Citywire Dublin Forum 2025
Citywire returns to Ireland. Our Dublin Forum will take place at The Shelbourne on Tuesday 1 April 2025 and once again we will bring together the best of the city’s fund selection and portfolio management community.
We will host an energising afternoon of presentations from leading fund managers, followed by a panel session where we look under the bonnet of some of the most pertinent questions of fund selection. We will then wrap things up with an opportunity for you to network with your industry peers.
There is no charge for attending (which is strictly by invitation only) and you will earn up to 3 hours of structured CPD.
We look forward to seeing you at The Shelbourne on 1 April!
Sponsors
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Selector Hard Talk
MAGA: make active (investing) great again... The view from Dublin
“If everybody indexed, the only word you could use is chaos, catastrophe". Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard, Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting 2017
Speakers

Giorgio Carlino
Since August 2022 Giorgio Carlino is leading the Multi Management division for Mediolanum International Funds Limited in Dublin. He started his career in Italy selecting active funds for high-net-worth clients. He moved to Frankfurt, immersing himself in a world of quants where he learnt to appreciate the importance of beta and the artistry to figure it up when to deploy active strategy to maximize return. He then moved to New York City, 2013, to lead a Multi Asset Division of Allianz Global Investors.

Terry Devitt
Terry Devitt spent his early professional years as an economic adviser in the public sector, spending time in two government departments. He joined NCB Stockbrokers in the mid 80s where he spent most of the following decade. In 1994, he left to join the newly established wealth advisory firm, Harvest Financial Services, as investment director. From a standing start, Harvest has grown to over €1 billion in client assets and employing 55 people. The firm was wholly acquired by the Irish Life Assurance Group in 2021. Since that date, Harvest has become part of Unio Wealth Management, a wealth advisory firm established by Irish Life, and Terry has joined the Investment Committee of the enlarged firm.

Darragh Granahan
Darragh Granahan is the head of fund solutions within Fineco Asset Management. He has been part of the strong growth of the firm where he has been managing multi-asset and equity fund of funds since its inception in 2018. Previously, he worked in Scotland as an analyst on the quantitative investment strategies team in Abrdn and as a portfolio construction and risk analyst with Scottish Widows investment partnership. Darragh has a degree in Quantitative Finance from Dublin City University, a master’s in Finance and Investment from the University of Edinburgh and is a CFA charterholder.

John Mullane
John Mullane, CFA, FCA is the Chief Investment Officer of Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland, one of Ireland’s leading wealth management firms. John has two decades of finance experience, the majority of which has been gained across the asset and wealth management arena. Prior to joining Cantor Fitzgerald, John was an institutional equity portfolio manager at a leading North American asset manager. He also worked as a sell-side investment analyst for leading investment banks in both London and Dublin. John is a regular contributor to the broadcast and print media on financial markets, which includes a regular column in the Sunday Business Post. He also plays an active role in Ireland’s financial services industry as member of the Euronext Equity Capital Markets Forum along with being a judge of the both the CFA Research Challenge and the Irish Published Accounts Awards. He is a CFA Charterholder, a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and has undertaken executive education at the Yale School of Management.
Selector Spotlight: "USA 2025, the year ahead..."
Earlier this year, the IMF warned US that despite robust, dynamic growth, raising taxes to curb rising debt levels was recommendable and, in its closing statement for its "Article IV" review of U.S. economic policies, added that high deficits and debt "create a growing risk to the U.S. and global economy, potentially feeding into higher fiscal financing costs and a growing risk to the smooth rollover of maturing obligations". Indeed, in US about $8 trillion in existing debt will mature in 2025 and the US government will have to rollover and refinance that existing debt, then also borrow an extra $2 trillion or more to cover the 2025 budget deficit. The U.S. is predicted to see the greatest accumulation in gross debt in the next five years, with the IMF projecting a 8.6% increase from 2024 to 2029 and, the US debt will most likely hit $40 trillion in debt in 2026 regardless of who wins the election. All this while the IMF forecasts U.S. growth in 2025 to dip to 1.9% and remaining above 2% through the end of the decade.
So… US Election 2024 election results: what's in store for investors? And, to what extent does the US stock market remain the place to be? 2025, US Growth vs US Value, which stocks will offer greater returns? And in which US sectors, investment themes and strategies are you likely to find the best investment opportunities next year? On the contrary, where are you likely to find less value? But also, how worried are you about the US debt? And how long can America afford its debts? Corporate debt, which sectors, investment themes and strategies are you likely to find the best investment opportunities next year? On the contrary, where are you likely to find less value? Last but not least, US markets in 2025, what’s your biggest fear? And, if you could work with an asset manager and launch a new strategy investing in the US to generate returns in 2025, what would that be and why?
In this new ground-breaking session, our guests, Tom Baragry, Head of Portfolio Management at Bank of Ireland; Shane Murphy, Head of Manager Selection and Derivatives, Irish Life Investment Managers; and Paul Nicholson, Head of Investment Strategy at Davy, chaired by Gillian Jones, Vice President at Amundi, will drill down on these and many more burning questions, bringing our audience precious food for thought!
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Workshops
Workshops
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Fund Group Workshop
Company Profile:
Comgest is an independent investment firm which has been committed to responsible Quality Growth investing since 1985. Headquartered in Paris, with over 30 nationalities represented across our teams and 13 offices worldwide, we are a truly global firm. We foster a strong partnership culture, with the majority of employees also being shareholders. This broad-based equity ownership extends beyond senior management to include both investment and operational teams, ensuring alignment with our clients' interests throughout the firm.
Our culture values ownership, transparency, and collaboration, shaping our approach to Quality Growth investing. Our investment strategy is long-term and unconstrained by benchmarks, geographies, or sectors. This flexibility allows us to prioritise bottom-up stock selection driven by fundamental research. We target companies with durable competitive advantages, aiming to construct portfolios that deliver sustainable, superior EPS growth over a five-year horizon. We believe sustainable earnings per share growth leads to greater investment returns at below-average risk.
Speakers
James Hanford
Analyst/Portfolio Manager
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James Hanford joined Comgest in 2018 and is an Analyst and Portfolio Manager specialising in European equities. James contributes widely to the investment team’s research coverage for a diverse selection of pan-European quality growth stocks. He started his career in 2011 as an Analyst at Credit Suisse and prior to joining Comgest spent four years as a global generalist at Capital Group. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Durham where he graduated top of his class and holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Cambridge. He is also a CFA® charterholder.
Representatives
Tom Culhane
Investor Relations.
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Tom has eleven years of experience in the financial industry having worked at BMO Global Asset Management, T. Rowe Price and Impax Asset Management. He holds a MSc in Business & Management as well as an BA in Business Enterprise Development, both from the University of Portsmouth. Additionally, Tom holds the Investment Management Certificate and the CFA Certificate in ESG investing.
Millie Mather
Investor Relations
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Millie Mather joined Comgest in August 2024 and is responsible for developing client relationships with Institutional Investors. Prior to joining Comgest, Millie worked at J O Hambro and has 7 years industry experience. Millie holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Birmingham alongside her Investment Management Certificate and CFA Certificate in ESG Investing.

Fund Group Workshop

Global core bonds: generating yield and returns amid volatility
Join us to explore the Nedgroup Global Strategic Bond Fund, designed to deliver steady above inflation returns and yield by finding value in the global bond market. The fund is managed by two seasoned investors. combining top-down rate decisions with bottom-up credit selection to proactively adapt to market conditions.
We'll be discussing our credit selection, interest rate management, and our asset allocation approach as markets evolve. Additionally, we'll share our views on current macroeconomic themes and their impact on the portfolio, providing insights into opportunities and risk. In an environment of rate cuts and ongoing volatility, we believe that core global bonds can be an anchor for returns and yield.
Workshop Objective:
Gain insights into the fund's strategy, credit selection, and macroeconomic perspectives for informed investment decisions. Share best ideas, insights, and the team's outlook. Engage in an interactive conversation and get your questions ready.
Company Profile:
Nedgroup Investments is a global asset manager with over $20 billion in assets under management. At Nedgroup Investments, we believe that everyone should benefit from the difference that the best boutiques bring. As an investment-led company, we are dedicated to finding exceptional fund managers and providing the right conditions for them to excel. We cultivate decades-long relationships to enable managers and teams to thrive in the long term, offering our clients greater choice, better access, and deeper alignment with their investments. We champion boutiques. We select excellence. We partner for decades.
Speakers
Alex Ralph
Co-Portfolio Manager
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Alex Ralph, a seasoned fixed-income investor with over 20 years of experience, is known for her impressive track record. At Artemis Investment Management, she established the bond desk, launched the Artemis Strategic Bond Fund, and led the Artemis High Income Fund, managing £3 billion in credit. She holds a BSc in Economics from LSE and is a CFA Charter holder. In 2023, she joined Nedgroup Investments as Senior Fund Manager.
Representatives
Laetitia de Pastre
Client Solutions Lead
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Laetitia joined Nedgroup Investments in 2023 as Client Solutions Lead, responsible business development and growth in Europe. Prior to this she was at American Century Investments in 2014 covering business development and client service responsibility in EMEA. She held this position since 2014. Prior to American Century Investments, she worked at Rabobank International and Société Générale in structured products and derivatives, in Switzerland and then London. She earned a master's degree in management from EMLYON in France.
Rachel Canning
Distribution Support Manager
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Fund Group Workshop
Agenda
12:30 - 13:30
Registration and Lunch
13:30 - 13:40
Welcome
13:40-14:10
Workshop Session 1
14:20 - 14:50
Workshop Session 2
15:00 - 15:30
Workshop Session 3
15:40 - 16:10
Workshop Session 4
16:20 - 16:50
Fund Group Workshop 5
16:50 - 17:40
Selector Hard Talk
17:40
Networking drinks