Value Investing with Legends

Scott Hendrickson - An Unmasking of Quality

Value Investing with Legends

Show Notes

When evaluating a company, getting a clear picture of all the relevant factors can be challenging. That's why today's guest, Scott Hendrickson, heavily emphasizes management quality and companies where diligence can provide a high level of conviction.

As a Columbia Business School graduate and adjunct professor, Scott is both a practitioner and a teacher. He has been an integral part of the investing program for almost a decade.

Scott Hendrickson is a Partner and the Co-Founder of Permian Investment Partners, a $1.2 billion management-focused global long/short investment fund. Before co-founding Permian, Scott worked as an Investment Analyst at Brahman Capital. Prior to Brahman, Scott worked as an Associate at Industrial Growth Partners, a middle-market-focused private equity fund. Scott started his career as an Analyst in Merrill Lynch's Investment Banking Program. Scott graduated from Emory University with a BBA in Finance in 2000 and Columbia Business School with an MBA in 2007. Scott serves on the Columbia Business School adjunct faculty, teaching Applied Value Investing since 2014.

In this episode, Scott, Tano, and I discuss Scott's journey to a career in investing, why Permian has management as their core focus, the three main business quality metrics they employ, risk management for short interests, characteristics of transformational acquisitions, how teaching has expanded Scott's perspective, and so much more!

Key Topics:

How Scott's interest in investing evolved from his love for music (1:57)

Scott's learnings from his time at Brahman Capital (5:35)

Criteria Permian seeks in longs and shorts (7:01)

Why Permian has management as a core focus (8:08)

How the quality of Permian's LPs has become an advantage (10:53)

Permian's approach to screening (12:49)

The three main business quality metrics employed (15:38)

Permian's portfolio construction and power rank system (17:20)

Breaking down the four short frameworks (22:01)

Risk management for short interests (24:46)

Factoring in the macro view (26:31)

How Permian applies value-added research (30:00)

What it means to be "diligence-able" and why that matters (33:38)

Characteristics of transformational acquisitions (37:22)

Differentiating between structural and fixable costs (39:41)

What's behind the long-term underperformance of European stock markets (42:35)

How teaching has expanded Scott's perspective (44:54)

Scott's recommendations for investors to improve the odds that they will be successful over time (46:26)

What keeps Scott up at night and excited about the future (47:23)

Scott's book recommendations (50:16)

And much more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

William N. Thorndike's Book | The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success

Jim Rogers' Books

Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers

Adventure Capitalist: The Ultimate Road Trip

Hernando De Soto's Book | The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else

Joel Greenblatt's Book | You Can Be a Stock Market Genius: Uncover the Secret Hiding Places of Stock Market Profits

Seth A. Klarman's Book | Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor

Thanks for Listening!

Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at [email protected].

Follow the Heilbrunn Center on social media on Instagram, LinkedIn, and more!

More from Value Investing with Legends

Jul 10, 2026

In this episode, Michael Mauboussin welcomes Eddie Perkin, former Chief Investment Officer at Eaton Vance and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, to discuss the principles behind better investment decision-making. Eddie shares how his early experiences shaped his investment philosophy before examining quality value investing, behavioral biases, and the importance of process over outcomes. The conversation explores leadership, collaborative conflict, confirmation bias, portfolio construction, selling discipline, and how investment organizations can create environments that encourage independent thinking. Eddie also reflects on the future of investing, the opportunities created by technological change, and the books and ideas that continue to influence his thinking—and much more!

Jun 26, 2026

In this episode, hosts Tano Santos and Michael Mauboussin welcome Django Davidson, Partner and Portfolio Manager at Hosking Partners, for a discussion of the capital cycle approach to investing. Django shares how his unconventional upbringing, experience covering banks during the Global Financial Crisis, and early exposure to Warren Buffett's letters shaped his investment philosophy. The conversation explores the origins of the capital cycle framework, how investors can identify industries experiencing excessive capital formation or capital scarcity, and why patience and long-term capital are essential to capturing opportunities. They also examine current AI investment trends, the evolution of the semiconductor industry, Japan's corporate reforms, and several real-world investment case studies, including Micron Technology and Saga. The discussion concludes with reflections on industrial resilience, supply chains, and book recommendations—and much more!

Jun 12, 2026

Jim Flynn is the Managing Partner of Deerfield Management, a healthcare-focused investment firm overseeing approximately $16 billion in assets. In this episode, hosts Michael Mauboussin and Tano Santos speak with Jim about his path from studying biology and economics to leading one of the industry's most distinctive healthcare investment platforms. Jim explains how Deerfield evolved from a public-equity-focused firm into an organization spanning public markets, private investments, venture creation, drug development, data science, and philanthropy. The conversation examines the challenges of healthcare investing, the importance of probabilistic thinking, the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare delivery and drug discovery, and Deerfield's approach to identifying opportunities across the healthcare ecosystem. Jim also shares insights on senior housing, healthcare innovation, regulatory dynamics, and the skills required for the next generation of healthcare investors, and much more!

May 8, 2026

In this episode, hosts Tano Santos and Michael Mauboussin speak with Matthew Fine, portfolio manager at Third Avenue Management, about his path into investing and the firm's value-driven philosophy. Matthew reflects on lessons from early experiences like the Argentine crisis and explains how balance sheet strength and long-term thinking shape investment decisions. The conversation examines global opportunities across Europe, Japan, and commodities, along with the role of resource conversion in value creation. They also discuss market structure shifts, portfolio resilience during crises, and the challenges of identifying mispriced assets in a changing investment landscape and much more!

Apr 17, 2026

In this episode, hosts Michael Mauboussin and Tano Santos speak with Jenny Harrington, CEO of Gilman Hill Asset Management, about her approach to dividend-focused investing. Jenny shares her journey from early internships to portfolio management and explains how her strategy targets steady income through high-quality dividend-paying companies. The discussion examines risk management through cash flow, valuation discipline, and behavioral considerations that influence investor outcomes. Jenny also outlines her screening process, portfolio construction, and how she evaluates dividend sustainability. The conversation touches on lessons from market cycles, the role of communication in investing, and how technological changes may shape future opportunities and risks and much more!

See all episodes →