Speakers
Dr. Tim Leunig
Dr. Tim Leunig is a prize-winning economist and policy advisor whose work spans economic history, urban planning, and public policy. A Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, Tim has advised Chancellors, Cabinet Ministers, and Prime Ministers, shaping major economic and social policies.
After working in academia, Tim joined the policy world, first at the Centre for Cities influencing urban policy, infrastructure, and strategies to promote economic growth in cities across, and then in government. He served as Chief Economist at the Department for Education, devising policies on school funding, performance measurement, and curriculum reforms. He worked on housing policy and the expansion plans for Heathrow Airport. He was also Economic Adviser to Chancellors Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak. Significantly, and contrary to the existing plans of the Treasury, he conceived the UK’s furlough scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting millions of jobs.
Having left government, Tim explores the real world effects of economic policy. He considers how it affects businesses and individuals, and provides insights into decision-making, productivity, and long-term economic growth. He’s a regular commentator to The Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph, and The Guardian, and has contributed to programmes on Radio 1 and Radio 4.
Tim has also served as Director of Economics at Public First, and as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Royal Historical Society, and a Governor of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
Dr. Lucy Beresford
Lucy Beresford is an experienced radio and TV broadcaster, practising psychotherapist, author, and wellbeing warrior. Her TEDx talk “Infidelity: to stay or to go?” has been viewed on You Tube over 3.2 million times.
A former Investment Banker, she is the go-to woman in the media to analyse politics, current affairs, relationships, and psychology.
Best known for hosting a hugely-successful weekly phone-in show on LBC Radio exploring sex and relationships, Lucy now hosts the successful podcast On The Couch for Reaction which looks at politics through the lens of psychology
She is a regular panelist on The Jeremy Vine show on Channel 5, The Weekend on GB News, and reviews the papers for Sky News and Times Radio.
Lucy is the founder of The Kindness Club, and its award-winning Refuge for Books scheme, which creates libraries in shelters run by the UK domestic violence charity Refuge.
She is the author of 4 best-selling books, including the international best-seller HAPPY RELATIONSHIPS: at home, work, and play.
She is a passionate advocate for self-care as the cornerstone of all relationships, and her mission is to demystify psychology and smash the remaining stigmas around mental health.
Twitter: @lucyberesford
Instagram: @thelucyberesford1
Alfie Moore
Alfie Moore was a serving police sergeant with the Humberside Constabulary for 18 years. Somewhat unusually he is now a professional stand-up comedian with four sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows under his belt as well as his own Radio 4 series.
After dinner, Alfie shines his torch on some of the more bizarre aspects of modern policing - like calling prisoners ‘customers’. He also takes a light-hearted swipe at the twin burdens of paperwork and political correctness, and demonstrates the pitfalls of trying to arrest a man fleeing the scene of crime dressed as a carrot or tasering a man wearing nothing but flip-flops. All in a day’s work for the modern police officer.
Alfie’s Radio 4 show, It’s a Fair Cop, is a huge hit showcasing his deadpan look at the policeman’s lot and asking the audience how they’d fair in law enforcement. He’s also appeared in The Independent, on Radio 4’s Today programme, Sky News, Comic Relief and The Wright Stuff, as well as on Radio 5Live. Alfie also competed in ITV’s Show Me The Funny.
Stevie Ward
Stevie Ward is a former professional rugby player who was part of the golden generation at Leeds Rhinos, one of the most successful teams in Super League history. He became the youngest Grand Final winner, securing 3 Grand Finals and 2 Challenge Cups. At just 26, he was named captain. However, Stevie faced significant challenges, undergoing 10 surgeries and struggling with mental health issues. He had to retire at 27 due to a brain injury.
This adversity led Stevie to launch Mantality in 2016. The initiative promotes mental health for men through counseling, life coaching services, and a podcast that breaks the stigma around mental health.
Stevie also works with Premier League football teams, athletes, and creatives through keynote talks, leadership programs, and one-on-one coaching. He helps them discover their authentic game plan.
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Workshops
Workshops
Systematizing Active Management
Financial science and our understanding of what drives asset prices have evolved considerably since the advent of computers allowed large data sets to be analysed more quickly and easily. The implications on the financial services industry have also been significant, including the introduction of passive index funds, single-factor and multi-factor strategies. But has factor building been overdone? What are the implications of this research for asset allocators as they build equity portfolios?
In this presentation we provide a review of the literature on factors and recommends returning to the concepts underlying factors, explaining how fundamental active management can be systematized and providing investors a more cohesive framework to construct an efficient equity allocation.
Workshop Objective:
• Delegates will evaluate the distinctions between non-total market index strategies, factor-based strategies, and other equity allocation approaches.
• Delegates will explore how design decisions can have the potential to influence the active risk profile of an equity portfolio.
Company Profile:
Powered by Financial Science
Our strategies share a common investment approach that combines a philosophy based on financial science with expert implementation aimed at increasing expected returns and managing risks.
Decades of Real-World Experience
The leadership team has decades of experience delivering repeatable and effective investment solutions across geographies and through different market cycles. The team is well recognized by investors worldwide.
Built on a Solid Foundation with a Unique Purpose
Avantis Investors is backed by American Century Investments a $261 billion* asset manager with a reputation for client care, stewardship and stability—bringing great scale to our efforts and allowing long-term focus.
Avantis assets exceed $86 billion.
Speakers
Richard Adams
Senior Investment Specialist & Head of EMEA
Richard is responsible for directing the firm’s client business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and developing and implementing the firm’s long-term distribution strategy for the region. Prior to joining American Century Investments in 2018, he was a director and client portfolio manager covering global, U.S. and Japan equities for Columbia Threadneedle Investments. He previously served as a senior fixed income specialist at Columbia Threadneedle. Prior to that, Richard was a fixed income portfolio manager for ING Investment Management. He also served as a U.S. equity portfolio manager at Singer & Friedlander. He has worked in the investment industry since 2001. Richard holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in finance from the University of London, and a postgraduate diploma from the University of Oxford.
Representatives
Ben Day, CAIA
Head of UK Distribution
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Ben has over 20 years’ experience in the asset management industry. Ben joined American Century in 2018 responsible for Institutional business development and client service for the UK/Netherlands region. Prior to American Century, Ben spent five years with Stratton Street Capital in London as Head of Sales. Prior to that, Ben worked as a Head of Sales at Esemplia Emerging Markets, a Legg Mason affiliate. Ben earned a BA (Hons) in Economics and is a CAIA Charterholder® from the CFA Institute.
Robbie Main
UK Sales
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Robbie is responsible for developing new and maintaining existing relationships with wealth management professionals across the UK & Ireland. He joined Avantis Investors in January 2025, having spent eight years at Dimensional Fund Advisors, most recently in Canada. In his role in Canada, Robbie was responsible for developing new business with Financial Intermediaries across Eastern Canada. In London, Robbie worked within the Product team to support EMEA Executive in the maintaining and enhancements to the UCITS range which investors purchased across Europe and Asia. Robbie holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and has completed the Investment Management Certificate.
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US Growth : Avoid at your Peril
The rapid pace of change can be unsettling. Disruption is coming in a variety of forms; technological, political and cultural. America, the world’s dominant economy, sits at the centre of it. In this presentation, you will hear how the Baillie Gifford American Fund takes advantage of disruption via a portfolio of America’s most exceptional growth companies.
Workshop Objectives:
-Examine the role of US companies in reshaping the world order
-Gain insight into the frameworks to help navigate this environment
-Explore the trade-off between risk, volatility, and long-term returns
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 59 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 £197bn 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.
Speakers
Tom Slater
Investment Manager
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Tom is head of the US Equities Team. He joined Baillie Gifford in 2000 and became a partner in 2012. After serving as deputy manager for five years, Tom was appointed joint manager of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust in 2015. During his time at Baillie Gifford, he has also worked in the Developed Asia, UK Equity and Long-Term Global Growth teams. Tom’s investment interest is focused on high growth companies both in listed equity markets and as an investor in private companies. He graduated BSc in Computer Science with Mathematics from the University of Edinburgh in 2000.
Representatives
Laura Ingleby
Client Relationship Director
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Laura joined Baillie Gifford in 2010 and is a client relationship director responsible for the North and Midlands. Prior to Baillie Gifford she worked at Norwich Union in Leeds as a business development manager before moving to Close Fund Management as a regional sales manager for the North and Scotland. Laura graduated in German from the University of St Andrews in 1998.
Nathan Evans
Client Relationship Manager
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Nathan joined Baillie Gifford in 2020 as part of the UK Intermediaries Team. He graduated MA (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Edinburgh in 2018.
In a world of change, take a new perspective
We appear to be undergoing seismic shifts in the global economic and geopolitical landscapes, as well as equity markets that have become increasingly difficult to navigate. But far from being phased by these conditions, as bottom-up investors we are excited about the diverse range of long-term opportunities that could emerge. Capital Group New Perspective is a global equity strategy that has been investing in change for over 50 years, looking to identify companies that we believe will benefit from shifts in global trade patterns as well as economic and political relationships.
Workshop Objective:
-Delegates will examine the seismic changes that are currently impacting the global economy and financial markets
-Delegates will analyse approaches to navigating global equity markets.
Company Profile:
Capital Group is one of the oldest and largest asset management companies in the world, managing multi-asset, equity and fixed income investment 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. Today, Capital Group works with financial intermediaries and institutions to manage more than US$2.8 trillion in long-term assets for investors around the world.
* As at 31 December 2024.
Speakers
John Lamb
Investment Specialist
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John Lamb is an investment specialist at Capital Group. He has nine years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for six years. Prior to joining Capital, John worked as a strategic product management associate at BlackRock. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and management from the University of Oxford. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. John is based in London.
Representatives
Adam Price
Managing Director, Financial Intermediaries
Adam Price is a Managing Director, Financial Intermediaries at Capital Group. He has 13 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for nine years. Prior to joining Capital, Adam worked in structured products at UBS Investment Bank. He holds a bachelor's degree in business management with honors from University of Leeds. Adam also holds an Investment Management Certificate. Adam is based in London.
Shreya Anil
Associate Director, Financial Intermediaries & Strategic Partners
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Shreya Anil is Associate Director for financial intermediaries & strategic partners, UK & Channel Islands at Capital Group. She has been with Capital Group for three years. Prior to joining Capital, Shreya worked in market research at a medical recruitment company and has experience of working on the future trading desk at Amplify Trading. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from King’s College London. Shreya is based in London.
Navigating global fixed income markets through a flexible, high alpha approach
How should investors be thinking about fixed income markets in 2025? Join Mike Riddell, portfolio manager of the Fidelity Strategic Bond Fund, to learn about the factors shaping global fixed income markets and how he is navigating a complex backdrop by leveraging alpha from across four core areas.
Workshop Objective:
Delegates will analyse the latest macro events and the implications for global fixed income markets
-Delegates will analyse four key sources of alpha:
• Interest Rates
• Inflation
• Currencies
• Credit
-Delegates will explore current example trades from across the four key alpha sources
Company Profile:
At Fidelity International, our purpose is to work together to build better financial futures for our clients and we believe that investing, over the long-term, is critical to achieving that. As a family and management-owned company, we think generationally in terms of the services we build and provide, as well as the way in which we invest on our clients’ behalf.
Our focus is on delivering sustainable investment returns for our clients, while managing our impact on society and the environment. To do this, we incorporate sustainability into our business operations and our investment process, working with investee companies to help them operate more sustainably in order to deliver those long-term returns and secure a better future for all.
Speakers
Mike Riddell
Lead Portfolio Manager for Fidelity Strategic Bond Fund
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Mike joined Fidelity in July 2024 and is the Lead Portfolio Manager for Fidelity’s Strategic Bond strategies. He works closely with Co-PM Tim Foster and the wider Fidelity Fixed Income team using a team-based investment approach. Mike joined Fidelity with extensive experience in unconstrained fixed income strategies, having previously led Allianz Global Investors’ Macro Unconstrained Fixed Income team.
Representatives
Oli Khalil-Martin, CFA
Investment Director
Oli Khalil-Martin is an Investment Director in Fidelity International’s Fixed Income Team with primary responsibility for Strategic Bond and Emerging Market Debt strategies. He previously covered Fidelity’s retail and institutional Money Market strategies and has over 12 years of industry experience. Oli joined Fidelity in 2015 from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where he had worked in the Fixed Income Product Management and RFP teams.
Oli holds a Master of Arts degree in Classics from Trinity College, University of Cambridge and is a CFA charterholder.
Matt Wright
Regional Sales Manager - Wholesale Sales, Fidelity International
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Matt joined Fidelity (Australia) in July 2018 and transferred to the Fidelity UK business in July 2023 as a Regional Sales Manager.
Matt is responsible for growing, building, and maintaining relationships with Wealth Managers/IM’s, financial advisers, stockbrokers and high net worth investors in the North & Central England region. Providing investment solutions and assisting them with their investment philosophy, fund selection, investment portfolios and asset allocation to ensure their clients successfully achieve performance outcomes and objectives.
Prior to joining Fidelity International, Matt worked in the investment arm for National Australia Bank for 9 years, as a Business Development Manager/Investment Specialist. He also has a Bachelor of Commerce (finance and marketing) from the University Of Wollongong, a Diploma of Financial Planning and a Diploma of Business Management.
Jennifer Macbeth
Sales Associate Director
Jennifer joins Fidelity from Columbia Threadneedle, where she served as Strategic Client Manager. In this role, she was responsible for managing advisory and discretionary client relationships across Scotland, North East England and Northern Ireland. She has nearly 20 years of financial services experience with previous roles at Ignis Asset Management and F&C. In her new role at Fidelity, Jennifer will lead sales initiatives across Scotland and Northern Ireland. She will work closely with financial advisers and intermediary clients to deliver tailored investment solutions, while also playing a pivotal role in strengthening Fidelity’s presence and accelerating business growth in the region.
Phoenix from the flames
UK small cap companies have derated in recent years as UK economic and political uncertainty have created headwinds. Yet, management teams have weathered the storms and are coming out the other side stronger.
Dan Green is excited to discuss with you some of the misunderstood qualities of UK companies. Following a challenging few years, are UK companies ready to rise from the ashes?
Workshop Objective:
Delegates will examine potential prospects for the UK small cap market.
Company Profile:
Martin Currie is a global active equity specialist within Franklin Templeton, one of the world’s leading asset managers. We build concentrated, best-idea portfolios that create conviction in fast-changing markets.
Our talented, autonomous teams are backed by a distinctive and supportive investment culture. With stewardship at our heart of the business, we employ long-term, original thinking to deliver sustainable investment returns.
Speakers
Dan Green, CFA
Portfolio Manager & Research Analyst
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Dan Green is a portfolio manager and equity research analyst for the Martin Currie UK Equity team, focusing on UK small and mid-cap equities. He is lead portfolio manager of the FTF Martin Currie UK Smaller Companies Fund and manages the small cap portion of the FTF Martin Currie UK Manager's Focus Fund.
Dan joined the UK equity team in September 2015. He began his career with PwC working predominately with financial services clients before joining JP Morgan to work as equity derivatives analyst. He later worked at Deutsche Bank as an Assistant Vice President in the valuations team.
Representatives
Jessie Wilson
Client Portfolio Manager
Jessie is a Client Portfolio Manager dedicated to the UK Equities team. She bridges the gap between our investors and clients, enabling the investment team to focus on what they do best. She has nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry with the majority of her career in client focused roles at investment managers.
Dan Williams
Business Development Director
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Dan Williams is a business development director at Franklin Templeton Investments, responsible for relationships and investment fund distribution in the North of England and Scotland.
He joined the Franklin Templeton Leeds office in 2013 as a Sales Support Executive. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, he worked at RBS Global Banking & Markets in roles within Interest Rate Derivatives Operations and FX Prime Brokerage. Dan studied Virtual Reality Design at the University of Huddersfield and holds the CFA Level 4 Investment Management Certificate and the CISI Level 3 Certificate in Investments.
Bringing the Future Forward: An Introduction to Global Stars
Designed for accelerated wealth creation in today’s fast paced world, the Global Stars strategy seeks to identify tomorrow’s winners: companies on the road to corporate excellence alongside best-in-class established, but still growing franchises.
Managed by Lead Portfolio Manager Alex Gabriele together with Richard Perrott from the team best known for the Global Brands Fund, the strategy’s dual focus on quality and growth aims to deliver steady compounding over time whilst also capturing attractive upside during momentum-driven markets. In a year marked by exuberant markets and distracting headlines, the strategy has got off to a strong start: backing winners while avoiding the pitfalls of index-relative thinking.
Workshop Objective:
Against the context of exuberant markets despite seismic geopolitical shifts, examine how a concentrated portfolio of high-quality, growth-oriented companies can serve long-term investors while seeking to avoid the pitfalls of index relative thinking.
Company Profile:
MSIM, with $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025, is a client-centric organization dedicated to providing investment and risk-management solutions to a wide range of investors and institutions including corporations, pension plans, intermediaries, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, endowments and foundations, governments and consultant partners worldwide.
With over four decades of asset management experience, our investment strategies span the risk/return spectrum across geographies, investment styles and asset classes, including equity, fixed income, alternatives and private markets. MSIM offers its clients personalized attention, the intelligence and creativity of some of the brightest professionals in the industry, and access to the global resources of Morgan Stanley.
Speakers
Candida de Silva
Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Specialist, International Equity Team
Candida de Silva, Managing Director, is a portfolio specialist on the International Equity team, based in London. She joined Morgan Stanley in August 2019 and has 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining the firm, she spent 11 years at BlackRock, most recently as Head of the UK Charities & Endowments business, having previously served as Head of EMEA Retail Marketing. This was preceded by roles at Goldman Sachs Asset Management as well as Mellon and its subsidiary Newton Investment Management. Candida holds an M.A. in Modern Languages from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She was highly commended in the category of Fund Saleswoman of the Year in the Investment Week Women in Investment Awards 2021 and selected as one of Brummell’s Inspirational Women 2023 for pioneering positive change in their workplace. Candida leads retention efforts for MSIM EMEA’s Diversity Focus Committee and is a trustee for a girls’ educational foundation.
Representatives
Daniel Hawkes
Head of UK Intermediary Sales
Daniel is a member of the UK Intermediary Distribution team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2015 and has 24 years of related industry experience. Prior to joining MSIM, Daniel worked at Columbia Threadneedle Investments for 11 years and both Cofunds and Fidelity before that. Daniel holds a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Wales, Bangor and holds the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) Level 6.
Harvey Lewis
UK Intermediary Sales
Harvey is a member of the UK Intermediary Distribution team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He joined Morgan Stanley full time in 2015, having interned in 2014, and has nine years of industry related experience. Harvey received a B.A in Economics and Politics from the University of Nottingham and holds the Investment Management Certificate (Level 6).
NB Global Equity Megatrends: High conviction on long-term structural change
Investing in companies that are uniquely positioned to benefit from powerful secular change should help to mitigate investment risk – particularly important at this time of tremendous innovation and disruption, and unprecedented business and economic uncertainty.
Workshop Objectives:
Delegates will examine how structural shifts in the global economy can impact investment strategies and will explore such approaches.
Company Profile:
Neuberger Berman was founded in 1939 to do one thing: deliver compelling investment results for our clients over the long term. This remains our singular purpose today, driven by a culture rooted in deep fundamental research, the pursuit of investment insight and continuous innovation on behalf of clients, and facilitated by the free exchange of ideas across the organization.
As a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager, Neuberger Berman is structurally aligned with the long-term interests of our clients. We have no external parent or public shareholders to serve, nor other lines of business to distract us from our core mission. And with our employees and their families invested alongside our clients—plus 100% of employee deferred cash compensation directly linked to team and firm strategies—we are truly in this together.
Speakers
Maximiliano Rohm
Portfolio Manager for the Global Equity Megatrends
Maximiliano Rohm, Portfolio Manager for the Global Equity Megatrends team, joined the firm in 2006. Before joining the Global Equity Megatrends team in 2017, Maxi was the Head of Corporate Development for Latin America, overseeing Neuberger Berman’s client efforts in the region. Prior to this, Maxi was a member of Neuberger Berman’s Corporate Strategy team, focusing on business development and strategic acquisitions for the firm.
Representatives
Adrian Sharpe
Relationship Manager
Adrian Sharpe, Vice President, is a Relationship Manager within Neuberger Berman's EMEA Client Group. Adrian's focus is on expanding the firm's footprint with financial institutions and intermediary clients in the Midlands and North of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man.Adrian has more than 30 years of industry experience working in the U.K., U.S., Europe and Middle East. He joins the firm from Columbia Threadneedle, and has also worked at Standard Life, BNY Mellon and BlackRock.
Finding Value in the UK
After years of being overlooked, the UK equity market is beginning to capture investors’ attention again. The UK is home to a diverse range of high-quality businesses that are often trading at attractive valuations – and that have the potential to add significant value to portfolios.
Alessandro Dicorrado, Head of Value at Ninety One, will share his team’s disciplined approach to uncovering these hidden opportunities. He’ll explain why the UK remains fertile ground for value investing, and where they’re currently finding the most promising ideas.
Workshop Objective:
Delegates will explore how to identify undervalued opportunities in the UK equity market using a value investing framework.
Company Profile:
Investing for a world of change
Ninety One is an active, global investment manager managing EUR 156.3 billion in assets (as at 31.03.25). Our goal is to provide long-term investment returns for our clients while making a positive difference to people and the planet.
Established in South Africa in 1991, as Investec Asset Management, the firm began as a small start-up offering domestic investments in an emerging market. In 2020, as a global firm proud of our emerging market roots, we demerged to become Ninety One.
We are committed to developing specialist investment teams organically. Our heritage and approach let us bring a different perspective to active and sustainable investing across equities, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives to our clients - institutions, advisors and individual investors around the world.
Speakers
Alessandro Dicorrado
Head of Value
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Alessandro is a portfolio manager within the Value team at Ninety One. He manages the UK Value Equity and Global Value Equity strategies.
Alessandro initially joined the firm as an analyst in the Value team. Previously he worked at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co as a fixed income derivatives salesperson in London.
He graduated from University College London in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Economics and holds a Masters degree in Finance from the London Business School. He has passed Level III of the CFA® Programme.
Representatives
Jon Robinson
Sales Director
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Jon is the sales director for the North of England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man within the UK Client Group at Ninety One. He is responsible for managing key relationships with wealth manager and advisory clients.
Prior to joining Ninety One in 2015, Jon worked at MetLife as business development manager supporting IFAs in North West of England. Jon has also worked for Living Time as regional account director for the North specialising in the fixed term drawdown market.
Matthew Barton
Sales Manager
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Matthew is a sales manager in Ninety One’s UK Client Group. He provides support to sales directors, working with both prospective and existing retail clients. His focus is in the North of England, Ireland and Scotland.
Prior to joining the firm, Matthew was business development support at AJ Bell, and before that he was a senior corporate actions administrator.
Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree and Master of Science in Management from University of York. He has also completed the MIFID qualification from Fitch.
Exploring a World of Credit Opportunities: Why being active in your credit selection in fixed income is important
Valuation points to a lower probability of equity outperformance over fixed income in part because the outlook for high quality fixed income is as good as it has been in a long time. After steep post-pandemic rate hikes, bond markets have made it to the other side. Investors can now benefit from higher yields plus potential price appreciation given central banks have ample room to cut rates. Join Saurabh Sud, EVP and Portfolio Manager of the PIMCO Credit Opportunities Bond fund to learn more about where PIMCO are finding opportunities in Credit and why using an active manager in this space is particularly important to investors when markets are volatile.
Workshop Objective:
Delegates will explore factors influencing credit selection in fixed income investing under uncertain market conditions.
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
Saurabh Sud
Portfolio Manager, Global Credit
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Mr. Sud is an executive vice president and portfolio manager in the London office. He oversees European public corporate credit portfolios, including investment grade and leveraged finance, and is a senior member of PIMCO’s multi-sector and global investment grade credit portfolio management teams. He is currently a rotating member of the European Portfolio Committee and a rotating member of the Investment Committee. He rejoined PIMCO in 2024 and previously was with T. Rowe Price, where he led the launch of a liquid alternatives version of the multi-asset credit (long/short) strategy and co-managed the new income strategy; he was also co-head of the sector strategy advisory group and an advisory board member of the dynamic global bond and global multi-sector strategies. Prior to 2018, Mr. Sud was a PIMCO portfolio manager for credit absolute return and long duration credit strategies, and he was a member of the Americas Portfolio Committee. He has 17 years of investment experience and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School. He received an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He is a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
Joseph McCurdy
Account Manager, UK Global Wealth Management
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Mr. McCurdy is a vice president in U.K. global wealth management based in the London office. He is responsible for overseeing the development of PIMCO's business across the northern U.K., Isle of Man and Ireland, focusing on wealth managers, multi-managers and financial advisers. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2018, he was an investment director at Standard Life Investments. He has 22 years of investment and financial services experience and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Dundee.
Erwin Loop
Account Manager, UK Global Wealth Management
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Mr. Loop is an account manager within the global wealth management team in the London office, responsible for relationships with U.K. wealth managers, multi-managers, and banks. Additionally, he serves as a member of the team managing PIMCO’s U.K. foundation investment portfolio. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2024, Mr. Loop held various positions at BNP Paribas Asset Management, the Development Bank of Rwanda, and KBC Asset Management. He has five years of investment and financial services experience and holds an MBA from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and an undergraduate degree from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Navigating market change and building resilient portfolios
Join us for a timely discussion on how investors might navigate an increasingly inflation-prone and volatile market environment. The US has delivered exceptional equity market performance, but the conditions that supported this are evolving. These changes raise important questions for portfolio construction. Traditional sources of protection such as bonds and the US dollar may no longer offer the same reliability they once did. This session will explore the implications of these shifts and explore potential solutions, including the use of tools like derivatives, currencies, and the rising important of active management. The goal is to share perspectives and encourage discussion on building more resilient portfolios in a changing world.
Workshop Objectives:
- Examine the changing macroeconomic and market environment including rising inflation, increasing volatility and shifting dynamics in US equity market leadership.
- Assess the potential limitations of conventional sources of portfolio protection.
- Explore potential solutions and practical approaches to building more resilient portfolios
Company Profile:
At Ruffer, our aim is to deliver consistent positive returns through an unconstrained approach, regardless of how financial markets perform. We seek to achieve this by maintaining an offsetting balance of growth and protective assets and have achieved a long, successful track record of protecting and growing the value of our clients’ assets. Our approach has been successful through periods of market fragility including the bursting of the dot.com bubble, the credit crisis and covid-19. We aim to continue this success, whatever the future holds.
Speakers
Gemma Cairns-Smith
Investment Specialist
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Joined Ruffer in 2020 after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a first class degree in land economy. She spent three years with Ruffer’s private client team and now works as an investment specialist with wealth managers and advisors, as part of Ruffer’s UK wholesale team. She is a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
Garrey Hamilton
Director – UK Wholesale
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Joined Ruffer in 2021, having spent the previous 14 years at RLAM and Standard Life Investments. He holds the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning (CII) and the Investment Management Certificate (CFA). He is also a trustee of the Agnes Hunter Trust (SCIO), sitting on the investment committee.
India Somerside
Associate – UK Wholesale
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Joined Ruffer in 2023 and is an associate in the UK Wholesale team, working with financial advisers and wealth managers. Previously she has worked within fund servicing and equity research. She holds a first class degree in Law from the University of Edinburgh.
Doubling Down on Defence: Dividend Strength and Defence Stocks
There’s more than one way to stay defensive. In this session, we’ll walk through two strategies that continue to gain traction with investors: quality dividend-paying companies and listed defence firms. Both are backed by solid long-term trends, from the search for reliable income to rising global defence budgets. We’ll keep it simple, focusing on the key drivers behind each ETF, why investors are using them, and what sets them apart from other options out there. Whether markets stay volatile or settle down, these themes offer something different and worth a closer look.
Workshop Objective:
Delegates will explore dividend and defence ETFs, and how they can potentially be used within portfolios.
Company Profile:
With over $140 billion in AUM globally (as of 6 Aug 2025), VanEck is a global investment manager offering forward-thinking solutions to enhance portfolios. Our range spans intelligently designed ETFs, active strategies, and SMAs, providing targeted exposure to emerging industries, asset classes, and markets — as well as innovative core strategies. In Europe, VanEck manages over $24 billion in assets, with the majority held across 37 UCITS ETFs. These span thematic strategies, hard assets, strategic equity, dividend stocks, and more. We focus on identifying economic, technological, political, and social trends that drive compelling investment opportunities. A pioneer in international investing, gold, and ETFs, VanEck continues to deliver both core and specialised strategies designed to support diversification and long-term growth.
Speakers
Ahmet Dagli
VanEck, Head of UK, Ireland & Channel Islands
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Ahmet heads VanEck’s ETF distribution within the UK, Ireland & Channel Islands. Ahmet also supports the firm’s business and product development activities. With a background in Investment Analysis in the UK and Wealth Management within Switzerland and Malta, Ahmet joined VanEck in January 2018. He holds a degree in Business Economics from Hertfordshire University.
Roman Poole
VanEck, Associate Director
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Roman joined VanEck in 2022 and heads VanEck's distribution for Swiss wealth management firms, whilst also servicing institutional clients. Roman is involved in VanEck's product development strategy and is an active contributor to VanEck’s positioning of ETFs, regularly speaking at conferences and webinars. Previously, Roman was a corporate sales trader dealing G-10 and EM currencies. Roman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Banking and Finance and is a CFA Charterholder.
Representatives
Dan Lacey
VanEck, Sales Associate
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Dan joined VanEck in March 2025 and is responsible for supporting VanEck’s growth in the UK and Ireland. Prior to joining VanEck, Dan spent 4 years at Global X where he was part of the distribution team covering the UK and Ireland, promoting the firm’s range of ETFs. Dan holds a BSBA (Hons.) in Finance and Marketing from Northeastern University.
When the Benchmark Becomes the Bar: The rise of index investing
In recent years, market-cap-weighted indices—and the ETFs that track them—have repeatedly delivered returns that many active managers have struggled to match. This trend has been driven not only by structural cost advantages, but also by the growing concentration in large-cap growth stocks and the inherent skewness in equity return distributions. This session takes a closer look at the structural and market-driven forces behind passive dominance, and considers the implications for both core and satellite portfolio construction and fund selection going forward.
Workshop Objectives:
• Examine the key structural and market factors that have made benchmarks difficult to beat—including index concentration, mega-cap leadership, and style persistence
• Identify criteria for selecting ETFs as core building blocks, focusing on cost, liquidity, tracking quality, and implementation efficiency
• Explore how ETFs can be used beyond core holdings to enhance diversification and express targeted investment views through thematic, factor-based, or regional exposures
Company Profile:
Xtrackers, the passive solutions platform by DWS has one of the largest and most established product ranges in Europe, with a global presence and more than £200 billion in assets under management (as of July 2025). Xtrackers has an index track record going back over 20 years and offers a broad range of efficient, high-quality ETFs and ETCs on all major asset classes – equities, bonds and commodities, as well as bespoke strategies through index funds and segregated mandates. Xtrackers provides numerous building blocks across all wrappers for traditional investment strategies, ESG strategies (environmental, social, governance), sector and factor investments, as well as innovative products on thematic investments and future trends.
Speakers
Haneen Sakhi
Product Specialist Xtrackers
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Haneen Sakhi is part of Xtrackers within the DWS Product Division. She is involved in Xtrackers business development. In particular, her focus areas include index development and analysis, UCITS ETF structuring, and ESG strategies across the Xtrackers ETF range. Haneen joined DWS in 2022 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Warwick.
Representatives
Alexander Boggis
Coverage Specialist
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Alex Boggis joined Xtrackers in 2024.
Previously to his role, Alex has spent the last 4 years working at a boutique manager Alquity Investment Management covering UK sales for their ESG products. Before that, he was at Aberdeen Asset Management for 24 years initially in the UK but heading their Hong Kong business from 2000 until 2019.
Based in the South, Alex’s role as Business Development Manager, South of the UK ex-London focuses on supporting national & regional discretionary wealth managers, managed portfolio service providers and Independent financial advisers.
George Salter
Coverage Specialist Xtrackers
George Salter is part of the Xtrackers Client Coverage Division at DWS. In his role, he is responsible for the coverage of Ireland, Scotland, the Channel Islands and Digital platforms. George Salter joined DWS in 2024 and holds a B.A. Degree in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkely.