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Graham Cox
Graham is an international keynote speaker who delivers talks on the topics of Business Negotiations, Persuasion and Influence. To date this has included 24 countries across 5 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America). In addition to public speaking, his role is to draw together experience from staff with backgrounds in the British Intelligence Services, HM Diplomatic Service, business psychology, business neurology and Fortune 500 companies.
After attaining a First Class Senior Joint Honours in Geology & Chemistry, Graham initially pursued a corporate career in International Sales & Marketing within Exxon and PepsiCo. This all changed when he was selected as a Crown Servant on behalf of Her Majesty’s Services. Following multiple overseas operations, where he was decorated for services to Her Majesty’s Government, he went on to hold various senior roles in operational and strategic intelligence. As one of the youngest senior leaders in his field he quickly had to adapt to extreme situations where effective persuasion and influence was literally a matter of life or death.
Workshops
Workshops
Getting exposure to Saudi Arabia’s equity market while mitigating volatility
Developed by ADSI, in partnership with FTSE Russel, FTSE ADS Saudi Minimum Variance Fund is an open-ended public fund with daily liquidity, invested exclusively in equities listed on Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange, Tadawul.
FTSE ADS Saudi Minimum Variance Fund is also the first Smart Beta fund tailor-made for the region. The fund targets risk-adjusted market returns over the medium to long run by applying a transparent, rule-based Smart Beta approach focused on limiting historical variance.
Today with a solid track record of consistent market outperformance and lower volatility, the fund emerges as an increasingly attractive alternative for investors seeking premium diversification avenues in emerging markets – a strategy that ADSI can offer to replicate in a variety of scenarios.
Company Profile: ADS Investment Solutions Limited (ADSI), is a leading independent Wealth and Asset Management firm, established in 2017 within the offshore jurisdiction of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). It is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), recognized by IOSCO as a Class A jurisdiction. ADSI is also part of ADS Holding, a financial group headquartered in Abu Dhabi since 2010 that encompasses the international brokerage, ADS Securities LLC.
ADSI specialises in offering bespoke investment solutions to affluent clients across multiple jurisdictions, combining Wealth Management, Asset Management, and Asset Structuring services within a one-stop-shop approach.
The company’s diverse clientele includes high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), family offices, External and Independent Asset Managers (EAM/IAM), institutions, corporates, trusts, and foundations, holding active portfolios of USD 1 million and above.
ADSI’s team consists of high-calibre investment professionals boasting decades of experience both in the region and internationally.
Speakers
Alain Raad
Chief Investment Officer
Alain Raad is a veteran investment professional with over 20 years of experience in asset management and asset structuring, primarily in Bahrain, the UK, and the UAE. As ADSI’s CIO since March 2023, Alain is architecting the company’s new investment strategy, integrating a technology-driven approach to traditional investment practices.
Alain’s areas of expertise include complex fixed income, commodities, equities, transaction structuring, portfolio management, financial market-oriented data science and quantitative analysis.
Prior to joining ADSI, Alain held leading positions in various entities including VTB Capital, Merrill Lynch, and BNP Paribas. He is also the founder of IQ-Capital Advisory, and the co-founder of PARC Invest SAS.
Representatives
Halim Abou Arraj
Head of Wealth Management
Currently leading ADSI’s Wealth Management activity, Halim Abou Arraj boasts over two decades of private banking experience, serving a diverse clientele of HNW families in the GCC and the MENA region. His expertise includes wealth management, strategic management, fixed income trading, brokerage, personal finance, and Islamic banking. Prior to joining ADSI, Halim served as Head of Private Banking at Credit Libanais, Lebanon, and has held similar leadership positions at Credit Suisse, Julius Baer, QIB, NCB Capital, and Société Générale.
A Certified Wealth Management Advisor (CWMA) by the Swiss Association for Quality (SAQ), Halim is also accredited by the Lebanese and the Saudi Capital Markets Authorities.
India Fixed Income - another way to harness the development of one the world’s highest potential economies
India’s economy is set to be one of the fastest growing and most dynamic in the world in the coming years. But there is more to India’s development than just growth- inflation is on a secular downtrend, while the greater sophistication of its economic management should send it on a path to sustainably lower interest rates. With high yields and low correlation to traditional asset classes, Indian bonds are set to provide investors with good levels of income and potential capital gain. Meanwhile, the fundamentals of the currency are in a stronger position than for many years, giving further possible upside.
Speakers
Geoff Lunt
Head of Asia Investment Specialists, Hong Kong
Geoff Lunt is Head of Asia Investment Specialists, Hong Kong and has been working in the industry since 1992. Before moving to Hong Kong to become an Investment Specialist in July 2011, Geoff managed global bond portfolios for HSBC Asset Management in London. Prior to joining HSBC in 2003, Geoff worked as a Fund Manager at Investec Asset Management where he managed bond funds for insurance companies and UK local authorities. Previously, Geoff was a Director of Plough Court Fund Management. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Classics from the University of London.
Representatives
The Anatomy of a China Allocation and Outlook
China is the second largest economy globally with a leading growth potential driven by innovation and consumption. China is also a diversifier due to its low correlations with major global equity markets including the US. As China recovers, how investors can benefit from China’s enhanced growth potential and low valuations in a world of higher rates and higher valuations and growing uncertainties?
Workshop Objective: Allocating to China’s leading investment themes and how investors use the China allocation to benefit clients.
Company Profile: Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is the investment manager for KraneShares ETFs. KraneShares offers innovative investment solutions tailored to three key pillars: China, Climate, and Uncorrelated Assets. Our team is determined to provide industry-leading, differentiated, and high-conviction investment strategies that offer access to key market trends. Our mission is to empower investors with the knowledge and tools necessary to capture the importance of these themes as an essential element of a well-designed investment portfolio.
Speakers
Anthony Sassine, CFA
Head of MENA and Senior China Strategist
Anthony Sassine, CFA is Head of MENA and Senior Investment Strategist at KraneShares. Anthony is responsible for researching China’s capital markets and advising clients on EM and China asset allocation. Anthony is responsible for expanding the firm’s business in the Middle East.
Representatives
‘Rathmore’ a Convertible Arbitrage Strategy at Lazard – A Unique Alternative for Today’s Uncertain Market Environment
The Lazard Rathmore strategy is a hedged convertibles strategy, best described as convertible arbitrage, where typically a long convertible bond position is hedged with a short stock position in the same company. Position-level hedges are actively traded in order to monetize market volatility. In addition to generating returns from credit and volatility ("betas"), the team's specialized approach focuses on extracting value from special situations and events ("alpha"), which supplements the traditional drivers of return to convertible arbitrage strategies and allows for a strategic, long-term approach to investing in the space.
While valuations have rebased and yields have increased across credit markets broadly, making many fixed income investment opportunities attractive for the first time in years, a convertible arbitrage strategy has the ability to offer:
a) enhanced return potential (via the ability to monetize market volatility);
b) significantly less credit risk (given the use or position-level and portfolio-level hedges);
c) significantly less duration risk (given the low duration nature of the asset class)
d) a low correlation to traditional fixed income and equities, and low volatility of returns
e) the ability to go long volatility at a time when volatility is significantly mispriced and under owned, via non-traditional credits (very little issuer overlap with traditional fixed income portfolios) that are now offering significant yields and an equity play on stocks that rebased disproportionately in 2022.
Workshop Objective: To highlight the strategic, long-term benefits of a convertible arbitrage allocation, as well as today’s tactical, opportunistic entry point.
Company Profile: Established in 1848, Lazard has long held a preeminent position in the global financial marketplace. Lazard Asset Management LLC, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Lazard Ltd., is known for its global view on investing and vast experience with global, regional, and domestic portfolios. With more than 300 investment personnel and offices in 23 cities across 17 countries, we offer investors a range of traditional and alternative investment solutions. Our team-based approach to portfolio management allows us to deliver robust and consistent performance over time, and strong client relationships enhance our ability to employ our capabilities to our clients' advantage.
As of June 30, 2023, Lazard managed approximately $203.3 billion in assets.*
* Total assets under management include those of Lazard Asset Management LLC (New York) and its affiliates, but do not include those of Lazard Frères Gestion (Paris) or other asset management businesses of Lazard Ltd.
Speakers
Sean H. Reynolds
Managing Director, Portfolio Manager/Analyst
Sean Reynolds is a Portfolio Manager for all capital structure and convertibles-based strategies. Prior to joining Lazard in 2007, Sean was a portfolio manager for convertible arbitrage strategies at SAC Capital Management from April 2003 to August 2006 and, subsequent to this, senior portfolio manager at Sailfish Capital Partners' G2 Multistrategy Fund. Previously he was a convertible arbitrage portfolio manager at the Clinton Group, Inc. From 1997 to 2002, Sean was a managing director and Head of Convertibles Sales (US) at Deutsche Bank Securities, including a period as an executive member of the North American Management Committee, Deutsche Bank Equities. Prior to 1997, Sean was responsible for global convertible securities sales at UBS Securities and domestic convertibles at Merrill Lynch. He has been in the investment industry since 1993. Sean has an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Math and BAI (BSc) in Engineering from Trinity College Dublin.
Representatives
Fadi El Haddad
Director, Chief Executive Officer Lazard Asset Management Middle East
Fadi El Haddad is a Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lazard Asset Management – Middle East. Based in Dubai, his main responsibility is to devise a growth strategy and manage the day-to-day operations of Lazard’s regional asset management presence covering all types of MENA institutional clients. He has extensive experience within the investment consulting, advisory, investment management and investment banking sectors; having advised the largest regional institutional investors on all aspects of asset, product, and strategy allocation. Prior to joining Lazard in May 2022, Fadi was a Principal investment consultant and the commercial leader for Mercer Investment Consulting in the Middle East. Prior to joining Mercer, he headed Al Mal Capital’s institutional sales department, the investment arm of Dubai Investments. Fadi also previously worked as head of institutional business and product development for Rasmala in Dubai; and Business Development Manager at ING Investment Management (Middle East). He holds a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Banking & Finance, Security Analysis and Portfolio Management from the Lebanese American University. Fadi has been based in Dubai for 17 years and speaks fluent English, Arabic and French.
Rebecca O. Moses
Third Party Distribution Sales – Middle East
Rebecca O. Moses joined the sales team in the Dubai office in January 2023 to help in the support and growth of the distribution efforts across institutional and retail clients in the MENA region. From July 2023, Rebecca is responsible for the coverage of third party distribution channels in the MENA region. Prior to her role in Dubai, Rebecca was in the Client Service team in the London office where she was responsible for servicing existing client relationships across EMEA and Lazard's range of product offerings. She began working in the investment field in 2014. Before joining Lazard in 2021, Rebecca was a Client and Consultant Relations Associate with Alliance Bernstein and a Private Equity Investor Relations Analyst with Aberdeen Asset Management both in London. Previously, Rebecca worked as a Wealth Advisor at the deVere Group USA in New York. Rebecca has a BSc in Business Economics from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Rebecca is a member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments.
Public & Private Credit – The Income generating duo
We expect this environment to provide some of the best investment opportunities in decades for public and private credit.
Combining both public & private credit, can offer investors with liquidity and historically high income and yields.
Private credit is among our favorite targets for new capital over the next several years. Whereas, the bond market currently offers potential for equity-like returns with less volatility and less downside risk compared to the stock market, making it valuable for building resilient portfolios.
PIMCO's hybrid public/private funds are diversified across sectors, utilizing different teams across PIMCO to take advantage of the best investment opportunities in public and private markets across the credit cycle.
Workshop Objective: To become familiar with private debt as an asset class, and explore public/private hybrid investment opportunities.
Company Profile: PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and
private markets. We invest our clients’ capital in income and credit opportunities that span
the liquidity spectrum, leveraging our decades of experience navigating complex debt
markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us
become one of the world’s largest providers of traditional and alternative investment
solutions and a valued financing partner.
Speakers
Lalantika Medema
Executive Vice President, Alternative Credit Strategist
Ms. Medema is an executive vice president and alternative credit strategist in PIMCO, responsible for credit alternatives and mortgage- and real-estate-related strategies. Previously, she worked in the portfolio management group and focused on mortgage-backed securities and residential whole loans. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2006, she worked at Deutsche Bank’s Trust & Securities Services Division, specializing in collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). She has 20 years of investment experience and holds an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. She also received an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.