Speakers
Ian Dunt
Ian Dunt is a political analyst and commentator. He is the author of ‘Brexit: What the Hell Happens now?’, an influential guide to the Brexit process which is currently on its fourth print run, and the editor of Politics.co.uk, one of the most widely-read specialist political websites by MPs and members of the public. He writes for several publications, including the Guardian and the Washington Post, and appears on a variety of TV and radio shows, including Any Questions, Newsnight, and Sky’s Newspaper Review.
Alex Depledge
Alex Depledge is an entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the co-founder and former CEO of helping.com (formerly Hassle.com). Since selling the company she started a Resi.co.uk. Resi has gone on to be one of the biggest residential architecture platforms in the world. Alex is part of the Governments taskforce on Women-Led High-Growth Enterprises, and Labour’s review of business startup funding.
After studying for her master’s at the University of Chicago and working on a political campaign whilst in the city, Alex returned to the UK to work as a consultant at Accenture. She specialised in customer and channel execution before joining her friend Jules Coleman to start an online business. What became helping.com started life as a rather modest booking page allowing users to book all manner of services. Over time, and after various mistakes, few customers, little interest from investors, and a lot of effort, the site evolved into helping.com. They focused on domestic cleaning, worked tirelessly to gain new investors, built the brand, expanded, and eventually sold the company for £24million. Jules and Alex then went on to establish Resi. Aimed at disrupting the architecture sector, Resi removes much of the cost and bureaucracy associated with small, domestic planning projects like extensions.
With a lot of lessons learned in a short time, Alex considers what her experiences can tell would-be entrepreneurs and big organisations seeking to adopt a startup mentality. She compares disruptors and established players in areas like transport and energy and examines the differing approaches to things like focus, speed, and complacency. Alex looks at the vital importance of a strong brand (and whether the brand should be comfy, stretchy, or scary), how to scale up a business without losing the culture that made it special, and how to respond to customer needs.
Her experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw Resi's business grow enormously as customers spent more time at home and less money on other things, also holds a wealth of lessons in culture, dealing with enforced change, a leader's duty of care, diversification, and growth (Alex suggests she might be one of the few business leaders who expanded their office space during lockdown).
Alex has become an active voice within the UK tech sector. TechCity Insider named her Entrepreneur of the Year, and she’s chaired the Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec). She was also a founding member of the sharing economy trade body SEUK, contributed to the government’s independent review into the sharing economy, and worked with Department of Trade and Investment to identify the next top UK startups.
With her direct, refreshingly ‘non-techy’ approach, Alex looks at broader trends in the tech sector, how the UK and elsewhere measures up against the dominance of Silicon Valley, and the future for workplaces and workforces. She shares her experiences and opinions on women in technology and the disruptive power of the sharing and gig economies. She also considers why she believes working from home is a bad idea, how architecture has failed to understand what homes need to be healthy and happy, and how to adopt a startup mentality in a big company.
Christine Armstrong
Christine is a writer and consultant specialising in the future of work, workplaces, leadership and company communication. She is the author of The Mother of All Jobs: How to Have Children and a Career and Stay Sane(ish). She also cofounded the communications consultancy Jericho Chambers and now leads her own consultancy Armstrong & Partners, which helps businesses to operate in an uncertain, disrupted world.
Christine looks at how the workplace has evolved over the last twenty years and the pressures that evolution has brought with it. She covers the successes and failures of diversity and inclusion strategies, workplace culture (including the myth of flexible hours and attitudes towards paternity leave), maintaining social networks, and understanding the demands and stresses of being a working parent. She looks at what employees demand from their companies, and how to respond in order to attract and retain the best talent.
With the rise in demand for a balance between working from home and being in the office (especially in a post-pandemic world), she considers the complex factors employers now have to manage, from the cost of running an office to differing personal and professional priorities among different age groups and personality types.
As well as the future of work and work-life balance, Christine also writes and speaks about communication and the circular economy, drawing together many aspects of her experience to analyse key shifts in the business world. She is a contributing editor for Management Today and has written for The Sunday Times, The Times, The Telegraph and Grazia, and has appeared on Radio 4’s Women’s Hour.
Colin MacLachlan
Colin began his military career joining the Army in 1989, where he served in the Royal Scots for 9 years. The SAS soon became of interest to Colin, passing selection into 22 SAS first time aged just 23. From that point on Colin was at the forefront of some of the most perilous SAS missions of recent times. He was faced with his most daring mission, nicknamed Operation Certain Death, back in 2000. Wading through the swamps of Sierra Leone on the hunt for the West Side Boys, Colin was aiming to rescue British soldiers who were being held hostage by the guerilla gang. Alongside his fellow SAS soldiers, Colin was able to rescue the hostages and neutralise the West Side Boys.
Proving himself to be a brave and committed soldier, Colin was trusted with more critical missions. Also in 2000, Colin was the first sniper on the scene when a hijacked plane landed at Stanstead Airport. Prominently remembered as the longest hostage siege on UK soil, Colin found himself amongst a four-day long stand-off. Unfortunately, Colin has not always been on the successful side of missions. Deployed to Basra on a rescue mission, Colin soon found himself to be the one that needed rescuing after he was taken hostage. Held alive for use in propaganda, he was fortunate to survive long enough to be rescued by British troops just after a mock execution was performed on him.
After this experience, Colin exchanged his role in the SAS to join Delta Force and Seal Team 6. He also worked to provide security for several high-profile clients such as A-level celebrities and the Saudi Royal Family. He is now best known for featuring in the Channel 4 programme SAS: Who Dares Wins, alongside the likes of Ant Middleton, Ollie Ollerton, Jason Fox, and Jay Morton, and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS. Colin is also well educated, receiving an M.Litt in Terrorism from St. Andrews University and a First Class MA in History from Edinburgh University. He also dedicates his time to a number of charitable organisations such as the Lee Rigby Foundation, NSPCC and Pilgrim Bandits. He also founded Who Dares Cares, a charity with a passion to support veterans who are coping with stress.
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Workshops
Workshops
Is it your Duty to consider how you deliver Investment Solutions to clients?
With the recent implementation of new consumer focussed and sustainable regulation, how are you feeling/thinking about how you deliver investment solutions to your clients?
Our presentation will explore why traditional CIP’s need to evolve against the background of consumer duty, SDR and potential forthcoming retirement planning regulation. In addition to these seismic regulatory impacts the 2022 autumn statement presented a 75% cut to the individual CGT allowance. This has revitalised the debate around the considerations for use of Advisory Portfolios v Managed Portfolio Services v Multi-Asset Funds. Factoring in all the current and forthcoming regulation we think multi-asset funds have a part to play in any CIP and our presentation will outline why and, importantly how we can help.
Workshop Objective: The objective of our workshop is to highlight and share some best practice with Advisers, Financial Planners and Business Owners about how to build a CIP that is future proofed.
Speakers
Justin Jones
Investment Manager
Justin Jones is a Senior Investment Manager on the Multi-Manager Strategies team. He is the co-manager of the MyFolio Market, Index and Sustainable Index range of MyFolio Funds alongside MyFolio MPS models and a number of institutional mandates. Justin re-joined the MMS team in November 2019 following a period of six years where he was a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Client Solutions Group where he had specific responsibility for three equity manager of manager funds with assets totalling £5billion. Prior to this, Justin joined Aberdeen Asset Management in 2009 as an Investment Manager on the Multi-Manager team following the acquisition of certain asset management businesses from Credit Suisse Asset Management, where he worked as a fund analyst from May 2007. Prior to this he spent six years working with Credit Suisse Private Banking on the Discretionary Portfolio Management and Performance Analytics teams. Justin has over 25 years financial services experience having previously worked in corporate banking in a variety of systems and analytical roles at both NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Representatives
Dave Fewtrell
Strategic Partnerships
Dave leads our Strategic Partnerships team as part of abrdn’s engagement with the UK wholesale market, helping deliver key initiatives and partnerships with UK advisory businesses. He has held positions across the abrdn Group, performing Key Account management & Leadership roles, including Head of Platform Distribution. Dave has undertaken post graduate leadership courses with Strathclyde Business School, is a Chartered Financial Planner & is now studying with the CFA.
Naomi Melville
Associate Director of Business Management
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Ryan Downer-Sturridge
Associate Business Development Director
Ryan Downer-Sturridge is an Associate Business Development Director on the UK Wholesale Team. He is the account manager for Financial Advisors in the Midlands and East Anglia, covering Equity, Fixed Income, Multi Asset and Real Estate fund strategies. Ryan joined the UK Wholesale Team following two years on the abrdn graduate scheme programme.
Evolving MPS: Core and Satellite investing
Over the past few years, there has been an increasing demand from clients and their advisers for a more tailored approach to financial planning. In a world where we are seeing a rise in solutions such as model portfolios, how do we ensure all client needs are met? The team at Aspen will discuss the following:
• What is Core and Satellite investing?
• How can advisers service clients with multiple investment goals?
• How can technology play a part in the investment selection process?
Workshop Objective: To understand how Core and Satellite portfolios can improve client outcomes and meet different objectives, alongside understanding how the use of technology can enrich the adviser-client experience.
Company Profile: Founded in 2019, Aspen is here solely to service advisers and their clients. We focus on offering real value and enriching the adviser-client experience, through our truly differentiated MPS solution.
We do this by providing financial planners with a premium MPS solution built around the advice process; delivered by industry leading technology – acting as a dedicated investment partner to your business.
Speakers
Andrew Spence
Chief Executive Officer
After a number of years running MPS solutions with top quartile performance, Andrew decided he wanted to bring something new to advisers in this space. So, in 2019 he founded Aspen – with the aim of transforming the MPS market, through a best-in-class digital experience for advisers. Andrew is now CEO at Aspen.
Representatives
Lewis Brasseaux
Head of Strategic Partnerships
Coming from a background of working for some of the largest names in the industry, Lewis joined the Aspen team in 2023 with a shared vision to build and grow something completely unique that evolves financial planning. Using his business development skills, as well as his qualifications in financial planning, he is responsible for growing The Aspen brand and supporting partner firms.
Angus Jack
Director
Angus is co-founder and Director at Aspen, supporting the business in overall strategy and investments.
Introduction to the Atlantic House Balanced Return Fund
The multi-asset fund designed for professional adviser seeking more consistency. Offering investors the opportunity to achieve more predictable returns from equity, more reliable diversification from bonds, and exposure to 'crash protection' designed to significantly mitigate the potential losses from an equity allocation in stress events.
Workshop Objective: To understand how the use of derivatives in multi-asset portfolios can improve client outcomes
Company Profile: Atlantic House Group is a leading derivatives-based investment manager. Our team is dedicated to working with multi-asset investors across the world to build more predictable, more resilient, and ultimately more effective portfolios.
Speakers
Jack Roberts, CFA
Balanced Return Fund Manager, Atlantic House Group
Jack Roberts, CFA is a lead manager of the Atlantic House Balanced Return Fund and Atlantic House Dynamic Duration Fund. Jack has extensive knowledge regarding derivatives-based solutions, and some of these are applied using a multi-asset framework to the Atlantic House Balanced Return Fund.
Representatives
Eleanor Williams
Partnerships Director, Albemarle Street Partners
Eleanor is responsible for Albemarle Street Partners' business development. She brings considerable expertise in marketing and client relationship management having held a range of senior commercial positions at Citywire.
Charlie Parker
Managing Director, Albemarle Street Partners
Charlie is responsible for the overall strategy of Albemarle Street Partners. He was previously the head of portfolio management for Sanlam UK and a director of Neptune Investment Management. He began his career as an investment journalist and commentator for both the print and broadcast media.
Quality income done differently
The last two years have proved quite the rollercoaster ride for investors. Rapid interest rate hikes combatting spiking inflation caused a near 20% drawdown in 2022, increasing investors’ desire for capital preservation that Global Equity Income Funds can provide.
However, 2023 provided a strong market rebound driven by generative AI alongside falling inflation and anticipated rate cuts.
The Aviva Investors Global Equity Income Strategy, managed for over 10-years by Richard Saldanha, outperformed its benchmark in both contrasting scenarios.
In this workshop, Richard will evidence that a Global Equity Income Strategy can provide a resilient total return proposition for clients through market cycles, if it’s managed beneficially differently to a traditional income approach.
Workshop Objective:
• Why a focus on non-traditional income sectors can offer compelling income and capital growth opportunities.
• How portfolio construction can help preserve capital, and keep pace in rising markets.
• Why the current opportunity set for income investors is as attractive as ever.
Speakers
Richard Saldanha
Portfolio Manager, Global Equities
Richard is the lead portfolio manager for the Global Equity Income Strategy and co-manager for the Global Equity Endurance Strategy and the Social Transition Global Equity Strategy.
Richard joined Aviva Investors in 2006 and has been managing a range of global portfolios since 2009. Richard, holds a Masters in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. He also holds the UKSIP Investment Management Certificate.
Representatives
James Tothill
Head of UK Retail
James joined Aviva Investors in May 2015 as Head of third-party Strategic Partners in the UK, with responsibility for Research Houses, Platforms and Services Providers.James has been in Financial Services for 30 years and has experience in distribution, product development and strategy, working for both internationally and in the UK for Life Companies and Asset Managers.
Ross Ford
Business Development Manager
Ross is based in the South West and responsible for distributing Aviva Investors retail funds across the South West of England and South Wales with clients regionally and also a number of National Accounts based in the South. Ross holds the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) of the UK Society of Investment Professionals
US Growth Investing: Where to next?
What should you own following the steepest interest rate hike in a generation? Will the US really avoid recession? Will trade tensions continue to rise? Are the biggest technology companies as magnificent as stock markets suggest? Gary Robinson will outline how some companies are setting themselves apart as they adapt to a changed environment. The best are positioned for years of rewarding growth, a prospect that appears to be missing from the headlines. Gary will explain how we seek them out.
Workshop Objective:
• Key features of company resilience to look for in a tough environment: don’t mistake maturity for safety
• The next phase of disruptive growth that will power returns for companies that can keep investing
• What sets the US apart from everywhere else and why it is continually underestimated
Company Profile: Baillie Gifford’s sole business is investment management. Since the company was founded in 1908 it has been a partnership. Today it is owned by 57 partners all of whom work in the business.
We currently manage or advise some £203.5bn (as at 31 October 2023) on behalf of clients worldwide.
Speakers
Gary Robinson
Investment Manager, Partner
Gary is an investment manager in the US Equity Growth Team. He joined Baillie Gifford in 2003 and became a partner in 2019. He worked on our Japanese, UK and European Equity teams before joining the US Equity Growth Team in 2008. Gary is a generalist investor but retains a special interest in the healthcare sector, dating back to his undergraduate degree. He graduated MBiochem in Biochemistry from Oxford University in 2003.
Representatives
David Rolland
Client Relationship Manager
David joined Baillie Gifford in 2022 with responsibility for intermediary client relationships (specifically UK Advisers) in the UK. He spent 12 years working on the ‘buy side’, joining Williams De Broe in 2010, which became Investec in 2012. David began his career as a portfolio manager, then as a discretionary fund manager for the next 8 years (4 of which were spent in the Channel Islands). David graduated from the University of Aberdeen, before completing a postgraduate degree at Edinburgh Napier University. He is a Chartered Wealth Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment.
Megan Rooney
Client Relationship Manager
Megan is a client relationship manager in the UK Intermediaries Team. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2016. Prior to joining the firm, Megan worked at Barclays, specialising in private client services. She graduated BSc (Hons) in Geography from the University of Glasgow in 2014.
Long-term succession planning for your business
Understand the succession planning market and what acquirers are looking for in advice businesses. We’ll look at the M&A landscape, any ‘red flags’ you should keep an eye out for and how to prepare your business for sale in the long-term.
Workshop Objective: Gain a better understanding of the succession planning landscape and how to prepare your business for sale.
Company Profile: Benchmark support advisers at every stage of their journey, helping them maximise the value of their business and drive exceptional financial planning experiences and outcomes for clients with their unified, digital-first approach.
Their proprietary solutions support the full end-to-end financial planning process, delivering measurable advantages through integrated practice management, regulatory support, client portal, and an investment platform with its own discretionary permissions in a secure, intuitive web-based suite. Seamless integration ensures efficiency, with each solution competitive against other, standalone solutions, ensuring value for money for clients.
If you need help starting out, maximising efficiency, accelerating growth, or securing a succession plan, Benchmark can offer the guidance and support to make your ambitions a reality.
Speakers
Lucy Grier
Senior Acquisitions Consultant
Lucy has extensive experience in the industry, having spent 18 years providing professional advice, consultancy services and facilitating acquisitions. She started a brokerage in 2012 and considers it a privilege to work with individuals who trust her to guide them through the process of selling their business. Lucy joined Benchmark in 2021 and she now embodies their entrepreneurial spirit, working to bring high quality firms into the group.
Representatives
Lisa Jones
Head of Business Development
Lisa has over 13 years’ experience in financial services and joined Benchmark in 2016 as Head of Strategic Relationships. She now heads Business Development, working with new firms to bring them into the Benchmark family, to ensure a seamless transition to their solutions and into their processes. Lisa also works closely with existing clients, empowering their growth and consulting on their recruitment and acquisition strategies.
Dan Fairweather
Senior Business Development Consultant
Dan has 22 years’ experience across the IFA, platform and investment sectors, working closely with business owners and other key stakeholders at high quality advice firms. He focusses on delivering measurable value by helping advisers to increase efficiencies, accelerate growth and plan their succession strategy. Having spent his career working with a wide variety of advice firms, he has significant insight into the industry and a keen eye for future developments.
Fund Group Workshop
Speakers
Chris Ellis Thomas
Co-PM & Strategy-lead, MyMap Funds
Chris is part of a team responsible for developing, assembling and managing investment solutions involving multiple strategies and asset classes within the EMEA Wealth Solutions team within Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions (MASS). Chris focuses on UK wealth model clients, Thematic investment strategies and large outsourced investment mandates. Chris is co-portfolio manager on the BGF Multi-Theme Equity Fund and lead strategist/CIO on the MyMap and 1895 (Rabobank) fund ranges.
The Value of Being Contrarian
Contrarius is a bottom-up, valuation-based, contrarian active manager taking advantage of opportunities in global markets. Our presentation outlines the application of the key components of our investment philosophy, and demonstrates how the current disparity in the market creates opportunities across both growth and value-oriented areas. Our very different portfolio offers investors an opportunity to invest in a Fund which is truly different from conventional offerings. Our presentation also demonstrates how the consistent application of our bottom-up, contrarian investment philosophy has taken advantage of disparity over time resulting in a fund that has meaningfully outperformed the benchmark MSCI World Index, the average manager, the MSCI World Value Index and the MSCI World Growth Index since its inception on 1 January 2009.
Workshop Objectives: To introduce delegates to Contrarius’ contrarian investment philosophy which has meaningfully outperformed the MSCI World, MSCI Growth and MSCI Value indices, and the average manager, since its inception on 1/1/2009.
Company Profile: Contrarius’ objective is to create long-term wealth for our investors through superior long-term investment performance. Our portfolios are typically very different from our peers demonstrating our contrarian approach.
Our largest fund, Contrarius Global Equity Fund, has meaningfully outperformed the benchmark MSCI World Index, the average manager, the MSCI World Value Index and the MSCI World Growth Index since its inception on 1 January 2009.
We believe that long-term performance is driven by the consistent application of a sound investment philosophy. The key characteristics of our investment philosophy are that it is contrarian, valuation based, long-term and based on proprietary fundamental research. For more information, visit www.contrarius.com.
Speakers
Stephen Mildenhall
Founder & Director
Stephen Mildenhall founded the Contrarius Group in 2008. He had more than 10 years’ previous investment experience with Allan Gray Limited, the largest privately owned investment management firm in South Africa. Stephen was the Chief Investment Officer from 2001 with ultimate responsibility for approximately $30bn AUM when he resigned to establish Contrarius in 2008. Stephen holds a B Com (Hons) degree, is a Chartered Accountant (SA) and a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
Simon Raubenheimer
Director
Simon joined Contrarius in March 2019. He has over 16 years’ previous investment experience with Allan Gray Ltd. From 2008-2018, Simon co-managed Allan Gray’s equity and balanced composites which included the largest equity and largest mutual fund in South Africa. Simon also co-launched and managed the Allan Gray Global Frontier Equity Fund. He has a BCom (Econometrics) and BCom (Honours) (Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management). Simon is a CFA charterholder.
Claire Hall
Director
Claire joined Contrarius in May 2009 as an investment analyst. Prior to joining Contrarius she was a business analyst at Allan Gray Limited in South Africa with responsibilities including client servicing and investment research. She holds a Bachelor of Business Science (Actuarial Science), is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA) and is a CFA charterholder.
Bond(s): Quantum of Yield
2021’s “No Time to Die” was (spoiler alert) an unfortunate year for James Bond and for wider bond markets with the Bank of England starting the rate hiking cycle that pushed bond markets firmly into the red in 2022. With this painful reset in the Quantum of Yield, have markets now shaken off the spectre of higher rates and is there life left in the franchise?
Workshop Objective: The objective of the session is to share our thoughts on the bond market and to raise awareness of the opportunities that exist in order to offer you more confidence when thinking about bonds within a portfolio. This brief 30 minute session will also cover our proposition and how we can work with you and your clients.
Company Profile: Evelyn Partners is the UK’s leading integrated wealth management and professional services group, created by the merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson on 1 September 2020. With £55.6 billion of assets under management (at September 2023) and 187 years of experience, our objective is to provide you with an investment solution that complements the service you already deliver to your clients.
Our proposition consists of our bespoke discretionary portfolio service (DPS), an AIM portfolio service and three different types of Model Portfolio services, the range includes “Active” MPS which makes use of investment companies, “Core” MPS which has a lower cost basis and our “Sustainable” MPS which is our ESG offering.
Speakers
Ian Kenny
Partner, Investment Management
Ian is head of fixed interest and manages the short-dated corporate bond fund. He joined the company in 1997 as an institutional fund accountant and qualified as a chartered certified accountant in 2001. He then assumed fund management responsibility for a variety of institutional funds. Ian holds a BSc in human geography and an MSc in international business & economic development from the University of Reading. He is also a Member of CISI and is a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
Mark Coles
Head of Nationals and Networks
Mark manages our partnerships with national firms, networks and large financial planning businesses. He is responsible for our commercial negotiations and implementation and provides support around due diligence. Mark has over 30 years’ experience in wealth and investment management he joined the firm from Cofunds, where he was Head of Business Partnerships. Prior to this, he worked with Architas, National Australia Bank and AVIVA. He has a Certificate in Financial Planning (CII Certificate in Financial Planning) and the Investment Management Certificate (IMC).
Investment Trusts – A Generational Opportunity
The presence of an independent board and the fixed capital structure are enduring attributes of the investment trust sector. Where the former helps provide important shareholder protections the latter makes investment trusts the perfect vehicle for owning less liquid asset classes, helping broaden an investors opportunity set beyond mainstream equities and bonds. These structural advantages combine today with historically wide discounts creating abundant opportunities for nimble, engaged investors. With global equity indices once again trading on elevated valuations the idiosyncratic sources of return available from the investment trust sector have, in the context of a multi-asset portfolio, more appeal than ever.
Workshop Objective: Explore the advantages investment trusts have over other fund structures, how they can broaden one’s investment universe and aid diversification, and how the current environment is creating generational opportunities.
Company Profile: Hawksmoor Fund Managers manage 3 multi-asset Funds including the award-winning Vanbrugh and Distribution Funds which have fourteen and eleven-year track records respectively. The third fund, Global Opportunities was launched in September 2018. The use of both open-ended funds and investment trusts provide access to a broad investment universe including equities, bonds and a diverse range of alternative asset classes. The valuation conscious, unconstrained approach results in dynamic portfolio construction where positioning is determined by return prospects rather than the weights in an arbitrary benchmark. Hawksmoor Fund Managers is part of Hawksmoor Investment Management which specializes in providing high quality discretionary management services for private clients including trusts, pension schemes and charities.
Speakers
Ben Mackie
Fund Manager
Ben joined Hawksmoor in 2019 as a Fund Manager and helps manage the Vanbrugh, Distribution and Global Opportunities Funds. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. Having begun his investment career in London working as a Portfolio Manager for Barclays Wealth, he relocated home to the Westcountry in 2009 spending 7 years with Charles Stanley where he sat on the firm’s structured product and investment strategy committees. He moved to Brooks Macdonald as an Investment Director in 2016 with responsibility for private client portfolios and intermediary relationships.
Dan Cartridge
Fund Manager
Dan was born in Andover in 1995. He moved to Exeter in 2013 to attend the University and graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics with Finance, achieving a 1st, in the Summer of 2016.
Dan joined Hawksmoor in October 2016 and was promoted to Assistant Fund Manager in November 2018 in relation to the Vanbrugh, Distribution and Global Opportunities Funds. He has completed his Investment Management Certificate and has passed Level 1 of the CFA programme.
During his time between graduating from university and joining Hawksmoor, Dan wrote a novel called Heirdonus. His interests include exploring the Devon countryside, cooking, playing cricket, and suffering at the hands of Sunderland AFC.
Representatives
David Chapman
Business Development Manager
David has worked in financial services since 1986, working in Stockbroking and Investment Management – most recently spending 23 years at BlackRock covering IFAs and discretionary clients. David joined Hawksmoor in November 2018 and is involved in promoting the Vanbrugh, Distribution and Global Opportunities Funds to intermediaries.In his spare time David enjoys Cricket, horseracing and most sports. He also enjoys travel and time with his wife and family.
Tax and Estate Planning and the role of Investment Bonds
To explore how the current taxation regime in the UK impacts returns available from Collectives and Investment Bonds. Highlight the power of top slicing with practical examples for both Onshore and Offshore Bonds and review the Trust options for intergenerational planning.
Workshop Objective: To provide advisers with practical examples of how the taxation of investment bonds and collectives works together with the benefits of top slicing and trust planning for clients.
Company Profile: HSBC Life (UK) Limited is part of HSBC one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. We serve approximately 39 million customers through our global businesses: Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking & Markets. Our network covers 62 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, North America and Latin America.
HSBC Life (UK) Limited is a subsidiary of HSBC Bank Plc and was founded in the UK over 30 years ago. We offer a range of insurance services to meet protection and wealth management needs and help clients to manage, protect and grow their wealth. Our services and solutions are available to Financial Advisers. For more information go to https://www.life.hsbc.co.uk and for more information on HSBC go to
https://www.hsbc.com
Speakers
Francesca Gandolfi
Tax and Trust Manager
Francesca joined HSBC in 2023 as an experienced Tax and Trust Manager providing technical support on Trusts, Tax, and Estate Planning to the Adviser Community.
With over 25 years in the finance industry, she was a qualified Financial Adviser specialising in care fees planning – helping clients maintain financial independence pre and post-retirement.
Other provider roles have covered account management, platforms, investments, retirement and equity release.
Representatives
Mark Lambert
Head of Onshore Bond Distribution
Mark’s career in financial services spans over 30 years, and he currently holds the Chartered Wealth Manager designation from the CISI.In previous roles, he has been an independent Financial Adviser, A Wrap Platform National Sales Manager, and distributed Private Banking Solutions into the IFA marketplace. Since 2017, he has been head of the HSBC Life Onshore Investment Bond distribution team - supporting Financial Advisers across the UK.
Rita Solanki
Senior Insurance and Investment Business Development Manager
Rita has over 30 years’ experience within the wealth management sector and has built quality relationships with Financial Advisers. She started her career at Sun Life and originally joined HSBC Life in 2010, before gaining experience at a boutique UK and International Wrap Platform, before re-joining HSBC Life in 2018.
What’s on the horizon for defensive investors?
It is no secret that ‘lower-risk’ portfolios have struggled in recent years, with 2022 being particularly painful. The last few weeks of 2023 were more positive, with signs that defensive assets are starting to deliver stronger performance. But the real question is, can it continue?
In this engaging session, we explore just that by looking back at some of the key drivers of poor performance in defensive portfolios, assessing the toolkit available to a defensive investor and how each asset class may behave in different conditions. The session also explores what a defensive investor might reasonably expect over the next couple of years.
Workshop Objective: Understand why ‘defensive’ funds have struggled in recent years, assess the role that different asset classes play in different market conditions and explore the outlook over the next few years.
Company Profile: Over the years, Invesco has grown to become one of the largest investment managers in the UK, and currently manages over $1.5 trillion in assets globally.
Key to our success has been a relentless commitment to investment excellence. With clients sitting at the heart of the business, our capabilities have expanded to encompass a wide variety of investment styles, asset classes, geographies and products. To meet the changing needs of financial advisers, we now also offer a suite of Adviser Investment Solutions, designed to make managing a well-diversified portfolio easy.
We have significant depth in resources, with more than 8,000 investment professional employees worldwide all focused on delivering the best outcomes for our clients.
Investment risks
The value of investments and any income will fluctuate (this may partly be the result of exchange rate fluctuations) and investors may not get back the full amount invested.
Important information
This content is for Professional Clients only and is not for consumer use.
All information as at 31 December 2023 and sourced by Invesco, unless otherwise stated.
Views and opinions are based on current market conditions and are subject to change.
This is marketing material and not financial advice. It is not intended as a recommendation to buy or sell any particular asset class, security or strategy. Regulatory requirements that require impartiality of investment/investment strategy recommendations are therefore not applicable nor are any prohibitions to trade before publication.
Invesco Asset Management Limited, Perpetual Park, Perpetual Park Drive, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1HH, UK. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Speakers
David Aujla
Multi Asset Fund Manager
David is a fund manager in Invesco’s Multi Asset Strategies (MAS) UK team. He is lead fund manager of Invesco’s risk-targeted Summit Growth and Summit Responsible multi asset ranges and co-manager of the model portfolio service and managed funds. His expertise spans asset allocation, fund selection, and portfolio construction. He is also a regular commentator on investment topics.
Representatives
David Coleman
Regional Sales Manager
David is a Regional Sales Manager at Invesco with responsibility for IFA, wealth and discretionary manager relationships in the South East of England. David has worked in financial services for 16 years, performing a number of roles at GMAC RFC and Barclays Bank.
Fiona Gammond
Sales Account Manager
Fiona is a Sales Account Manager at Invesco, responsible for developing IFA relationships in Scotland, North England and Northern Ireland. Before to joining Invesco, she was a professional rowing athlete, representing Team GB at Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
UK Smaller Companies: The forgotten growth market
These valuation levels are once-in-a-cycle and present a significant ‘double-discount’ opportunity. This offers scope for material upside returns from current levels for investors prepared to revisit the UK, and in particular for those looking more widely than the FTSE 100, as we do.
Speakers
Richard Power
Head of Quoted Smaller Companies
With overall responsibility for the Quoted Companies team at Octopus, Richard has over 25 years’ experience of smaller company investing. He is lead manager of our FP Octopus UK Micro Cap Growth Fund, also oversees the investment process of the team which include the AIM IHT portfolios and AIM VCTs. Richard is also a co-manager on the FP Octopus UK Multi Cap Income & FP Octopus UK Future Generation Funds. Richard started his career in 1995 at Duncan Lawrie, where he managed a successful small companies fund. He subsequently joined Close Brothers to manage a smaller companies investment trust before moving to Octopus to head up the Quoted Companies team in 2004.
Sunrise on Venus
On Venus, each day stretches for nearly four months. With days so long, it’s easy to imagine growing used to day or night, rather than thinking of the next sunset. We’ve been through something similar in the investing world. A decade of low interest rates has left investors concentrated in expensive parts of markets. With valuations where they are, that makes the coming sunset risky. The force turning Venus is higher inflation, which changes everything in markets. Investors can prepare for sunrise by getting actually diversified, across economic exposures and styles within equities. Fortunately, many diversifying assets also trade at attractive valuations.
Workshop Objective: To explain the long-term forces contributing to higher inflation, understand how inflation affects multi-asset portfolios and inflation-resilient assets, and articulate the concentrations that have emerged in stockmarkets.
Company Profile: Orbis has been creating value for clients for more than 30 years.
We work to find opportunities others miss, but this means investing in unpopular areas of the market, which takes courage and patience. Our long-term approach is at the core of everything we do, from the way we invest, the company structure, and even the way we charge fees.
Our team of 60 investment professionals located around the world does comprehensive research evaluating businesses from the bottom up to identify businesses priced at less than they are worth with long-term prospects. Since it can take time for these companies to realise their true value, our business is structured to avoid pressure for short-term performance with no external shareholders. Our independence allows us to prioritise clients, make bold but considered decisions and to stand by them as long as we need to.
And our unique fee structure ensures we remain driven to deliver long-term returns.
Speakers
Nicola Dormehl
Investment Counsellor
Nicola joined Orbis in 2015, having spent three years as a business analyst at Orbis’ sister company, Allan Gray Proprietary Limited. She is a member of Orbis’ team of investment counsellors and a specialist on the Orbis Global Balanced and Global Cautious strategies. She has a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics (Cum Laude) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Financial Economics and Investment Management (Cum Laude) from University of the Free State.
Rob Perrone
Investment Counsellor
Rob joined Orbis in 2011. He is a member of Orbis’ team of investment counsellors, with primary responsibility for covering the Global Balanced Strategy. Rob has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from Carnegie Mellon University, and is a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
James Amy
Business Development Manager
James Amy, Bachelor of Arts, Economics and Geography. James joined Orbis in 2017 as Business Development Manager for the firm’s UK retail initiative, with responsibility for building the UK Intermediary client base through direct engagement. He was previously Head of International Business Development at Nedgroup Investments.
AIM: a moving target
With a reported rise in business confidence throughout the UK, reaching it’s highest level in almost two years, will 2024 see increases in consumer and investor confidence?
Despite the changing political backdrop, there’s greater optimism in the business community regarding opportunities for growth. AIM growth is set fair with the resilient performance of many AIM companies in 2023. However, will there be a reduction in consumer nervousness and a boost to markets in 2024?
We’ll discuss the moving and improving economic trends and those of smaller company markets, comparing the movement of AIM companies, before looking into the future and what that might hold. We’ll detail this compelling investment opportunity that can also bring tax efficiency to your clients’ portfolio.
Workshop Objective: Understanding the current back drop in smaller company investing across various markets, the effect of investor confidence on smaller companies and the investment opportunities available
Company Profile: From the outset, we have always had a clear and straight-forward ambition. To provide a home for individuals to invest their savings in a tax-efficient and effective way. And over the last decade, we’ve supported thousands of individuals work towards their long-term savings goals.
Puma Investments is part of the Puma Capital Group. Today, the Puma Capital Group comprises four businesses focused on delivering long-term sustainable growth for our investors and partners. Together, they manage more than £900 million in assets, have lent more than £1 billion of development funding, and have assisted dozens of businesses across the UK elevate and expand to deliver on their brilliant ideas.
Speakers
Dr. Stuart Rollason
Investment Director
Stuart’s responsible for the Puma AIM IHT Portfolio Service. Previously, Stuart led the AIM IHT service at Kestrel Partners LLP, managed a UK smaller company investment trust at Bluehone and £230m of UK smaller company pension assets at ISIS AM. He was formerly an Extel-rated Research Analyst in Medical Technology and Biotech at Beeson Gregory, Panmure Gordon and Nomura having begun his career as a medical doctor in the NHS.
Joseph Cornwall
Investment Manager
Joseph joined Puma Investments in 2021 on the Listed Equities team. Prior to working at Puma, Joseph led the AIM Inheritance Tax service at Gore Browne Investment Management for five years, following a career as a professional sportsman. Joseph studied for a degree in Management at the University of Warwick’s Business School. Joseph is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and is a CFA Charterholder.
Representatives
Karen Sullivan
Head of Strategic Partnerships
Karen joined Puma Investments as Head of Strategic Partnerships in 2019. She spent three years as Head of Strategic Partnerships at Time Investments having moved to TIME from Octopus Investments where she managed Strategic Partnership relationships as part of a wider team.
Prior to this, she spent 13 years with Canada Life however started working life on the management training programme with the John Lewis Partnership based in Oxford Street before she moved away from retail into the financial services sector.
Unveiled: The hidden costs of MPS
Quilter Cheviot have been running an MPS for over 20 years, and pioneered many of the advancements in the space. Our latest innovation, the MPS Building Blocks, has moved the market forward in offering low cost actively managed MPS portfolios. In this presentation we provide an update on our new structure, and shine a light on the hidden costs of traditional MPS that most providers are not disclosing.
Workshop Objective: To enhance adviser understanding of cost considerations when selecting an MPS
Company Profile: As one of the largest discretionary investment management firms across the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands, we have managed investments for individuals and families for generations. We are focused on helping your clients invest for a lifetime of opportunities and challenges.
We fundamentally believe in the value of financial advice and have developed our services alongside the financial advice community, in order to make it easier for you to deliver exceptional client outcomes. We know that building a close relationship with you and understanding your client’s financial goals is key to successful investment management.
We offer a range of services including our Discretionary Portfolio Service, our award-winning Managed Portfolio Service, our Climate Assets Funds and our IHT solution, the AIM Strategy.
Speakers
Antony Webb
Deputy Head of MPS
Antony joined Quilter Cheviot in 2010. He is Deputy Head of Managed Portfolio Services, and a member of a number of the firm’s investment committees, helping to determine model allocations for Fixed Interest, Direct Stocks, Investment Funds and Alternative Investments.
Antony has a degree in Economics from University College London (UCL) and has completed the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) and the CISI Masters in Wealth Management. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.
Representatives
John Long
National Account Manager
John is responsible for developing Quilter Cheviot’s commercial relationships with national financial planning firms, networks and service providers and coordinating the comprehensive support we provide for the financial advisers at these firms that recommend our services.
Mark Henderson
Regional Development Manager
Mark’s role within Quilter Cheviot focuses primarily on developing strong business relationships with professional advisers in the City and Central London area.
Fund Group Workshop
Speakers
Matt Franklin CFA
Fund Manager
Matt is responsible for the management of a variety of sterling corporate bond portfolios, as co-manager of Royal London Sustainable Managed Income, Sustainable Managed Growth, Corporate Bond Monthly Income and Corporate Bond, as well as several segregated portfolios. He joined Royal London Asset Management’s Sterling Credit team in 2014 as a credit analyst, building a deep understanding of both unsecured corporate bonds and asset backed securities across a variety of sectors, as well as playing a key role in the development of the team’s approach to ESG integration. Matt has a degree in Economics from Durham University, is a CFA
Shalin Shah
Senior Fund Manager
Shalin joined Royal London Asset Management’s Fixed Income team in 2008. Shalin is an experienced senior fund manager responsible for managing corporate bond portfolios, including RL Corporate Bond Fund, Sustainable Managed Income, Sustainable Managed Growth and Diversified Asset-Backed Securities funds. Since joining he has been involved in the development and management of RLAM’s Buy & Maintain proposition, and remains responsible for managing a range of buy & maintain and active portfolios. Shalin has won a Fund Manager of the Year award in 2021. Prior to joining RLAM, Shalin worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where he was involved in advising clients
on a variety of investment solutions, including LDI and strategic asset allocation. Shalin holds a BSc in MORSE (Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics) from the University of Warwick and is a qualified actuary.
Representatives
Adam Vaites
Business Development Manager
Adam joined Royal London Asset Management’s Wholesale Sales team in October 2018, having previously been part of the Royal London Pensions Sales team for 13 years. Adam is responsible for the large Discretionary and Advisory Firms in London. He has 17 years’ experience in the London advisory market and is Dip PFS Qualified from the CII. Prior to joining Royal London, Adam worked at Scottish Widows for 2 years. He has a degree in Mathematics from The University of Birmingham. He holds the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) from the CFA.
Oliver Van Nairn
Business Development Manager – South East
Oliver is responsible for developing relationships with financial advisers and discretionary fund managers across the South East of England. Supported by a wide range of asset class capabilities at Royal London Asset Management (RLAM), Oliver aims to assist clients with fund selection and asset allocation decisions by maximising their understanding of RLAM funds. Having joined RLAM in 2019, Oliver has held other roles within the wholesale team including sales support and telephone sales allowing him to gain a full understanding of clients across the spectrum of the wholesale market. Prior to joining RLAM, Oliver worked in the product marketing team at BNY Mellon Investment Management. Oliver holds the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) and CISI Securities Module, he graduated from Lander University in South Carolina, USA with a BSc in Business Administration
The dawn of the next Frontier
Frontier Markets (FM) are a misunderstood, forgotten asset class that benefit from prevailing global themes (macro trends / realignment of supply chains etc..) and should have a natural place in any capital allocators portfolio because.
It is home to some of the fastest growing, most dynamic companies in the world, and are trading at low valuations, reflecting the highly inefficient nature of these markets.
Frontier Markets offer low correlation to both Emerging and Developed Markets and over the past 10yrs have been less volatile than many of these too.
During the presentation we will debunk some of the myths around investing in these markets and highlight why we believe they provide a potent hunting ground for active investment managers.
Workshop Objective: To highlight the opportunity Frontier Markets offer UK investors and dispel some of the mistaken myths behind investing in the asset class.
Company Profile: T. Rowe Price was founded in 1937 by Thomas Rowe Price, Jr. and is an independent, listed asset manager. Our focus is on delivering long-term performance for our global clients across a broad range of active equity and bond strategies.
Our long-term success is due to a strong research-oriented culture, which helps us to identify the most promising investments around the world. We are a global company with offices in 17 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Our assets under management of USD 1,399.4 billion are spread across a wide range of investment strategies.
We employ 7,903 people worldwide, including 935 investment professionals including 403 research professionals. Our business strategy is focused on delivering strong long-term performance. This is assisted by our considerable organisational and financial stability and experience in all types of market conditions.
As at 30 June 2023
Speakers
Johannes Loefstrand
Portfolio Manager
Johannes Loefstrand is the portfolio manager of the Frontier Markets Fund in the Equity Division.
Johannes' investment experience began in 2012, and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2015, beginning as a research analyst covering all sectors in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa and frontier regions in the Emerging Markets Equity division. Prior to this, he was employed by Arisaig Partners Ltd. as an investment analyst.
Johannes earned a master of laws degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor of laws degree from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Representatives
Lee Ryan
Relationship Manager
Lee Ryan is a relationship manager for the Southern England region with the UK Distribution team.Lee’s investment experience began in 1996 and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2017. Prior to this, Lee was employed by Neptune Investment Management as a Relationship Manager in the UK Distribution Team. Lee also worked as a relationship manager for both Standard Life and Zurich.
Ceri Morris
Relationship Manager
Ceri Morris is a relationship manager responsible for the South West and Wales region on the UK Intermediary Sales Team.Ceri’s investment experience began in 1995 and he has been with T Rowe Price since 2020. Prior to this, Ceri was employed by Premier Miton in the UK intermediary sales team and he was also employed by Zurich Group in a similar role.
Ceri holds the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment Chartered MCSI designation.
Tom Johnson
Relationship Manager
Tom Johnson is a Relationship Manager in the UK Sales Department working with Advisory and Discretionary clients based in The Midlands, The North and Scotland. Tom’s Investment experience began over 7 years ago and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2021, having previously worked in the Intermediary Sales team of Axa Investment Managers.
From goals to solutions: A framework for portfolio construction
The variety of client investment objectives, goals and preferences requires advisers to adopt different approaches to help each individual client best meet their long-term financial needs.
In this session, we outline how Vanguard’s framework for portfolio construction can be leveraged to serve clients with various aims and preferences. Our portfolio construction framework includes four investment methodologies that capture a range of long-term objectives and attitudes towards risk. Join us to learn more about Vanguard’s expanding range of multi-asset solutions.
Speakers
Dimitris Korovilas, Ph.D.
Senior Investment Specialist
Dimitris Korovilas, Ph.D. is a Senior Investment Specialist in Vanguard’s Investment Strategy Group, focusing on asset allocation. Prior to joining Vanguard, Dimitris worked as a senior investment specialist for Scientific Beta and as a vice president in the Quantitative Investment Strategies team at Citigroup in London. Dimitris has a BSc from the University of Piraeus in Greece and an MSc and PhD from the ICMA Centre in the UK. His research has been published in the Journal of International Money and Finance and the Journal of Alternative Investments, among others.