Phil Shankweiler, Managing Director and Head of RIA Sales for Partners Group, joined Julie Cooling, Founder and CEO of RIA Channel, at iCapital Connect 2026 to discuss the defensive value of infrastructure in portfolios.
Historically, infrastructure has been less accessible due to high barriers to entry. However, Shankweiler notes that modern product innovation has enabled access across the wealth channel. For advisors seeking to optimize risk and return, he highlights infrastructure’s differentiated behavior across the economic cycle, offering defensive attributes alongside cash yield, income and return potential. He adds that within private markets, infrastructure provides investors with exposure to essential services and contracted revenues typically backed by physical assets.
Within infrastructure, Shankweiler identifies three key investment themes: digitalization and automation driven by AI, energy, and essential services such as social infrastructure and transportation. He explains that demand for data centers and the energy needed to support them represents an attractive secular opportunity that can drive equity-like returns with defensive attributes.
Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm with $185 billion in assets under management. The firm’s integrated investment platform, comprehensive portfolio management, and structuring expertise powers investment solutions across infrastructure, private equity, real estate, private credit, and royalties.
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