Citywire Berlin 2024
Citywire’s blockbuster Berlin event is back and ready to tackle big questions thrown up by this year of change.
As always, the flagship conference for European fund selectors will deliver a packed three days of fund workshops, networking and thought-provoking speaker sessions.
Elections, AI, geopolitics… political and macroeconomic environments proving more challenging than ever. Our Berlin event is your chance to uncover new investment ideas, test your market thinking and even challenge your own selection processes.
As ever, a varied line-up of keynote speakers will offer fresh perspectives and share experiences that are sure to make you think differently about the world.
But one of its most enjoyable and valuable features is the chance for the fund selection community to gather and for you to meet your peers in person.
We can now reveal the first three speakers: Wolfgang Ischinger, former German Ambassador to the United States and United Kingdom, Anna Kopp, director of Microsoft Digital in Germany, and Julius van de Laar, who is a political strategist.
Wolfgang will look at the big underlying themes driving global geopolitics. With the US election looming large in people’s minds, Wolfgang will explain what it means for Europe. What will change? But also, crucially, what will not change, regardless of the result? He will look beyond the continent too, to China, revealing how he sees rising tensions playing out.
Anna is going to tackle the generational differences that are flaring up in the workplace. Divergent expectations about working from home, progression and management style are proving tricky. Anna will explain how one of the world’s biggest companies is creating a harmonious and productive workforce of different life stages.
And, very hot off the result of the US Presidential election, Julius will be delivering an insider’s analysis of what it means, and how the American people got there. Julius worked for Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 and now advises politicians and business leaders on how to win over the public and shape opinion.
The final speaker will be announced soon!
We look forward to seeing you in Germany later in the year.
Sponsors
Guest Speakers
Speakers
Wolfgang Ischinger
Wolfgang Ischinger is Professor Emeritus of Security Policy and Diplomatic Practice. Currently, he is a Senior Fellow at the Hertie School and Founding Director of the School’s Centre for International Security. He has been Chairman of the Munich Security Conference from 2008 until 2022 and is now President of the Foundation Council. From 2006 to 2008, he was Germany’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and from 2001 to 2006, he was Ambassador to the United States.
Wolfgang Ischinger studied law at the universities of Bonn and Geneva where he obtained his law degree. He continued studying international law, foreign economic relations and history at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and at Harvard Law School, Cambridge, USA. Ischinger previously held a wide range of diplomatic and policymaking positions, including State Secretary (Deputy Foreign Minister, 1998-2001). In 2007, he served as the EU representative in the Troika negotiations on Kosovo. In 2014, he was the representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the National Dialogue Roundtables in Ukraine before serving as Chairman of the OSCE-mandated Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security as a Common Project in 2015.
He is an influential titan of politics, renowned for his fiery dedication to fostering global peace and safeguarding security on a grand scale.
Anna Kopp
Anna Kopp is the Director of Microsoft Digital at Microsoft Germany since 2015 and has been with the company since 2004 in multiple global roles in sales and operations.
She is the branch manager of the large main office in Munich, EMEA Lead of Women@Microsoft, member of the Advisory Board of the Munich Business School, Co-Founder and board member of Female CIO Circle, and vice chair of the Board of Directors for Muenchner Kreis. Anna comes from Sweden where she studied International Communication at the University of Stockholm and has been in Germany since 1992. In 2020, she was voted one of the most inspiring women in Germany and has won a number of technology and industry awards.
She is a specialist in the new world of work and AI from a cultural, political and practical perspective. She advocates flexible working models, and is a Gender Equality Role Model in the German Tech Industry. In her spare time she does offroad motorbiking and sings in a rockband, even winning a Rock Oscar as Germany's best singer once upon a time!
Julius van de Laar
Julius van de Laar is an international political strategist and communications consultant. He consults politicians, business leaders, private sector corporations and non-governmental organizations by providing strategic advice as they develop strategies to achieve their goals: winning elections, growing and engaging their audience and shaping public opinion.
After playing NCAA Division I Basketball at Furman University in Greenville, SC, he worked for Barack Obama’s presidential in 2008 and 2012 where he got his start in politics. During the 2012 US Presidential election, Julius van de Laar worked for Barack Obama's winning presidential campaign as regional GOTV director in the battleground state of Ohio. There, he focused on targeting voters and gaining supporters by combining proven campaigning strategies with the latest new media tactics.
In 2007 and 2008 he worked for Obama for America in nearly a dozen states and served as Missouri Youth Vote director. Since then van de Laar served as a senior strategist to candidates and parties in Germany and throughout Europe.
Van de Laar is a frequent TV and radio commentator, providing analysis on current political events and election. “Capital” magazine also selected Julius van de Laar as one of the “Top 40 under 40” in German politics.
Keynote Speakers
Workshops
Workshops
Fund Group Workshop
Emerging Market Equities: A World of Investment Opportunities
Global policy has shifted significantly post-COVID-19. We believe the tangible outcome is a secular investment cycle as governments act to modernize their economies as a tool to deal with multi-pronged domestic and international priorities. This change ripples over foothills of incredible technology advancements and in combination are causing sharp divergences in both country and sector performance.
To navigate these changes, an all-cap core approach focusing on fundamental company research and cash flow analysis is recommended. Matt Williams, Senior Investment Director, discusses why diversifying into emerging markets could be a key opportunity for investors.
Workshop Objective:
1. Learn about why investors should consider diversifying into emerging markets
2. Overview of abrdn’s successful approach to investing through an income lens
Company Profile: abrdn is a global investment company that helps clients and customers plan, save and invest for the future. Our purpose is to enable our clients to be better investors.
The capabilities in our Investments business are built on the strength of our insight – generated from wide-ranging research, worldwide investment expertise and local market knowledge.
Our teams collaborate across regions and asset classes, connecting diverse perspectives and working with clients to identify investment opportunities.
As of 31 December 2023, our Investments business manages € 423 bn on behalf of clients.
Speakers
Matt Williams
Senior Investment Director
Matt is a Senior Investment Director on the Global Emerging Markets (GEM) desk at abrdn, where he is responsible for the GEM Income strategy. In terms of research responsibilities, Matt currently covers a number of companies within Industrials.
Matt joined the company in 1998. He has successfully managed country funds in both Japan and Asia Pacific.
He moved from the GEM and Asia Pacific team based in Edinburgh to the London based GEM team in April 2018 following the restructuring of the equity division.
Representatives
Lina Alvemur
Director Business Development
Karsten-Dirk Steffens
Head of Distribution Switzerland
Alvaro Anton Luna
Head of Distribution Iberia
Pascale-Cèline Cadix
Head of Wholesale Distribution Germany and Austria
Fund Group Workshop
Speakers
Thomas Dobler, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager
• 28 years of investment experience
• Ph.D. in mathematics from Columbia University
• M.S. in mathematics from University of Illinois
• B.S. in mathematics from University of Vienna, Austria
Smarter Fixed Income with Systematic Strategies
In this presentation, we will introduce participants to the fundamentals of systematic fixed-income investing. We will explore why a quantitative security selection-based approach to fixed-income portfolio management results in active returns that are attractive, repeatable, and, importantly, largely uncorrelated to the active returns delivered by traditional fixed-income portfolio managers. Consequently, systematic fixed-income represents a performant and diversifying allocation for any investor seeking fixed-income exposure. We will dive into key building blocks of the systematic fixed-income advantage, such as security selection factors, quantitative portfolio construction to create risk-balanced holdings, and how to master liquidity and turnover challenges.
Workshop Objective: We will explore why systematic fixed income delivers attractive, repeatable active returns that are largely uncorrelated to those delivered by traditional fixed-income portfolio managers. These properties make systematic fixed income a highly performant, diversifying, and risk-efficient allocation for any investor seeking fixed income exposure.
Company Profile: AllianceBernstein is a leading investment-management firm with $769 billion in client assets under management, as of 30 June 2024. With a unique combination of expertise across equities, fixed-income, alternatives and multi-asset strategies, we aim to deliver differentiated insights and distinctive solutions to advance investors’ success. Across our global network, we’re fully invested in delivering better outcomes for our worldwide clients, including institutional, high-net-worth and retail investors. By embracing innovation, we seek to address increasingly complex investing challenges and opportunities. And we pursue responsibility at all levels of the firm—from how we work and act to the solutions we design for clients.
Speakers
Bernd Wuebben
Director – Systematic Investing and Quantitative Research
Bernd Wuebben oversees the Quantitative Research Group for Fixed Income, where he is responsible for developing the quantitative models and methods that are an important aspect of the firm's investment process. Prior to joining AB, Wuebben worked from 2008 to 2018 as a quantitative investment portfolio manager, managing portfolios that invested in liquid traded assets across all major geographic locations and asset classes. His quantitative investment process made heavy use of big data and machine learning. Prior to this, Wuebben worked for 10 years as a macro and relative-value strategist as well as a proprietary trader for major investment banks including Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns and Deutsche Bank, where he started his career in 1998 as a fixed-income strategist. He holds a BS in mathematics and a BS in physics from Heidelberg University, Germany, and an MS in mathematics and an MS in computer science from Cornell University. Wuebben also passed the doctoral exam in mathematics at Cornell University, where his research focused on the mathematical aspects of superstring theory. Location: New York
Representatives
Thiemo Volkholz
Head of Wholesale Germany and Austria
Miguel Luzarraga
Director - Iberia
Beyond Boundaries: The Power of Unconstrained Bond Strategies
This presentation explores Allspring’s differentiated approach to flexible fixed income investing and why it delivers more. More opportunistic. More diversified. More consistent. This unique approach to global fixed income investing has not only delivered superior risk-adjusted returns but done so consistently over different types of market environments and cycles.
We'll also show why it’s the ideal time to revisit flexible fixed income strategies. Recent market volatility has exposed the risks of certain types of approaches that were not evident just a few years ago. We’ll also discuss the hidden risks emanating from the unusual and extreme asset concentration in this segment of the fixed income market.
Workshop Objective:
1. Understand the key components of a multi-sector fixed income investment process, including security selection, sector allocation, and risk management techniques.
2. Analyse the relative value and risk-return characteristics of major fixed income sectors, such as government bonds, corporate credit, high yield, emerging markets, and securitized products.
3. Evaluate the current market environment and economic factors influencing various fixed income sectors.
Company Profile: Allspring Global Investments™ is an independent asset management firm with more than $570 billion in assets under advisement*, over 20 offices globally, and investment teams supported by more than 410 investment professionals. Allspring is committed to thoughtful investing, purposeful planning, and inspiring a new era of investing that pursues both financial returns and positive outcomes. For more information, please visit www.allspringglobal.com.
*As of March 31, 2024. Figures include discretionary and non-discretionary assets.
Speakers
Noah Wise
Senior Portfolio Manager
Noah Wise is a senior portfolio manager for the Plus Fixed Income team at Allspring Global Investments. He joined Allspring from its predecessor firm, Wells Fargo Asset Management (WFAM). Noah joined WFAM as a research analyst and later became a portfolio manager. Prior to joining the firm, Noah worked as a lead market maker for Interactive Brokers. Noah began his investment industry career in 2001. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in securities analysis from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Noah has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation.
Sarah Harrison
Senior Portfolio Manager
Sarah Harrison is a senior portfolio manager for the Plus Fixed Income team at Allspring Global Investments. She joined Allspring from Morgan Stanley, where she most recently was a credit portfolio manager serving as the lead on the European high yield strategies and as a co-portfolio manager on the global high yield strategies. Before that, Sarah served as a credit analyst for the firm. She began her investment industry career in 2009. Sarah earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Schulich School of Business.
Representatives
Charles (Charlie) Wilson
Head of Financial Institutions, U.K. & Switzerland, Allspring Global Investments
Christian Pachtner
Head of Sales German Speaking Europe, International Team
Alison Mayer
Co-head of Sales French-Speaking Europe, International Client Group
Fund Group Workshop
Speakers
Serge Koniski
Managing Director, Secondaries
Serge joined Amundi in 2023 to develop and lead the team’s secondaries capabilities across private equity, infrastructure and private credit. He started his career in investment banking in London at Citi, covering M&A, ECM and DCM across the CEEMEA region, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch covering the Energy sector. From 2012 to 2021, he worked for Northleaf Capital Partners in London where he worked on sourcing, executing and monitoring all aspects of primary, secondary and co-investment transactions across Europe. He then joined Montana Capital, based in Switzerland, where he focused on sourcing secondary transactions in Europe. Serge holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) and a Diplôme Grande Ecole in Finance from HEC School (Paris, France).
The Golden Age of Active Emerging Markets Debt Investing
Join EMsights for an open discussion on how one can invest in alpha generating opportunities amidst a backdrop of an increasingly unsettled geopolitical landscape, higher interest rates and growing bouts of market volatility. Actively managed strategies that invest beyond the limitations of the benchmarks are anticipated to have a competitive edge. EMsights Capital Group will explore the challenges with the most widely used emerging markets debt benchmarks and share how they are actively navigating around these shortcomings to take advantage of the full opportunity set.
Workshop Objectives: Provide awareness of the limitations to EMD benchmark investing and the attributes leading to a less than optimal investment. With this knowledge, investors can mitigate the risks and exploit the best investment opportunities, have a positive and alpha generating experience in EM debt.
Company Profile: Artisan Partners was founded in 1994 with the objective of producing high value added and differentiated investment outcomes for institutional investors, through identifying, attracting and retaining high caliber talent in long term asset classes. We provide the resources of a full-scale, global firm paired with the independence of a boutique to each of our autonomous investment teams, who have the freedom to execute its own process based on its original research and creative perspectives. While our teams differ across market capitalizations, geographical regions, investment styles and product offerings, they are all highly incentivized to deliver long-term value for our clients.
Speakers
Michael Cirami
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager
Michael Cirami, CFA, is a Managing Director of Artisan Partners and a Portfolio Manager on the EMsights Capital Group. In this role, he is the lead Portfolio Manager for the Artisan Emerging Markets Debt Opportunities and Global Unconstrained strategies. Prior to joining Artisan Partners in September 2021, Mr. Cirami served as Eaton Vance’s Co-Director of emerging markets and the coordinating Portfolio Manager on the emerging markets team. Before that, Mr. Cirami worked at State Street Bank in Boston, Luxembourg and Munich, and at BT&T Asset Management in Zurich. Mr. Cirami earned a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from Mary Washington College and a master’s degree in business administration with honors from the William E. Simon School at the University of Rochester. He also studied at WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management in Koblenz, Germany.
Representatives
Darren Goldman
Managing Director and Business Leader
Andrew Marks
Managing Director, Head of EMEA Client Group
Mr. Marks holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Birmingham and is a member of the UK Society of Investment Professionals. He has completed residential management courses at INSEAD Business School, France.
Dispersion strategies in a higher rates environment
Meet our two Heads of Volatility Portfolio Management Daniel Danon and Tobias Knecht. Since 2012 the team is responsible for Assenagon's volatility strategies. Our two UCITS volatility funds offer our investors unique solutions to take advantage of inefficiencies in the volatility markets. The team runs a combined AuM of more than EUR 1.5 bn in the Assenagon Alpha Volatility (LU0575255335) and Assenagon Alpha Premium (LU2053560707).
Workshop Objective: In 2022 we entered into a higher interest rate environment offering unique opportunities in global volatility markets, particularly on single stocks. Within the workshop we will discuss the impact of higher rates, show investment opportunities and discuss dispersion in a broader multi asset context.
Company Profile: Founded in 2007 by Hans Günther Bonk and Vassilios Pappas, Assenagon Asset Management is an independent investment firm based in Luxembourg. It is one of the fastest growing asset managers in Europe and offers investment solutions to institutional clients and retail investors in various asset classes. Assenagon has offices in Luxembourg, Munich, Zurich and Frankfurt and manages assets totalling more than EUR 50 billion with 85 specialists.
Speakers
Daniel Danon
Head of Volatility Portfolio Management
Daniel Danon is Head of Volatility Portfolio Management at Assenagon. Prior to this, he was an equity derivatives trader at Credit-Suisse within the Global Arbitrage Trading (GAT) unit where he was primarily focusing on systematic volatility arbitrage strategies. In 2005 he started his career at Commerzbank AG as equity derivatives trader for index plain vanillas and structured products. He holds an Engineer Diploma, a MSc in Applied Physics and a MSc in Financial Engineering.
Tobias Knecht
Head of Volatility Portfolio Management
Tobias Knecht is Head of Volatility Portfolio Management at Assenagon. Prior to this, he was an equity derivatives trader at Credit-Suisse within the Global Arbitrage Trading (GAT) unit where he was primarily focusing on systematic volatility arbitrage strategies. From 2005 until 2009 he worked at HypoVereinsbank (UniCredit Group) where he was a trader for exotic equity derivatives. Tobias studied Business Informatics and holds the Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF).
Representatives
Matthias Kunze
Head of Distribution
Nadia Bucci
Director
Long-term vision coupled with short-term awareness – how one of Europe’s leading equity funds selects the next technology winners
This presentation covers BIT Capital’s approach to investing into tech equities, which has generated a net return of more than 30% p.a. since inception in 2019. During this time, the Magnificent 7 have generated very strong returns and it may be surprising to some that BIT’s performance is primarily driven by less well-known companies that disrupt their markets, exhibit very compelling financial KPIs and have not yet raised the attention of the broader investment community. We will outline how we look at these companies from a technology-first perspective and how we marry our fundamental assessments with insights generated from the algorithmic analysis of alternative data sources. We will also share some of the more painful learnings from 2022 that we made and how we have successfully implemented them.
Workshop Objective:
1. Discover investment opportunities in tech equities beyond the Magnificent 7
2. Understand the power of alternative data and how we use them to generate outperformance for our investors
3. Learn how we manage the risk of our portfolios in one of the most volatile industry sectors globally
Company Profile: BIT Capital is an owner-managed, independent asset manager specialising in technology equity funds. With a boutique focus on the entire spectrum of the technology sector, the BIT Capital investment approach is grounded in a superior understanding of technological innovation by means of a serial tech-entrepreneur CIO and investment team of industry specialists and data engineers. BIT Capital is committed to identify tomorrow’s technology winners today and enable its investors to benefit from the mass market viability of established technologies as well as the high growth potential of emerging technologies such as AI and their adoption leaps.
Speakers
Marcel Oldenkott, CFA,
Co-CIO & Managing Director
Marcel Oldenkott, CFA, is Managing Director and Co-CIO at BIT Capital. He oversees the portfolio risk management and heads the data analytics and quant teams. In addition, he acts as portfolio manager of the BIT Defensive Growth and Co-PM of the BIT Biotech Opportunities. Marcel has more than 15 years of experience in asset management and specialises in derivative application in cross asset and equity portfolios. In more than a decade as a portfolio manager and risk taker, he has managed over one billion euros in AuM in multi-asset and global macro-oriented strategies for some of the largest single family offices in Germany. He started his career in risk management consulting.
Representatives
Luca Maresca
Investor Relations – Institutionals & Family Offices
Luca holds a M.Sc. Finance from EBS Universität in Oestrich-Winkel.
Christoph Oldenburg
Director Business Development and Investor Relations
Christoph holds a Diploma in Chemistry from Humboldt University Berlin.
Capture broad and diversified fixed income opportunities while smoothing returns
Global fixed income market volatility and dispersion are rising and are expected to stay elevated. In that context, benchmark relative strategies or those focused on standalone fixed income allocations can be inefficient. Instead, owning a benchmark agnostic, dynamic product that allocates capital to markets and strategies with the best risk-rewards can deliver smoother returns over a market cycle. But, navigating investment opportunities in a volatile environment requires a robust, risk-controlled approach and proven expertise. We present our Global Enhanced Bond 36m fund, which aims to capture multi-strategy opportunities towards solving this problem.
Work Objective: Understand how the flexibility of being able to invest across different fixed-income segments in one vehicle – such as an absolute return fixed-income strategy – can enable positive return-generating opportunities to be exploited over time and provide diversification benefits.
Company Profile: BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) is the investment arm of BNP Paribas. Our aim is to generate long-term sustainable returns for our clients, based on a sustainability-driven approach. Our investment capabilities are focused around six key strategies: High Conviction Strategies, Liquidity Solutions, Emerging Markets, Multi-Assets, Systematic, Quantitative & Index and Private Assets, with investment processes incorporating quantitative and fundamental analysis. BNPP AM currently manages EUR 562 billion of assets and benefits from the expertise of more than 500 investment professionals globally.
Source: BNPP AM, as at 31 March 2024
Speakers
James McAlevey
Head of the Global Aggregate and Absolute Return Fixed Income, BNPP AM
James McAlevey is the Head of the Global Aggregate and Absolute Return team. James has 22 years of investment experience focused on managing multi-strategy fixed income and interest rate portfolios. James is supported in managing the strategy by four other investment professionals within the Global Aggregate and Absolute Return team: two portfolio managers and two assistant portfolio managers. The team also has an investment specialist. The team works in close collaboration with the investment teams within the Global Fixed Income Platform to maximise a global unconstrained approach.
Representatives
Tanja Gudjons
Head of Fund Distribution
Kai Corfield, CAIA
Global Strategic Partners Group
Antonino Cipriano
Senior Sales Manager, Head of Retail Distribution, Italy
Ricardo De Los Rios Romero
Sales Director, Spain
Ricardo has a BA in Law from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid and has an MBA from the IESE in Barcelona.
Fund Group Workshop
Fixed Income4 – A multi-sector approach for reliable income
With central banks now reflecting a likely peak in policy rates and some already commencing their interest rate cutting cycle, the window of opportunity to capture the current lucrative level of income is narrowing. Capital Group Multi Sector Income (MSI) Fund (LUX) aims to generate attractive and reliable income by investing in both high-quality and higher-yielding credit sectors. Taking a multi-sector approach that draws on flexibility and diversification while maintaining a balanced risk profile could help capture the income-generating power of bonds in this current environment.
Workshop Objective: Find out how combining the power of four income sectors could help generate stable income against an uncertain economic backdrop. The workshop will show why a well-diversified multi-sector income fund, like Capital Group’s, could be beneficial compared to investing in the underlying asset classes individually.
Company Profile: Capital Group is one of the oldest and largest asset management companies in the world, managing multi-asset, equity and fixed income strategies for different types of investors.
Since 1931, Capital Group has been singularly focused on delivering superior, consistent results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability. We build our investment strategies with durability in mind, backed by our experience in varying market conditions. Fundamental proprietary research forms the backbone of our approach, provided by our integrated global network of more than 450 experienced investment professionals*, with an average portfolio manager investment experience of 27 years*.
Today, Capital Group works with financial intermediaries and institutions to manage more than US$2.7 trillion* in long-term assets for investors around the world.
*All data as at 30 June 2024
Speakers
Jeremy J. W. Cunningham
Fixed Income Investment Director
Jeremy has 37 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for eight years. Prior to joining Capital, Jeremy worked as head of EMEA fixed income business development at Alliance Bernstein. Before that he was head of product management at Schroders. Earlier in his career he was a fixed income portfolio manager at INVESCO, J.P. Morgan Fleming and Merrill Lynch. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Jeremy is based in London.
Representatives
Matthias Mohr
Managing director responsible for financial intermediaries in Germany and Austria
Fund Group Workshop
Navigating Tech Investments: A Balanced Approach
This presentation outlines our fund's tech-centric and valuation conscious investment strategy. We delve into artificial intelligence (AI), specifically generative AI, examining the positioning of major players like NVIDIA and Amazon. While exploring a spectrum of tech trends mirrored in our current portfolio, we extend our discussion beyond AI, including investments in Nokia, Ericsson, Visa, Mastercard, and Western Digital.
Workshop Objective: To expand attendees' insight into our balanced tech investment strategy, encompassing the rise of AI and generative AI, valuation considerations, and exploring undervalued opportunities beyond generative AI.
Company Profile: DNB Asset Management is one of the leading asset managers in the Nordic region offering a wide range of investment strategies from equity and bond funds to thematic funds focusing on technology, the environment, healthcare and the financial sector. DNB Asset Management has been at the forefront of responsible investment, building on a long tradition of investing in the Nordic region since 1967.
Speakers
Erling Haugan Kise
Portfolio Manager
Erling H. Kise is a portfolio manager in the Global Technology team. He started his career at DNB AM as a trainee in 2011. After three years at Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), he returned in 2014 as a member of the Global Technology team.
Erling holds an Honours Degree in Finance from the University of Melbourne (Australia) and a Masters in Financial Markets from EDHEC Business School (France).
Marius Wennersten
Junior Portfolio Manager
Marius Wennersten is a junior portfolio manager in the Global Technology team. He was a trainee at DNB AM in 2022 and returned to the company full-time in 2023. Marius has past experience from the private equity practice of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the investment banking division of DNB Markets.
Marius holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics.
Fund Group Workshop
Fund Group Workshop
Fidelity Absolute Return Global Equity Fund – Delivering alpha from research in a market neutral strategy!
Fidelity's best research ideas on the long and short side (110/110) are wrapped in a market and factor neutral portfolio. Outperformance is primarily driven by stock selection, aiming to generate an annualized return of cash +3-5% (gross) with an annualized volatility of 5-7%. Since inception (September 2020), the strategy has generated a performance of approx. 8% p.a. net (on a USD basis as at end of June 2024), with low drawdowns (approx. 5%), and with a very low correlation to traditional asset classes and hedge funds. All in all, an excellent building block for portfolio diversification!
Workshop Objective: Learn how the team manages to combine equity-like returns with low correlation to traditional asset classes and hedge funds, and with low drawdowns of around 5% through the market cycle.
Company Profile: Fidelity International offers investment solutions & services and retirement expertise to more than 2.9 million customers globally. As a privately held, purpose-driven company with a 50-year heritage, we think generationally and invest for the long term. Operating in more than 25 countries and with $816.9 billion in total assets, our clients range from central banks, sovereign wealth funds, large corporates, financial institutions, insurers and wealth managers, to private individuals.
Speakers
Hiten Savani
Portfolio Manager
Hiten Savani is portfolio manager of the Fidelity Absolute Return Global Equity Fund since its launch in 2020 and has been responsible for Fidelity's systematic equity strategies since 2013. He brings over 20 years of experience in global equities. Hiten joined Fidelity in 2010 and prior to Fidelity spent 5 years as an equity strategist at Goldman Sachs. Hiten holds a Master of Physics from Oxford University and a Master of Science in Financial Economics from the University of London.
Representatives
Eva Roure
Sales Associate Director - Key Accounts
Peter Kuhl
Senior Sales Manager - Key Accounts
Fund Group Workshop
Small caps go big – is the US economy resilient?
Speakers
Greg Tuorto
Portfolio Manager, Managing Director
Greg is a portfolio manager on the Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) Fundamental Equity team focused on the US Smid Growth and Small Cap Growth Strategies. In this role, he has broad research responsibilities and oversees portfolio construction and investment research. Greg joined Goldman Sachs as a managing director in 2019.
Prior to joining the firm, Greg spent more than 11 years at JP Morgan Asset Management, where he was a portfolio manager focused on both small cap growth and technology-focused strategies. Additionally, he led technology research for the growth complex. Earlier in his career, he was a senior technology analyst for the small and mid cap team at Jennison Associates and prior to that, he was a small cap portfolio manager and technology analyst at The Guardian Park Avenue Funds. Before that, Greg was a technology analyst at the Dreyfus Corporation and Tocqueville Asset Management.
Greg earned a BA from the Catholic University of America and an MBA in Finance from Monmouth University.
Fund Group Workshop
High Yield: Why focus on undervalued credits? The answer is Grounded in Common Sense and endorsed by Academic Research
Since more than a decade Impax Asset Management has successfully been investing in the Global High Yield Space.
Impax follows the belief that the credit market is inefficient, leaving many attractive opportunities for disciplined investors.
We actively select undervalued credits where spreads are too high and where default risk is kept under control.
In the workshop we will explain how we find these undervalued credits and we will discuss supporting factors such as size, value, momentum and low risk.
Workshop Objective: We will explain how Impax Global High Yield identifies undervalued credits and creates a diversified unconstrained portfolio with attractive relative value characteristics
Company Profile: Impax was founded in 1998 and is a specialized asset manager with assets under management of 46.7 billion dollars (as of 30/06/2024). For 25 years, the company has been a pioneer in sustainability and focuses on generating strong, risk-adjusted returns with investments that support the
support the development of a more sustainable global economy. The range of investment solutions includes sustainable equity, bond and infrastructure strategies.
Speakers
Klaus Blaabjerg
Senior Portfolio Manager
Klaus joined Impax Asset Management in July 2024 and is co-Portfolio Manager of the Global High Yield bond strategy and a member of the Emerging Market Corporate bond team and Credit Strategy Group.
Klaus started his career in 1999 at Realkredit Danmark as a Risk Manager. In 2000 he became the responsible fund manager for Nykredit Invest Engros Eurokredit. After Nykredit, Klaus was employed as a senior portfolio manager at Bankinvest, responsible for launching and managing Bankinvest Corporate Credit, a Global Investment Grade fund. Klaus joined Sparinvest in August 2005 where he was responsible for Credit Products at Sparinvest. Klaus resigned from his position at Sparinvest May 2014 having grown the Credit business from zero to €2bn+ together with Sune, Toke and Peter.
Klaus attended the University of Copenhagen where he earned an MSc in Economics.
Representatives
Viktoria von Kunow
Director Distribution
Prior to working at Impax Viktoria held similar roles at BNY Mellon Investment Management, Hermes Investment Management and started her career in financial services at M&G Investments in 2011.
Viktoria has experience in marketing highly specialised products ranging from long-only equity funds to fixed income products and alternatives to a diverse client base.
Viktoria holds a MSc degree from the University of Stirling.
Magnus Kristensen
Head of Nordics
Magnus joined Impax in August 2024 from a similar role at Federated Hermes. Previously he worked for more than two decades at various companies within the financial sector, gaining experience and understanding of serving pension and insurance clients investing across public and private markets. Through his active participation in multiple sustainability networks he has advocated for different investment paths within the transition to a sustainable economy.
Magnus has a master’s degree in Economics from Aarhus University, and an Executive MBA from Copenhagen Business School.
Kirk Hotte
Consultants and Institutions, Europe, Director
Greed and Fear in Emerging Markets: a fresh perspective
There is a compelling case for EM equities. China presents a complex picture for investors, but the investment universe offers so much more, with dynamic growth from the likes of India and Indonesia, exposure to the global tech cycle through North Asian markets, and the energy transition through natural resource rich LatAm markets. EM corporates are also displaying greater capital discipline with evidence of improving shareholder returns. Given the significant divergence in valuation between different countries and sectors, these markets also offer additional benefit to those that take a truly active approach.
Workshop Objective: Present ideas on how to access opportunities in the region and manage overall portfolio risk. A fresh perspective from a team with a contrarian mindset that pushes themselves to think independently.
Company Profile: Invesco is one of the world’s leading independent global investment firms with global AUM of $1.7 trillion (as of March 31, 2024), solely focused on investment management. With over 8,500 employees worldwide (as of March 2024), the firm directs all of its intellectual capital, global strength and operational stability toward helping investors achieve their long-term financial objectives. Invesco provides a wide range of investment strategies (spanning all major equity, fixed income, asset allocation and alternative asset classes) to retail and institutional clients around the world. On the ground in more than 20 countries, the company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "IVZ".
Speakers
Matthew Pigott
Deputy Fund Manager
Matthew is a deputy fund manager within the Henley-based Asian & Emerging Market Equities team, with a focus on emerging market equity strategies.
He began his career in 2014 at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi as part of their graduate banking programme. He subsequently joined Jupiter Asset Management as an investment analyst in 2017, where he worked on various funds across emerging markets equities, before joining Invesco in July 2022.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Modern History from the University of Oxford and is a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
Maximilian Loebermann
Senior Sales Manager
Fernando Fernández-Bravo
Head of Active Distribution Iberia
Oliver Bilal
Head of EMEA Distribution
Oliver has 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to Invesco, Oliver was Head of International Sales and Marketing at Natixis Investment Managers and responsible for institutional and retail clients in EMEA, APAC, Latin America and US Offshore. Prior to Natixis,Oliver was Head of EMEA, UBS Asset Management, CEO of the Baroda Pioneer Asset Management Company (India) and Head of Sales & Marketing (Germany) at Pioneer Investments (now Amundi).
Oliver holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Master of Banking & Insurance Administration from University of Applied Sciences Braunschweig-WF, and a Certification of DVFA/EFFAS as Certified European Financial Analyst (CEFA).
Fund Group Workshop
Fund Group Workshop
Guarding against market volatility in uncertain times
Markets are now plagued by a host of uncertainties and the recent volatility is a reminder that such bouts may occur at any time. How can investors effectively navigate this volatility to produce consistent alpha and is it possible to design an investment process that delivers across varied market environments? James Murray, Investment Manager, Systematic Equities, will explain how a systematic approach to a long-short equity market neutral strategy can generate consistent returns while limiting volatility. He will also explain the team’s investment process and proprietary stock selection criteria.
Workshop Objective:
In this presentation, attendees will
1. Understand how a market neutral equity approach can effectively generate alpha while safeguarding against market volatility.
2. Learn about the Jupiter Systematic Equities team’s investment process and approach towards stock selection.
3. Discover how the team utilise dynamic rotation scheme to take advantage of market gyrations.
Company Profile: Jupiter is a specialist, high conviction, active asset manager. We exist to help our clients achieve their long-term investment objectives. From our origins in 1985, Jupiter now offers a range of actively managed strategies available to UK and international clients including equities, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives. Jupiter is a constituent member of the FTSE 250 Index, and has assets under management of £52.6bn /$66.4bn /€61.6bn as at 29/03/2024
Speakers
James Murray
Investment Manager
James is an Investment Manager in the Systematic Equities team. Before joining Jupiter in July 2020, James worked at Merian Global Investors since 2018. He was previously a Director in the Quantitative Research Group at Citigroup and has previously held Quantitative Research positions at Macquarie Securities and Man Group. James has an undergraduate degree in Economics and three Masters degrees in Finance, Statistics and Artificial Intelligence.
Representatives
Dominik Issler
Head of Germany & Austria
Francisco Amorim
Sales Director Iberia
Francisco has a Masters in Finance from Universidade Católica Portuguesa. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French.
Helena Nieckels
Head of Nordics
Helena started in the financial industry in 2000 and has long experience and broad knowledge within the Nordic mutual fund market from both global asset managers and Swedish banks.
Prior to joining Jupiter, Helena started her career at Avanza Bank and became Head of Mutual Funds at Avanza fund platform. In 2011 Helena moved on to Allianz Global Investors as Business Development Nordics for 8 years. In 2019 Helena started at NIO A/S as Client Executive, for Alternative Investment funds for Private Equity, Real Estate and Infrastructure.
Guillaume Gueritee
Sales Director (Apex Group Ltd)
Why investors can’t ignore the coming innovation wave
Innovation is one of the biggest drivers of stock returns and we are only five minutes into the football game of a major new innovation cycle driven by AI. James will discuss the significant opportunities for strong stock returns as well as huge risks to companies on the wrong side of the coming disruption.
Workshop Objective: To showcase why investing in innovative companies is a compelling strategy and provide views on potential opportunities in the future.
Company Profile: Liontrust is a specialist asset manager that takes pride in having a distinct culture and approach to running money. The company launched in 1995 and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1999. We are an independent business with no corporate parent. Our purpose is to enable investors to enjoy a better financial future.
We believe investment processes are key to long-term performance and effective risk control. Our fund managers are truly active in applying their investment processes. There is no house view - our fund managers have the freedom to manage their portfolios according to their own investment processes and market views.
Speakers
Storm Uru
Co-Head of Global Innovation Team – Fund Manager
Storm is a lead fund manager of the Liontrust Global Innovation, Liontrust Global Dividend and Liontrust Global Technology funds. He has 12 years industry experience, including as a fund manager and trader and prior to Liontrust worked at Neptune Investment Management running global funds and covering the global industrials sector. He holds an BBS in finance and MBS in international business from Massey University, an MBA from Oxford University and is a CFA Charterholder. He represented New Zealand in rowing at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, winning bronze in London in 2012.
Representatives
Claude Ewen
International Sales Director – Germany and Austria & Authorised Manager
Michael Buchholz
Head of Distribution - Germany & Austria
Case of Asian bonds as a core allocation
In the recent years, investors have shied away from Asian bonds amid myriad concerns over China, including its property sector crisis. Closer scrutiny, however, unveils a market that deserves more attention. Setting the stage for investors is a large investment grade bond universe, which has withstood the trial of time to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns, as well as robust domestic demand partly fuelled by demographics. We will look at , on a granular level, the current opportunity set within the Asian bond market, one that has a much smaller China property representation and shrinking non-investment grade sector, and how investors can tap on the opportunity set to achieve their investment objectives.
Workshop Objective: To provides investors with a better understanding with the current state of play for the Asian Bond market and how to take advantage of the prevailing opportunities.
Company Profile: M&G Investments is a global asset manager with extensive expertise in the public and private markets. Our investment strategies include fixed income, equities, multi-asset, real estate, private equity, private debt and infrastructure.
M&G manages over € 361 billion (as at 31 Dec 2024). Our clients include insurance companies, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, banks and private investors.
M&G takes an active approach to responsible investing and strives to continuously improve the sustainability of its investments. Therefore M&G is committed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across all its assets under management by 2050, as well as to reduce CO2 emissions as a company to zero by 2030.
Speakers
Guan Yi Low
Head, Asia Fixed Income
Guan Yi brings with her more than 25 years of Asian Fixed Income investment experience with leading financial institutions, including Standard Chartered Bank, Fullerton Fund Management and Bank Pictet. Prior to joining M&G, Guan Yi was the Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income at Eastspring Investments (Singapore) .
Guan Yi graduated from the Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor in Business.
Tricia Wong
Client Portfolio Manager, Asia Fixed Income
Tricia brings with her 20 years of industry experience, focusing on investment and client support for Asian Fixed Income strategies. Most recently, Tricia worked as a Client Portfolio Manager at Eastspring Investments (Singapore). Prior to that, Tricia also held product management and marketing roles at Schroder Investment Management and SG Asset Management.
Tricia graduated from the Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Business.
Representatives
Kelly Hebert
Country Head
Dirk Bradtmüller
Head of Business Development Discretionary
Werner Kolitsch
Director, Head of Business Development DACH
Stacey Notteboom
Sales Director
Alicia Garcia
Country Head
A focus on China
China’s equity market has rebounded this year, rising by 30% since its January low, with materials, industrials, and communication services sectors in positive territory. Despite some bumps, the economy shows resilience, with GDP growth surpassing market expectations. Wenchang Ma, All China Equity PM at Ninety One, discusses the opportunity in China.
Workshop Objective: A discussion on the investment landscape in China and what investors should consider when allocating to this market.
Speakers
Wenchang Ma
Portfolio Manager
Wenchang is co-portfolio manager for the All China Equity and China A Shares strategy in the 4Factor team at Ninety One. Prior to joining Ninety One in 2014, she worked at J.P. Morgan as an equity research analyst covering transportation and logistics. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan in 2010, she did a similar role at Exane BNP Paribas. Wenchang holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Renmin University of China and an MSc in Management, majoring in Finance from HEC Paris. Wenchang is also a CFA® Charterholder.
Find the sweet spot between passive and active: alpha, limited risk, cost-effectiveness and customization
Nordea’s Beta+ strategies are all about:
• Consistent alpha generation: how we use risk premia such as value, quality, momentum, and growth, to systematically harvest excess returns.
• Limited active risk: how we manage exposures effectively to operate within pre-defined risk parameters a rules-based and systematic process based on risk premia.
• Cost-Effectiveness: how our experienced team limits costs by ensuring consistent implementation and oversight of the investment process.
• Customizable: how our time-tested scalable approach can be adapted to enhance any index, while also meeting client specific investments/ESG guidelines.
Workshop Objective: Demonstrate how Nordea Beta+ is in the sweet spot between passive and active investing, thanks to our ability to consistently outperform a given index, with limited tracking error and a dynamic approach to risk premia weighting.
Company Profile: Nordea Asset Management (NAM), a leading European Asset Manager with AUM of 265bn EUR* is part of the Nordea Group.
NAM’s successful multi-boutique approach combines the expertise of specialised internal boutiques with exclusive external competences allowing us to deliver alpha. Our solutions cover all asset classes from fixed income and equity to multi asset.
NAM is dedicated to delivering returns with responsibility. As an ESG pioneer and market leader we offer a broad suite of RI solutions to investors of all types across the globe.
We service a wide range of clients, including leading pensions and global wealth managers, and distribute our products through banks, asset managers, independent advisors, insurance companies and family offices.
As at 30.06.2024
Speakers
Claus F. Nielsen
Head of Diversified Equity
Claus F. Nielsen is the Head of Diversified Equity in Nordea Asset Management. He attended the University of Aarhus where he gained an MSc in Mathematics & Economics. Claus started his career in 1987 as an analyst at Statsanstalten for Livsforsikring. Between 1991 and 1998 he worked for Baltica, Danica and Danske Capital as a portfolio manager and in 1998 he joined Tryg-Baltica in the same position. Claus joined Nordea in 1999 as a portfolio manager and since 2004 he has been Head of the Diversified Equity team. Claus has been managing funds for over 30 years (24 years in Nordea)
Multi-Sector Fixed Income: All the Ingredients for Alpha
The highest yields in recent memory and the steepest discounts in decades foster compelling conditions for bond investors amid favourable monetary policy trends. PGIM Fixed Income’s Gabriel Doz will detail how multi-sector strategies are uniquely positioned to capitalise on the situation due to their ability to pursue fundamental promise and mispriced securities wherever they emerge. With alpha prospects varying by sector, join us to learn where investors can access the strongest potential to make the most of an uncommon opportunity.
Workshop Objectives: Learn how multi-sector strategies seek opportunities across fixed income sectors, enabling them to emphasise alpha, enhance diversification, mitigate risk and adjust to changing market conditions.
Company Profile: At PGIM Investments, we think globally and execute locally. We provide access to active investment strategies in the pursuit of consistent outperformance and local market expertise to meet our clients’ needs.
We’re part of PGIM, the global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (PFI) 1 — a global leader with more than $1 trillion in assets under management (AUM) 2 and a company that individuals and businesses have trusted for over 145 years.
Source: PGIM as of 31/3/24. 2 PFI of the United States is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential plc, incorporated in the United Kingdom or with Prudential Assurance Company, a subsidiary of M&G plc, incorporated in the United Kingdom. 1
Speakers
Gabriel Doz
Portfolio Strategist, PGIM Fixed Income
Gabriel is a principal and portfolio strategist in European retail client management, supporting PGIM Investments’ European Financial Intermediary Group (FIG) in the development of PGIM Fixed Income’s subadvisory capabilities and Ucits platform. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, he was senior vice-president at PIMCO where he maintained and developed relationships with the firm’s large institutional EMEA clients. Earlier, he was a discretionary portfolio manager for Societe Generale Gestion in Paris and held various roles at Amundi Asset Management and RBC Dexia Investor Services.
PIMCO: Exploring a World of Credit Opportunities
Speakers
Saurabh Sud, CFA
EVP, Senior Portfolio Manager Global Credit
Fund Group Workshop
Fund Group Workshop
Speakers
Saurabh Sharma
Fund Manager, Regnan
Kathrine Husvaeg
Managing Director, Client Portfolio Manager
Finding consistency in uncertain markets - a proven and transparent approach to high yield investing
As higher interest rates, uncertain global macro dynamics and geopolitical tension are becoming the norm, investors seeking consistent, stable returns face more of a challenge.
Short duration high yield currently offers less interest rate risk than investment grade, government bonds, or longer maturity high yield bonds - while providing an attractive yield which overcompensates for underlying default risks.
The Royal London Short Duration Global High Yield Bond Fund is a truly global credit product that aims to deliver an attractive level of income with limited volatility. It’s a simple strategy – we simply buy mispriced bonds close to the end of their economic lives – built on a foundation of never having incurred a default or a serious credit loss in over 20 years.
Workshop Objective:
We will discuss:
• The current market backdrop and its impact on investors
• Our unique approach to high yield investing
• The opportunities offered by the Royal London Short Duration Global High Yield Bond Fund
Company Profile: At Royal London Asset Management, we do things a little differently.
As an integral part of customer-owned mutual Royal London, we put our clients at the heart of what we do, with a longer-term approach to generating investment returns.
We’re committed to delivering outstanding active asset management value for clients around the world.
It’s asset management excellence with a longer-term perspective.
Speakers
Azhar Hussain
Head of Global Credit
Azhar has 23 years’ direct experience of investing in an array of strategies across the Global Fixed Income and Leverage Finance arenas.
Before joining Royal London Asset Management in 2012, Azhar worked at Deloitte, Gulf International Bank and Insight where he was Head of HY & Leveraged Loans.
Azhar holds a BA in Economics & Law from SOAS, University of London and obtained a MSc in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics in 2018.
Representatives
Immo Gatzweiler
Business Development Director
Phil Reid
Head of Wholesale
Prior to his roles at HSBC, Phil was Sales Director at Close Asset Management and has 20 years’ experience in the financial sector.
High yield, high resilience
The European high yield market has gained back its natural characteristics of providing income, attractive total return opportunities and a buffer against market volatility. On the one hand, it offers a material yield pick-up relative to investment grade and in a soft-landing scenario has the potential to deliver equity like returns. On the other hand, it adds significant diversification and drawdown protection relative to equities to a portfolio in the case of market turmoil triggered by economic concern. In fact, the European high yield market has shown impressive resilience in face of the latest phases of market volatility.
Workshop Objective: In this workshop we would like to discuss the role European high yield can play in the portfolio context and how important it is to be selective as dispersion in the market often provides a fertile hunting ground for active investors like Schroders.
Company Profile: Schroders is a global investment manager with €912.6 billion assets under management (as at 30 June 2024, incl. JVs and associates), offering innovative products and solutions across four core business areas; asset management, solutions, Schroders Capital (private assets) and wealth management.
Schroders aims to provide excellent investment performance through active management. We also channel capital into sustainable and durable businesses to accelerate positive change in the world.
Speakers
Hugo Squire
Fund Manager – Pan European & Global High Yield
Representatives
Mehtap Ershain
Client Director – Belgium and Luxembourg
Georg Von Wulffen
Sales Manager – Wholesale Clients
Going off the beaten path: finding income, value and diversification in the Global Dividend universe
Well-known companies tend to become crowded investments, so it can pay for income and value investors to go off the beaten path. Joris Franssen, Head of the Dividend and Value team at Van Lanschot Kempen, will show how he and his team find opportunities in niche sectors and overlooked markets. There, companies that offer sustainable cash flows and healthy dividends in combination with exposure to mega-trends including the energy transition, the growth of AI and improving capital allocation can be found. These companies tend to have bigger margins of safety in their valuation and offer better diversification benefits. We will also discuss how a high dividend portfolio can benefit from having exposure outside the well-known dividend sectors.
Workshop Objective: Attendees will learn how the team identifies, understands and evaluates opportunities in overlooked markets and niche sectors. And, importantly, how these opportunities can be blended in with investments in well-known companies to create a portfolio that offers a better risk return and more diversification.
Company Profile: At Van Lanschot Kempen we search for the hard-to-access asset classes often missed by our competitors. We believe that’s where our specialist teams can bring the most knowledge, add the most value and deliver a competitive edge.
Our teams bring free-thinking, resolve and originality, challenging each other to develop better strategies. But we don’t just collaborate with each other. We work hard to support and challenge the companies we invest in. Helping to guide their transition to the sustainable economy. In particular, through what we believe are the two key transitions of our times – energy and food.
Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management NV is licensed as a manager of various UCITS and AIFs and authorised to provide investment services and as such is subject to supervision by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets. As of 31 December 2023, Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management had a total of €104.7 billion in client assets.
Speakers
Joris Franssen
Head of Dividend & Value Team
Joris Franssen joined in 2006 as a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Dividend Team. Prior to working at Van Lanschot Kempen, Joris worked at ING Investment Management as a senior investment manager within the Value Team. Joris studied Economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. In addition, he is a Certified VBA Investment Analyst. He currently heads our Dividend team.
Representatives
Michael Schlieper
Business Development Products and Strategies – Germany/Austria
Daniel Whitaker
Senior Associate | Wholesale & Institutional Clients
Are megatrends the crystal ball that investors need?
A thematic lens applied to stock selection helps investors see the future and isolate companies with the potential to grow exponentially. However, it is easy for investors to miss out on that opportunity through execution either by investing in companies that “have already arrived” or by being overly selective and missing the “real winners”.
WisdomTree is a leading thematic exchange-traded fund provider with deep thematic research expertise. Since 2018, we have developed world-class research around the construction of single thematic strategies and thematic model portfolios. All of this research has culminated into a unique multi-thematic ETF called the WisdomTree Megatrends UCITS ETF. With its unique investment approach, the WisdomTree Megatrends UCITS ETF offers investors a compelling opportunity to invest in the world’s future.
• Thematic investing offers what could be the closest thing to a crystal ball to investors. Spotting trends early is a lot easier than spotting exponential growth stocks early.
• The valuable knowledge delivered by a thematic lens can be leveraged into a portfolio that maximises investors' chance to catch tomorrow’s mega caps early.
• Investing in mega caps or overconcentrating thematic investments are the two fundamental mistakes investors should avoid if they want to benefit from the insight offered by a thematic lens.
Workshop Objective: In this session, we will share our key insights on the developments of the thematic space, around how to use thematic investment efficiently in your portfolio and how to build a Multi thematic portfolio that delivers exposure to a diversified basket of growing, up-and-coming companies instead of established tech megacaps.
Company Profile: WisdomTree was founded in 2006 with a passion for creating better ways to invest, being the first investment manager to weight by dividends. Since 2014, our European business has grown in terms of product set and AUM. In April 2018, we completed the acquisition of ETF Securities' exchange-traded commodities, currencies and short-and-leveraged business, including the world’s first gold ETP. Today we are the biggest independent ETP provider globally and offer one of the most innovative ranges of ETPs, covering commodities, FX, equities, fixed income, cryptocurrency and liquid alternatives.
Speakers
Pierre Debru
Head of Quantitative Research & Multi Assets Solutions
Pierre heads the Quantitative Research & Multi Asset Solutions team in Europe for WisdomTree. Pierre joined the WisdomTree Research team in 2019 as a Director. Pierre focuses on cross-asset quantitative research, client portfolio solutions and Short and Leverage Investments. Prior to joining the company, Pierre worked in Investment Research for DWS and the XTrackers range for more than five years. During this period, he focused on Smart Beta Investments, Model Portfolio Construction and Thought Leadership. Pierre has more than 17 years’ experience in investments and structured asset management. He graduated from Ecole Central Paris and obtained a Master of Science in Mathematics applied to Finance.
Representatives
Thiemo Storz
Head of German Speaking Regions
Thiemo started at ETF Securities directly after his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance, which he undertook at the European School of Economics in London. Thiemo has previously interned at Deutsche Bank AG and Volksbank eG.
Sihem Labbas
Head of Benelux & French Speaking Regions
She started her career in convertible bonds at Credit Agricole CIB and later joined the equity derivatives sales desk at Barclays Capital. Sihem holds a master’s degree in Banking and Finance and graduated in Economics and Finance from the University Paris Dauphine in France.
Björn Sandberg
Director, Nordics Sales
Agenda
12:00
Delegate Registration
13:00 - 14:00
Informal Buffet Lunch
14:00 - 15:10
Conference Session 1 - Wolfgang Ischinger
15:10 - 15:40
Fund Group Workshop
15:50 - 16:20
Fund Group Workshop
16:30 - 17:00
Fund Group Workshop
19:30 - 20:00
Drinks Reception
20:00
Dinner
06:30 - 09:15
Breakfast at leisure
09:15 - 10:15
Conference Session 2 - Anna Kopp
10:25 - 10:55
Fund Group Workshop
11:05 - 11:35
Fund Group Workshop
11:45 - 12:15
Fund Group Workshop
12:15 - 13:50
Table Planned Lunch
13:50 - 14:50
Conference Session 3 - Julius van de Laar
14:50 - 15:20
Fund Group Workshop
15:30 - 16:00
Fund Group Workshop
16:10 - 16:40
Fund Group Workshop
17:15 - 18:00
Citywire Run
19:30 - 20:15
Drinks Reception
20:15
Table Planned Dinner
06:30 - 09:15
Breakfast at leisure
09:15- 10:15
Conference Session 4
10:15 - 10:45
Fund Group Workshop
10:55 - 11:25
Fund Group Workshop
11:35 - 12:05
Fund Group Workshop
12:05 - 14:00
Buffet Lunch