershing Square Capital CEO Bill Ackman, Lazard vice chairman Gary Parr, and billionaire investor Wilbur Ross.

Before joining Bloomberg in 1999, Bolton worked in institutional equity sales at CDC North America and Société Générale, where she sold European equities to U.S. portfolio managers.

She graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in English and French literature and holds a master’s degree from New York University.

Bolton spoke by email with Talking Biz News about covering alternative investments on “Risk & Reward.” What follows is an edited transcript.

Why did you decide to join Fox Business a year ago?

FBN has a powerful and extensive platform and Roger Ailes gave me a wonderful opportunity to contribute to it. FBN is also supportive of creativity.  For example, when I told him about my Elevator Pitch idea, he was behind it right away.  The segment features entrepreneurs and professional investors who give real time feedback.  It showcases the entrepreneurial spirit and talent in New York and beyond.

How does it cover business news differently than Bloomberg Television?

There is a financial angle to every decision that world and national leaders make, there are related implications for investors of all kinds. At FBN, there is a great emphasis on explaining what is happening in the world — to citizens, investors, business owners, anyone with money on the line.

How did the idea for “Risk & Reward” come about?

After the credit crisis, a lot of investors lost a lot of money; I wanted to find the people who were making profitable decisions. I wanted to tell their success stories, highlight what worked and what didn’t and in those cases, ask about the lessons learned. On “Risk & Reward,” viewers can gain strategic insights from our guests, people at the top of their fields.

What are you trying to accomplish with the show each day? 

I want to take what is complex and make it simple.  The noise level & number of stimuli we are all exposed to is loud & big! I want the show to be a valued filter, I want it to be useful.

Why does business news on TV not pay much attention to alternative investments?

Business news does pay attention to alternative assets. Anytime there is a report on a hedge fund, private equity, real estate, venture capital, angel investing, investing in natural resources, art, that is reporting on  alternative assets.  “Risk & Reward” is unique because it is the only show organized & dedicated to alternative assets as a group. Investors want more choices than just stocks and bonds. “Risk & Reward” is one-stop viewing for getting ideas and evaluating the right type and amount of risk.

Whom do you see as the primary audience for the show?

Anyone who wants to learn about investment ideas that go beyond stocks& bonds, anyone who wants to hear from innovative and successful people at the top of their fields such as Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Bill Ackman and Glenn Youngkin.

Are there alternative investments that you’d like to see more coverage of on the show?

In the future, we will do more on Natural Resources. We have spoken about investing in farmland, but I recently saw a report about water scarcity from the UN which could begin to affect 20% more of the world in 15 years time.

What other business news outlets cover alternative investments well?

I’m very happy to have my Wall Street Journal colleagues in the same building. The journalists are subject matter experts and are often on my show as guests.

What did you learn on Wall Street that helps you in business journalism?

I was on an institutional equity sales desk. In many ways, the skill set is very similar: reading, learning, asking and listening and then processing a large amount of material, selecting salient points and communicating them in context. On Wall, the more clearly& efficiently I expressed my point of view, the better our desk did. The same skill set makes “Risk & Reward” the best show it can be every day.