While the US is often celebrated for its innovation, Europe's technological prowess remains under-appreciated in the global investment landscape. Beneath the surface of its storied industrial heritage, the continent is quietly nurturing a vibrant ecosystem of cutting-edge innovation.

We invite you to discover the untapped potential of European innovation, stock-picked by our Portfolio Manager Anis Lahlou, who has been exclusively focusing on this opportunity set for the past 20 years at Aperture Investors and previously at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Through the "Aperture European Innovation" strategy, Anis and his team are unlocking the region's overlooked opportunities, revealing hidden champions that are driving industry transformation and global progress.

Workshop Objectives:

To gain insights into:

1.    Our unique investment philosophy
2.    Europe's dynamic innovation landscape

Do not miss this chance to be ahead of the curve in recognising Europe's technological renaissance.

Company Profile: Aperture Investors is an alternative asset manager that invests across credit and equity ecosystems and geographies. The goal is to generate compelling returns in capacity constrained strategies while maintaining a client-centric focus.

The firm was founded in September 2018 via a partnership between Generali Insurance (70% ownership) and its CEO Peter Kraus (30% ownership), who previously was the  CEO of AllianceBernstein and former Co-Head of the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs. 

AUM is over US$3.5bn, spread across five equity products and two credit-focused products. The firm has over 60 employees, with offices in New York (HQ), London and Paris.

Many asset allocators are taking a fresh look at the Emerging Markets asset class, whilst others are questioning its role in portfolios. Over the last decade, investors in EM haven’t been compensated for the additional risk, as returns have lagged Developed Markets…but that hasn’t always been the case. Looking back through the history of EM investing, it’s hard to remember a time where the outlook for EM has looked stronger.

Workshop Objective: To provide reasons to be positive on Emerging Markets. A comparison to developed markets, a discussion on why active and where we believe there is growth.

Company Profile: Baillie Gifford’s sole business is investment management. Since the company was founded in 1908 it has been a partnership. Today it is owned by 58 partners all of whom work in the business.
We believe that the best investment ideas spring from thinking about future possibilities, not short-term probabilities. We set no barriers to the imagination of our investors, encouraging fresh perspectives and the use of diverse sources of information. We term ourselves Actual Investors.
We currently manage or advise some £221.2bn (as at 30 April 2024) on behalf of clients worldwide. Whilst we are predominantly an institutional manager (circa 80% of FUM), we offer an extensive range of investment trusts and open-ended funds to UK wealth managers and intermediaries. 

The purpose of this workshop is to first detail the benefits of identifying and investing in the right US Equity Growth companies when they are small and holding them for the long term as they will provide substantial benefits to investors particularly given the level of innovation and depth of the US market. We will then detail how to access smaller US Equity Growth companies and benefit from their long term growth as they become mid and large cap companies that outperform the market over the long term by investing in the Baron Capital US All Cap Focused Growth Fund.

Workshop Objective:  This workshop will enable attendees to understand the benefits of investing in the right US Equity Growth companies when they are small and holding them for the long term by investing in the Baron Capital US All Cap Focused Growth Fund.

Understanding the value and role of fixed income securities is important. Within a changing rate environment, a multi-sector approach can provide opportunities to capitalize on attractive securities within Treasuries, Mortgages, Asset-Backed Securities (ABS), Investment Grade Corporates, High Yield, Emerging Markets, and more. Federal Reserve actions or lack thereof impact markets quickly so forecasting expectations and preparing ahead of time can influence investment outcomes. Federated Hermes has been a leader in fixed income investing for over 50 years. Nicholas Tripodes, Head of the Low Duration/Structured Products Group, brings over 30 years of experience to the conversation. In today’s fast-paced and distracted world, Nick will focus on what matters utilizing a top-down approach combining Sector, Duration Management, Yield Curve, and Currency with a bottom up approach using Security Selection to optimize risk adjusted returns across global fixed income markets.  

Workshop Objective:
•    Learn the value of multi-sector fixed income investing  
•    Understand the key decision factors at play in fixed income markets 
•    Current views and market outlook

Private equity secondaries gives investors the opportunity to gain private equity exposure and can serve as a useful diversification tool to actively rebalance portfolios. Potential benefits of a secondary strategy include: broad diversification, potential for earlier cash returns, reduced investment risk and mitigation of primary J-curve. Growing PE inventory and turnover have buoyed the secondary market since 2017, along with an LP need for liquidity, creating a strong opportunity for high quality secondary managers to generate attractive risk adjusted returns. The demand for private asset like returns from the wealth channel has driven the adoption of open-ended, semi-liquid strategies and PE secondaries, due to their fast settlement and quicker paydowns, could be an ideal asset class to be housed within these wealth focused fund structures.

Company Profile: At Franklin Templeton, we offer the scale, experience, resources, and choice necessary to meet the sophisticated investor’s needs. We have an expansive footprint across a range of asset classes including private equity, private real estate, alternative credit and hedge strategies available through a variety of structures, with $255bn* alternative assets under management (as of 30 June 2024) and 40 years of alternative investing. We will continue to build innovative products through our expanding collection of independent specialist investment managers, each of whom has deep expertise in managing alternative asset classes and investment outcomes.

Understand the forces driving the significant opportunity expansion in the high-return area of private credit.  Review how capital solutions can target equity-like returns with meaningfully greater downside mitigations in today’s market.  Finally, discuss risk/return profile across the spectrum of capital solutions borrowers from small capitalization businesses to larger upper middle market companies.

As Park Square reflects on two decades running private credit capital, Martino explores our investment philosophy, the maturing junior debt market and the compelling absolute returns offered by junior capital solutions. As sophisticated credit investors continue to evolve with the asset class, Martino highlights the rise of evergreen funds as new investors access the asset class.

Workshop Objective:

·        Introduction to private credit

·        Park Square’s quality-based investment approach

·        Compelling junior debt opportunities

: In this presentation Richard will analyse how private equity has managed to outperform through each of the biggest market crises in recent years, why it achieved this and what are the key learnings. He will then look at which part of the private equity market looks most attractive today and stands best chance of continuing to deliver on this long-term record.

Workshop Objective: By the end of the session, the investor will have a better understanding of how private equity has performed over time relative to listed equities, as well as learning about the importance of diversification and investing for the longer term.

Principal Investor Management (DIFC) Limited (“Principal”), specializes in distributing and promoting asset management products and services from Principal Asset Management, the global investment solutions business for Principal Financial Group® which manages US$1.6 trillion in AuA for more than 1,100 institutional clients in more than 80 markets worldwide (as of September 30, 2024).  Principal Asset Management manages over US$ 585.6bn in AuM in public markets, private markets and solutions strategies.  Principal is registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre and authorized by the Dubai Financial Services Authority as an Authorised Firm serving institutional investors, pension plan sponsors and sovereign wealth fund managers throughout the Middle East.  Principal Financial Group and its affiliates have maintained an active presence in the UAE since 2011.