How three financial services CEOs became publishing powerhouses

When Nicolai Tangen took over as CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, responsible for managing Norway’s massive ~$1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund, it's fair to say that few stakeholders expected his strategic playbook to include podcasting.

Yet his podcast, In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen, has attracted top fund managers and global industry leaders, and CEOs, like Bill Gates. The podcast directly enhances the fund’s global visibility and deal flow

Executive thought leadership is no longer about PR and content. Leaders like Nicolai use it as a strategic lever for opening doors, shaping markets, influencing policy, and driving corporate strategy.

To do this effectively, executives are establishing themselves across channels and are becoming multi-platform influencers. Here are three leaders paving the way.

1. Nicolai Tangen – CEO, Norges Bank Investment Management

LinkedIn followers: 251,000 YouTube subscribers: 77,000 Twitter / X followers: 15,500

Tangen’s podcast In Good Company features candid discussions with global fund managers and leaders from finance, government, and academia. Tangen uses YouTube, LinkedIn, and other platforms strategically to share insights, boosting transparency around the fund’s investments and strategy. His strategy is to produce short teaser videos that trigger his LinkedIn audience to visit the full conversation on YouTube.

One of my personal favorite episodes is between Nicolai and Jonathan Gray, President at Blackstone.

In 2023, it was noted that his podcast had over 1 million combined streams/downloads. In various articles, Nicolai notes how the podcast enhances relationships and increased deal flow: Tangen noted in interviews that high-profile guests often became strategic contacts and even led to investment opportunities e.g.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/norways-13-trillion-wealth-fund-chief-woos-ceos-with-his-podcast-2023-08-30/.

2. Ray Dalio – Founder, Bridgewater Associates

LinkedIn followers: 2,714,640 Instagram followers: 1,700,000 YouTube followers: 2,760,000 Twitter / X followers: 1,500,000

Ray Dalio has built a global reputation not just as the founder of Bridgewater Associates but also as an influential thinker on markets, leadership, and economic principles. I have a bias in that Ray is one of my most respected voices on economic issues. He is what we at trends.ceo have coined a “Creator CEO” - visible on all critical communication channels. Not to mention, a New York Times bestselling author.

His LinkedIn posts routinely garner millions of views, positioning Bridgewater as a thought leader in finance (https://www.linkedin.com/in/raydalio/). His YouTube series on “Principles” has over 20 million views, reinforcing his investment philosophy’s credibility.