This is the first article in our "How We Work" series. Imagine a programme director with a new perspective meeting a newsletter editor who has spent a decade upholding tradition. What happens next?
By Enrico Soddu
Last week, our members received something different with IFSWF Direct: an audio file. It wasn’t a webinar or a conference panel. Instead, it was a conversation between Eline Sleurink, our new Programme Director, and Duncan Bonfield, our CEO, discussing the IFSWF programme for the coming year. They recorded it on an iPhone, with no studio, script, or production plan.
If that caught you off guard, that was the goal. It’s part of a larger change in how we approach this newsletter and how we communicate with you overall.
Here's what changed, and why.
Enter Eline
What We Changed
Let me be specific, because vague claims about "refreshing the tone" are exactly the kind of thing we were trying to stop writing.
The February 2026 edition marked a real change. We stopped using broad themes and started telling real stories. For example, instead of saying Indonesia was "navigating an evolving institutional landscape," we explained how it restructured and launched two sovereign vehicles moving in different directions. Danantara started $7 billion in projects, while the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) shifted to co-investment with a new acting CEO. Similarly, instead of saying St Kitts and Nevis was "establishing governance frameworks," we reported that the Prime Minister introduced a bill to write the Santiago Principles into national law. This isn’t about fancier writing—it’s about describing what actually happened.
We created a real member spotlight, inspired by Mubadala’s The Exchange series. Instead of a short link, we shared what Khaled Al Shamlan Al Marri said about risk casting, climbing Kilimanjaro, preparation, and endurance. Sovereign wealth fund professionals are people, and people connect with real stories.
In March, our lead article explained why the Santiago Principles already support South Korea’s new strategic investment mandate.
The Audio Moment
Then Eline sent me a link to an FT podcast. I was listening to it, and a thought landed with the force of the obvious: the best content I consume outside work doesn't just give me text. It gives me something to listen to. Not a rehash of the written word, something additional.
So I dropped the idea on Eline and Duncan. What if the newsletter came with an audio companion? Not a narrated readout, but a proper conversation, supplementary content that gives members something the written edition doesn't.
They went ahead and did it. They sat down with an iPhone, pressed record, and made it happen. It felt like a quick, creative solution, choosing to do something imperfectly now rather than waiting for perfection.
This solved two problems at once. Members now have something to listen to between meetings, during commutes, or over coffee, content that adds to the newsletter instead of repeating it. It also introduced Eline to all members at once. Since it takes time to arrange calls with dozens of sovereign wealth funds in different time zones, the audio let everyone hear her voice, ideas, and approach before individual calls can happen. It was an introduction for everyone, in the most human way: a conversation.
What Comes Next
We’re not done yet. IFSWF Direct is becoming a truly member-led publication, with member interviews, fund perspectives, and input from working groups on tokenisation, governance, and AI. We’re asking for your time, and we know it’s valuable. We want to make this worth your while.
Eline’s main point was simple: if someone intelligent but new to this field can’t connect with your writing, the issue isn’t with the reader—it’s with the writing. That’s tough to hear after five years as the writer, but it’s also the best editorial advice I’ve ever received.
The newsletter is no longer just a programme update. It’s now a conversation. Like any good conversation, it’s better with more voices, and even better when you can hear them, not just read them.
If you’re part of the IFSWF community and want to help shape what’s next, please reach out to Eline Sleurink or Enrico Soddu. We would truly love to hear from you.
Enrico Soddu is Chief of Content at the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds. He has worked with sovereign wealth funds for more than 15 years and admits he still sometimes writes sentences that are too long.