Citywire Private Office Retreat 2025
It is my privilege to personally invite you to the eighth edition of the Citywire Private Office Retreat - set to be our most timely and impactful yet.
Join us on the 25th-26th September at Pennyhill Park, Surrey, for a dynamic day and a half programme designed to equip you with critical insights and progressive investment strategies for the year ahead.
This exclusive retreat brings together leading voices from the private and family office community. The agenda features keynote talks, interactive sessions with leading fund managers, and valuable opportunities to connect with fellow decision makers.
In a world shaped by shifting economic dynamics, rising geopolitical tensions, renewed defence priorities, and the continued fallout from U.S. trade policy, we’ve assembled a pertinent speaker lineup to tackle these pressing issues and spark meaningful conversation.
You’ll also participate in 10 focused fund strategy sessions led by distinguished fund managers - full details to be shared closer to the event.
With demand expected to exceed capacity, we recommend registering early to guarantee your place.
There is no charge for attending (which is strictly by invitation only) and you will earn up to eight hours of structured CPD.
Our keynote speakers:
We begin Thursday morning with David Smith, Economics Editor of The Sunday Times. A widely respected and award-winning economics commentator, David is known for his early insights into economic trends. He’ll be giving us an up-to-the-minute analysis of the most pressing challenges facing both the UK and global economies.
After lunch, I’ll be in conversation with The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt, former Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for the Armed Forces. European nations are boosting defence expenditures amidst geopolitical uncertainties. A new era of military readiness and strategic autonomy is taking shape, with both political and economic implications. This will be an open, curated discussion so you will have the opportunity to put your questions to Penny too.
On Friday morning, Conrad Humphreys will share his inspiring story of determination, leadership, and triumph. In 2005, Conrad became only the fifth British sailor to complete the Vendée Globe - widely considered the toughest endurance race in sport - after making one of the most remarkable comebacks in its history.
On behalf of the entire Citywire team, I sincerely hope you’ll join us for this year’s gathering. See you in September.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore a variety of investment strategies from fund managers across multiple asset classes
- Identify the most pressing challenges faced by UK and global economies
- Describe the political and economic implications of increased defence spending
Agenda
08:20 - 09:20
Registration
09:20 - 09:30
Welcome with Steven Chatterton
09:30 - 10:30
Conference Session 1 - David Smith
10:30 - 11:00
Fund Group Workshop 1
11:10 - 11:40
Fund Group Workshop 2
11:50 - 12:20
Fund Group Workshop 3
12:20 - 13:40
Table Planned Lunch
13:40 - 14:40
Conference Session 2 - Fireside chat with Rt Hon. Penny Mordaunt
14:40 - 15:10
Fund Group Workshop 4
15:20 - 15:50
Fund Group Workshop 5
16:00 - 16:30
Fund Group Workshop 6
19:30 - 20:00
Drink Reception
20:00 - 23:00
Table Planned Dinner
08:00 - 09:15
Breakfast at Leisure
09:15 - 10:15
Conference Session 3 - Conrad Humphreys
10:15 - 10:45
Fund Group Workshop 7
10:55 - 11:25
Fund Group Workshop 8
11:35 - 12:05
Fund Group Workshop 9
12:05 - 13:30
Buffet Lunch
Keynote Speakers
Speakers
David Smith
David Smith is Economics Editor of The Sunday Times, as well as the paper’s Assistant Editor and Policy Advisor, and a regular contributor to CBI’s Business Voice. Amongst the first to predict a V-shaped recovery in the aftermath of the financial crisis, he was careful to say that it would take time to become discernible. A widely respected economics commentator, David is the author of several books, including From Boom to Bust, Will Europe Work?, The Age of Instability, and The Dragon and the Elephant: China, India and the New World Order. His most recent work, Free Lunch, is a guide to economics for the lay-person now that it seems essential we all understand the subject. Before moving to the nation’s most widely read Sunday broadsheet, David worked for The Times and Financial Weekly, as well as the Henley Centre for Forecasting and Lloyds Bank. He has won a number of prizes, including the Harold Wincott Award for Financial Journalist of the Year.
Rt Hon. Penny Mordaunt
Rt Hon. Penny Mordaunt was an MP for 14 years, during which time she held nine ministerial roles, four of those being in Cabinet. She was the first and only woman to hold the roles of Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for the Armed Forces. She also held the role of Paymaster General, where she became the UK government’s first cross-government defensive cyber lead and led the rebuild of the UK’s civil contingencies and resilience strategy. Penny also held the role of Secretary of State for International Development, working with UN agencies and international organisations, as well as being the UK’s representative at the World Bank. In her role as Trade Minister, she brokered new trade deals, including overseeing the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. She also established economic agreements with individual US states in lieu of a US deal, a move that saw her undertaking the longest tour of the US of any Minister since Churchill. She was also on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee overseeing the UK’s exit from the EU. She has held other roles in local government, work, health, pensions and disability. Prior to Parliament she worked across all sectors and also in US politics as Head of Foreign Press for the RNC during the Bush 2000 campaign. She was a Royal Navy Reservist for 10 years and is now an Honorary Captain affiliated to MCM2 Squadron, the UK’s mine hunters and bomb disposal divers. She is co-author of Greater: Britain After the Storm, which made bestseller lists in the UK and the US, and also gained international attention in her role of Leader of the Commons, which saw her presiding over the Accession Council following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and at the coronation of King Charles III. She has won Parliamentary Wit of the Year, Spectator Speech of the Year, and was among Grazia and Vogue’s most influential women of the year. Known for her speeches and exchanges in the House of Commons, she is one of only four women to have been asked to address the Saints and Sinners club, the others being Princess Anne, Margaret Thatcher and Dame Vera Lynn.
Conrad Humphreys
Conrad Humphreys is an award-winning, triple round-the-world yachtsman and keynote speaker.
As a professional yachtsman, he led his team to victory in the BT Global Challenge, dominating the race with four out of seven leg wins. His crowning achievement came as the fifth British sailor in history to complete the legendary Vendée Globe—circumnavigating the globe single-handed, non-stop, and without assistance.
Most recently, Conrad was the professional skipper onboard the tiny 22ft open boat Bounty in the recreation of Captain Bligh’s epic story of survival for Channel 4’s Mutiny. Navigating 4,000 miles of open ocean to Kupang, Timor, Humphreys demonstrated a cool head and calm leadership in the face of adversity.
Drawing on his personal experiences as a sailor and entrepreneur, Humphreys is a brilliant storyteller, leaving his audiences inspired and equipped with the tools they need to thrive in today’s turbulent business landscape. From leading in disruptive environments to building personal and organizational resilience, his presentations offer practical insights and actionable strategies for success.
Humphreys founded Sport Environment, a sports marketing consultancy specializing in sailing and outdoor sports. With clients ranging from global giants like Motorola, LG, and CAT to eco-conscious brands like Ecover, Humphreys crafts innovative, integrated campaigns that push the boundaries of sports marketing. His ability to understand complex business challenges and tailor his presentations to meet the unique needs of each client has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.
Humphreys’ story is featured in the groundbreaking book Inspiring Leadership: Staying Afloat in Turbulent Times, which offers invaluable insights gleaned from his experiences as the youngest skipper in history to win the world’s toughest yacht race. Filled with practical lessons, it serves as a roadmap for aspiring leaders seeking to stay afloat in turbulent times.
Workshops
Workshops
China: A Changing Narrative
For a while, the headlines were dominated by geopolitics, a sluggish economy, and regulatory challenges. But the tide seems to be turning. China's renewed focus on growth, support for private enterprises, and efforts to stimulate domestic consumption are changing the narrative, underscored by an increasing awareness of the country’s remarkable strides in innovation. This session will explore how to navigate the opportunities and challenges in this fascinating yet complex market—one that continues to redefine itself on the world stage.
Workshop Objective:
• Learn how to think about China in growth portfolios
• Gain insights in China’s innovation engine and the exceptional growth companies that are shaping future trends
• Explore how a long-term, active approach could help investors to access the big opportunities in China while balancing risks
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
Sophie Earnshaw
Investment Manager
Sophie is an investment manager in the China Equities Team. She is a decision maker on our China Equities Strategy, which she has managed since 2014, and on our China A Share Strategy since its inception in 2019. She also provides China insight to the Emerging Markets Leading Companies and International All Cap Portfolio Construction Groups. She is a CFA Charterholder and graduated MA in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh in 2008 and MPhil in Eighteenth Century and Romantic Literature from the University of Cambridge in 2009.
Representatives
Samantha Crawley
Client Relationship Manager
Samantha joined Baillie Gifford in 2021 and is a member of the UK Intermediary Team within the Clients Department, with a focus on the South East. Prior to joining Baillie Gifford, Samantha spent eight years predominantly within institutional sales roles across Janus Henderson and Insight Investment. Samantha graduated from the University of Reading in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and holds both the IMC and CFA Level I.
Tim Hannay
Client Relationship Director
Why Investing for the Long-Term is the Key to Outperforming
Guy Tartakovsky, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst at Baron Capital, will discuss why the firm believes that investors with a long-time horizon are ideally positioned to generate outperformance over full market cycles. He will also discuss how this long-term mindset helps investors cope with the information overload that besets the investment industry and why growth companies, in particular, are best suited for long-term investors. Practical examples of this via Baron Capital’s global equity strategies—which embody this long-term investment mindset—will be shared, and Guy will highlight what portfolio managers and analysts must focus on over the short term to increase the odds of long-term success.
Workshop Objective: This session will examine how the process of gaining an investment edge has evolved over time and why long-term investors have structural advantages that uniquely position them for sustained success.
Company Profile: Baron Capital Group, Inc. is a premier asset management firm focused on delivering growth equity investment solutions. Founded in 1982, we have become known for our long-term, fundamental, active approach to growth investing.
The Firm has $41.3 billion under management. We have 210 employees, 44 of whom are investment professionals, including 17 portfolio managers. We are privately owned and headquartered in New York City.
Our investment approach is the same across all our strategies: we employ fundamental research to identify and invest in companies with open-ended growth opportunities, durable competitive advantages, and strong management, at attractive valuations relative to our estimates of intrinsic value.
Our long-term approach enables us to think about a company as business owners and to see and capitalize upon the longer-term opportunities.
We believe the combination of our long-term investment horizon and our extensive research differentiates us from our peers and creates a competitive advantage for our Firm.
We offer 18 strategies, available as separate accounts, sub-advisory services, UCITS and other offshore vehicles, private funds, and mutual funds.
Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the investment carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectuses contain this and other information about the Funds. You may obtain them from the Funds’ distributor, Baron Capital, Inc., by calling 1-800-99BARON or visiting www.BaronCapitalGroup.com. Please read them carefully before investing.
Risks: All investments are subject to risk and may lose value.
BAMCO, Inc. is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Baron Capital, Inc. is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA).
Speakers
Guy Tartakovsky
Portfolio Manager, Baron Global Durable Strategy, Assistant Portfolio Manager, Baron Durable Advantage Strategy, Baron Large Cap Growth Strategy
Guy joined Baron Capital in 2015 as a research analyst and has 10 years of research experience. In 2024, he was named assistant portfolio manager of Baron Fifth Avenue Fund and Baron Durable Advantage Fund. In 2020, he was named assistant portfolio manager of Baron Global Advantage Fund. He will be named portfolio manager of Baron Global Durable Strategy upon its launch August 1, 2025. Guy graduated from Technion, Israel Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Management in 2007, from Tel Aviv University with an M.S. in Finance and Accounting in 2012, and from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an M.B.A. in 2015.
Representatives
Stephen Millar
Head of EMEA
Stephen joined Baron Capital in 2019 as the Head of the EMEA business. From 2015 to 2019, he worked at Epoch Investment Partners as Head of EMEA, Client Relations. From 2010 to 2015, he worked at Skagen Funds, the Norwegian global equity manager, where he was responsible for their U.K. business. From 2006 to 2010, he was employed by T. Rowe Price and was responsible for U.K. and Irish business development as well as EMEA Consultant Relations. Previously, he worked at Insight Investment as a Director of Institutional Business Development. He began his career in the investment industry in 1996 at Schroder Investment Management. Stephen graduated fromthe University of Strathclyde with a B.A. (Honours) in Economics and an M.Sc. in Finance in 1993.
Contrarian Investing: Positioning for the coming disruption of real-world AI
Contrarius is a bottom-up, valuation-based, contrarian active manager taking advantage of opportunities in global markets. We see AI as one of the most significant disruptions of our time, which will likely result in significant opportunities (and risks) for investors. Given the significant disruption we see coming from real-world AI, our presentation considers some ideas of how to position oneself for the opportunities and risks we see ahead.
Workshop Objective: Introducing delegates to the significant opportunities and risks from real-world AI, a transformative disruption. Workshop will explore ideas for how investors may position themselves strategically for the coming changes.
Company Profile: Contrarius’ objective is to create long-term wealth for our investors through superior long-term investment performance. Our portfolios are typically very different from our peers demonstrating our contrarian approach.
Our largest fund, Contrarius Global Equity Fund, has outperformed the benchmark MSCI World Index and the average manager since its inception on 1 January 2009.
We believe that long-term performance is driven by the consistent application of a sound investment philosophy. The key characteristics of our investment philosophy are that it is contrarian, valuation based, long-term and based on proprietary fundamental research. For more information, visit www.contrarius.com.
Speakers
Stephen Mildenhall
Founder & Director
Stephen Mildenhall founded the Contrarius Group in 2008. He had more than 10 years’ previous investment experience with Allan Gray Limited, the largest privately owned investment management firm in South Africa. Stephen was the Chief Investment Officer from 2001 with ultimate responsibility for approximately $30bn AUM when he resigned to establish Contrarius in 2008. Stephen holds a B Com (Hons) degree, is a Chartered Accountant (SA) and a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
Simon Raubenheimer
Director
Simon joined Contrarius in March 2019. He has over 16 years’ previous investment experience with Allan Gray Ltd. From 2008-2018, Simon co-managed Allan Gray’s equity and balanced composites which included the largest equity and largest mutual fund in South Africa. Simon also co-launched and managed the Allan Gray Global Frontier Equity Fund. He has a BCom (Econometrics) and BCom (Honours) (Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management). Simon is a CFA charterholder.
Claire Hall
Director
Claire joined Contrarius in May 2009 as an investment analyst. Prior to joining Contrarius she was a business analyst at Allan Gray Limited in South Africa with responsibilities including client servicing and investment research. She holds a Bachelor of Business Science (Actuarial Science), is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA) and is a CFA charterholder.
Digital Assets Decoded: From Market Evolution to Institutional-Grade Custody
This presentation offers a comprehensive overview of digital assets, beginning with the roles of bitcoin and ethereum in the evolving financial landscape. It explores how bitcoin differs from other asset classes and altcoins, its growing relevance in traditional portfolios, and ethereum’s role in driving innovation. The session then shifts to the infrastructure supporting digital assets, highlighting how institutional-grade custody solutions differ from traditional finance. Key elements of market structure and the importance of secure custody frameworks in mitigating counterparty risk are examined. The presentation concludes with practical insights into the operational safeguards required to manage digital assets securely and integrate them into modern investment strategies.
Workshop Objective: To explore the roles of bitcoin and ethereum in the evolving digital asset landscape and examine the infrastructure, market structure, and institutional-grade custody solutions that support secure digital asset management. The session will highlight key differences from traditional finance, address counterparty risk, and provide practical insights into integrating digital assets into modern investment strategies.
Company Profile: Fidelity Digital Assets® is a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments that provides an institutional-grade digital asset experience while incorporating the history, principles, and expertise of a traditional financial institution. Established in 2018, the business is uniquely built for institutional investors and offers secure custody, trading, and support solutions that scale with investors’ needs, allowing clients to navigate digital assets with confidence.
Speakers
Martha Reyes
Research Analyst
Martha Reyes joined Fidelity Digital Assets® in 2024 as a UK-based Research Analyst. She creates thought leadership content and supports client education. With nearly 20 years in institutional equity sales and fund management, she brings deep expertise in equity analysis. Martha holds an MBA focused on blockchain and data analysis, studied at Columbia University, and contributes to The Digital Economy Initiative on digital assets and public policy research.
Marina Baudéan
Business Development
Marina Baudéan joined Fidelity Digital Assets® in November 2024 as part of the Business Development team. Previously Head of Distribution at 21Shares, she expanded digital asset access in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. With over 15 years at Barclays, she helped develop the BARX trading platform. Marina began her career at Tradeweb in 2000 and holds a master’s in Business Administration, majoring in Entrepreneurship, from ISC Paris.
Representatives
Mide Odunaiya
Manager, Business Development
Secondary Private Equity – The Most Exciting Market in the Alternatives Landscape?
The private equity secondaries market continues to grow at a record pace, attracting increasing numbers of sellers as liquidity from traditional exits continues to be scarce. We will discuss the key drivers behind the extraordinary growth of this market and consider the prospects for the future of secondaries. In addition, we will explore why investing in the secondary market appeals to so many different types of investors and the range of options available for accessing the secondary market.
Workshop Objective: Discuss the key drivers behind the extraordinary growth of the secondary market historically, and the prospects for the future.
Speakers
Jacob Rawel
Managing Director, Lexington Partners
Jacob Rawel is a Managing Director on the Secondary team primarily focused on the origination, evaluation, and execution of non-U.S. secondary opportunities including partnership and GP-led transactions.
Jacob joined Lexington as an associate in 2013 from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he was an associate in investment banking. He graduated from the University of Oxford (Somerville College) with a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Representatives
Laura Hadrill
Family Offices Director
Laura is Franklin Templeton’s Director of Family Offices for the UK. She created this dedicated channel to build strategic partnerships with Family Offices and UHNWIs by addressing the specific needs of this client segment. Laura joined Franklin Templeton in March 2022 as a Sales Specialist focused on private markets and liquid alternatives. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, Laura spent 14 years at RBC BlueBay Asset Management, latterly as UK Sales Director. In this role she worked closely with Family Offices, Trusts, Endowments and Funds of Hedge Funds, having previously covered similar prospects and clients in countries including Switzerland, France and the U.S. She began her career at HSBC Private Bank in Paris, and holds a MA from the University of Cambridge.
Katie Lee
Director, EMEA Wealth Alternatives
Katie Lee is a Director in the EMEA Wealth Alternatives division at Franklin Templeton, responsible for strategy and distribution of Franklin Templeton’s Private Markets solutions to the Wealth channel across EMEA. Franklin Templeton’s $250bn+ Alternatives platform provides a diverse range of capabilities including secondary private equity and co-investments from Lexington Partners, private credit from Benefit Street Partners/Alcentra, real estate from Clarion Partners and venture capital from Franklin Venture Partners.Katie brings 17 years of experience in Alternatives and Wealth across EMEA and APAC. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton in 2025, she was SVP, Alternative Investment Specialist EMEA at Citi Private Bank based in London since 2021. Prior to that, she spent 13 years at UBS Wealth Management across the UK, Switzerland and Hong Kong, advising private wealth clients on alternative investments across EMEA and APAC. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Investing in the Energy Transition
Join us for an in-depth discussion on the Guinness Sustainable Energy Fund, designed to invest in companies focused on the generation, storage, efficiency, and consumption of sustainable energy.
This includes sectors such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biofuels, and biomass.
Guinness believes that over the next two decades, the world will undergo a major transition towards a sustainable energy system, driven by five key factors:
• Population & GDP Growth: Rapid growth is increasing pressure on current energy supplies.
• Climate Change: Reducing carbon emissions through cleaner energy sources will be a global priority.
• Pollution: Governments are pushing for cleaner energy to reduce air pollution in cities.
• Energy Security: Distributed sustainable energy can reduce reliance on energy imports, enhancing energy security.
• Economics: Sustainable energy sources are becoming more cost-effective than traditional options.
Workshop Objective:
-Delegates will gain an insight into some of the paths for oil and gas markets
-Delegates will gain an insight into outlooks on energy and energy efficiency
Company Profile: Guinness Global Investors was established in 2003 by founder and chairman Tim Guinness. Its specialist disciplines of equity income, energy, innovation and Asia offer exposure to key themes to help investors achieve their investment goals. Its in-house economic, industry and company research allows it to take an independent view and not be led by the market. Its size and specialist nature also enables it to respond quickly and efficiently to market movements. It incorporates ESG factors into all its equity strategies and embraces the stewardship responsibilities which it assumes as an investment manager. Active management, high conviction and identifying value are the central pillars of its philosophy and they are delivered in the form of concentrated, equally weighted portfolios.
Speakers
Jonathan Waghorn
Portfolio Manager
Jonathan is portfolio manager on the Guinness Global Energy strategy and the Guinness Sustainable Energy strategy.
Prior to Guinness in 2013, he was a Shell drilling engineer in the Dutch North Sea and worked as an energy consultant with Wood Mackenzie before becoming co-head of Goldman Sachs energy equity research in 2000. He joined Investec as co-manager on the Investec Global Energy Fund in 2008 where he helped grow the energy franchise at Investec to a peak of nearly $3.5bn in 2011. Jonathan then joined Mercuria in 2012 to build an equities and fund management business based around the provision of external funds before joining Guinness Global Investors in 2013.
Representatives
Rupert Bosner
Family Offices & Wealth Managers
Rupert is responsible for Family Offices and wealth managers for Guinness Global Investors. Prior to joining Guinness in 2020, Rupert worked at New Star Asset Management, Crux, Premier and Jupiter Asset Management
PRIVATE CREDIT: The European Direct Lending Opportunity
We’ll also introduce the European Wealth Strategy, providing access to Arcmont’s Direct Lending strategy for the global wealth market. The strategy offers investor flexibility through quarterly liquidity, reduced commitment thresholds and expanded investor eligibility criteria.
Speakers
Michael Massarano
Partner and Deputy CIO of Arcmont Asset Management
Michael was previously a Principal at BlueBay’s Private Debt group where he worked from 2017.Prior to BlueBay, Michael worked as an Investment Associate at Avenue Capital Group for three years focusing on a wide range of credit investments within the Private Debt team. Prior to Avenue Capital, Michael worked for three years within the leveraged finance team of Deutsche Bank with a focus on leveraged loans, high yield and restructuring transactions. Michael graduated with First-Class Honours from Manchester University (MBS) and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business, Finance and Economics.
Introduction to the Wellington Global Multi-Strategy Fund
The Wellington Global Multi-Strategy Fund (WGMS) is the firm’s flagship hedge fund offering operating on Wellington’s $30+ billion, specialist-driven hedge fund platform. The fund utilizes a multi-manager approach, allocating to various independent portfolio management teams. Each team has defined expertise in a segment of the global, public markets opportunity set that we seek to address. By combining multiple specialist, diversifying PM teams, and applying a rigorous process around manager selection, capital allocation and risk management, we aim to deliver a consistent, positive, uncorrelated performance outcome across a market cycle.
Workshop Objective: To examine the structure and investment approach of a multi-strategy hedge fund. The session will focus on understanding the mechanics of multi-manager models, capital allocation processes, and risk management practices within a diversified hedge fund framework.
Company Profile: Wellington Management is an investment adviser to more than 3,000 institutions in over 60 countries. Our mission as a firm is simple: to exceed the investment objectives and service expectations of our clients worldwide. With more than US$1 trillion in client assets under management, we offer a broad range of equity, fixed income, alternative, and multi-asset investment approaches. We are a globally integrated community of investment professionals, and our most distinctive strength is our rigorous, proprietary research, which is shared collaboratively across all areas of the organization. We have offices in the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia. (Figures as of 31st December 2024.)
Speakers
Chris Perrett
Investment Director
Chris is an investment director in Investment Product & Fund Strategies (IPFS). IPFS oversees certain Wellington-managed fund vehicles that pursue alternative investment strategies. As an investment director, he works primarily with our macro and credit investment teams and is responsible for a range of business and investment-related activities. Specifically, he helps ensure the integrity of various investment approaches and represents the funds both internally and externally.
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
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
Alex Boggis
Xtrackers Coverage Specialist
Alex Boggis joined Xtrackers in 2024 to work with Alex Wheelan as part of the growth of the UK Wealth Team.Alex as 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.
Tom Eckett
Xtrackers Coverage Specialist
Tom is Assistant Vice President, UK Passive Coverage Specialist at DWS, covering wealth managers based in London. Before joining DWS, Tom spent five years at ETF Stream, most recently as editor since March 2021, having started career at Investment Week in 2016 where he was responsible for covering ETFs.