Robin Wigglesworth
Robin Wigglesworth is the editor of Alphaville, the FT's financial blog. From Oslo, Norway he leads a team of four writers in London and New York that dig into anything deeply nerdy or plain delightful that they spot in markets, business or the global economy. Previously, Robin was the FT's global finance correspondent, US markets editor, deputy head of fastFT, capital markets correspondent, and Gulf correspondent. He joined the FT from Bloomberg News in 2008, where he covered Nordic economics.
He is also the author of Trillions, a book on the past, present and future of passive investing and how it is reshaping financial markets, and the upcoming book The Greatest Show on Earth, on the history of the bond market.
Workshops
Workshops
Multi-sector Fixed Income Opportunities
This presentation will provide an overview of Insight Investment, our investment philosophy, and process for our Core Plus and Global Fixed Income strategies. We will discuss current macroeconomic themes and how they are impacting portfolios and our investment strategy.
Workshop Objective: Discuss our latest views on the economy and the opportunities we see in the multi-sector fixed income space. We will explore strategies for positioning bond portfolios amid geopolitical uncertainty and continued market volatility.
Company Profile: Insight Investment is a leading global fixed income manager with over $825bn in global assets under management.* We focus on maximizing certainty on behalf of our clients, not just risk or volatility-adjusted returns. Our large teams are fully integrated and specialized across the full global fixed income universe. They employ sophisticated toolkits to think outside the box and deliver innovative solutions to our clients.
Connect with us to learn more: Website | LinkedIn
Underlying hyperlinks to embed above -
Website: https://www.insightinvestment.com/united-states/solutions/fixed-income/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/insight-investment-north-america/
*As of March 31, 2024. Assets under management (AUM) are represented by the value of the client’s assets or liabilities Insight is asked to manage. These will primarily be the mark-to-market value of securities managed on behalf of clients, including collateral if applicable. Where a client mandate requires Insight to manage some or all of a client’s liabilities (e.g. LDI strategies), AUM will be equal to the value of the client specific liability benchmark and/or the notional value of other risk exposure through the use of derivatives. Insight North America (INA) is part of ‘Insight’ or ‘Insight Investment’, the corporate brand for certain asset management companies operated by Insight Investment Management Limited including, among others, Insight Investment Management (Global) Limited, Insight Investment International Limited and Insight Investment Management (Europe) Limited. FX rates as per WM Reuters 4pm spot rates.
Speakers
Scott Zaleski, CFA
Head of US Multi Sector Fixed Income, Insight Investment
Scott is Head of Insight’s US Multi-Sector fixed income team and is responsible for the oversight and management of US core and core plus fixed income strategies. Scott joined Insight in September 2021 following the transition of Mellon Investments’ fixed income strategies to Insight. Scott earned an MS in Finance from Boston College and a BS from Skidmore College. He is a CFA charterholder and is a member of the CFA Institute.
Representatives
Weber Hsu, CFA
Fixed Income Strategist, Insight Investment
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Weber joined Insight in August 2022 as a Fixed Income Strategist in the Business Development Group. Prior to Insight, Weber was a Senior Portfolio Specialist at Voya Investment Management, covering multi-asset and alternative asset class strategies. Weber has a BS in Computer Science and a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University. He also holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers Business School and he is a CFA charterholder.
Kara Grehan
Head of Strategic Accounts
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Kara Grehan is Head of Strategic Accounts at BNY Mellon Investment Management, North America. In this role, Kara establishes the commercial and sales strategy with the firm’s largest broker-dealer, independent broker-dealer, private bank, sub-advisory, and strategic partners. Kara serves on the board of governors for the Money Management Institute. Previously, Kara was with Goldman Sachs for 24 years, most recently as Co-Head of National Accounts for Goldman Sachs Private Bank Select (GS Select). Kara graduated with an MBA from New York University and a BS from Cornell University.
Active FI ETFs – why settle for the baseline?
In this presentation, Capital Group’s Fixed Income Investment Director Margaret Steinbach and Scott Szever, Director of ETF Product and Capital Markets will share an overview of the growth of the ETF market, the background on what ETFs CG brought to market & why and then a deeper dive on ETFs in the fixed income space. They will cover the reasons why ETFs offer a number of benefits to investors, particularly in the fixed income space.
Workshop Objective: An opportunity to examine the active advantages and overall benefits of ETFs within the fixed income space.
Speakers
Margaret H. Steinbach
Fixed Income Investment Director
Margaret H. Steinbach is a fixed income investment director at Capital Group. She has 17 years of investment industry experience and has been with Capital Group for eight years. Prior to joining Capital, Margaret worked as a portfolio specialist at Oaktree Capital Management. Before that, she was an institutional interest rate salesperson at Bank of America and Royal Bank of Canada. She holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Margaret is based in New York.
Representatives
Scott Szever
ETF Product and Capital Markets
Scott Szever is a director in ETF product and capital markets at Capital Group, home of American Funds. He has 21 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for three years. Prior to joining Capital, Scott worked as a director of exchange-traded products at the New York Stock Exchange. Before that, he spent 14 years at Vanguard leading various teams across the organization including six years within their ETF Capital Markets. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and finance from York College of Pennsylvania. Scott is based in New York.
Jim Raker
Senior Relationship Manager
Jim Raker is a senior relationship manager at Capital Group. He has 31 years of investment industry experience and has been with Capital Group for 15 years. Prior to joining Capital, Jim was an investment consulting manager at Fidelity Investments. Before that, he worked at Morningstar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Chicago. Jim is based in Chicago.
Fixed Income Overview and Implementation
First Trust will discuss how they view the fixed income landscape, opportunities in the space, and any areas that have cause for concern. Additionally, they will discuss how their views and forecast for the fixed income landscape are affecting decisions at the portfolio level. Finally, a discussion on the ETF landscape within fixed income and the growth of active-ETF options.
Workshop Objective: Showcase the fixed income capabilities of First Trust that have helped us become the leader in Actively Managed Fixed Income ETFs and how financial professionals are working with us to improve their investment process.
Company Profile: First Trust is a privately-owned asset manager, founded in 1991, that has grown to over 1,000 employees and greater than $200 billion in Assets under management. The firm offers a variety of investment vehicles including ETFs, UITs, separately managed accounts, and private alternative investments. First Trust is the 6th largest ETF Issuer by AUM, offering over 200 distinct ETF strategies and the largest provider of actively-managed fixed income ETFs.
Speakers
Jordan Long
Senior Product Specialist
Jordan Long is a Vice President, Senior Portfolio Analyst and a member of the First Trust Portfolio Analytics & Research Coverage Team. He joinedthe firm in 2013 and spent three years as a wholesaler marketing exchange-traded funds. In his current role, Jordan serves as a resource on
portfolio construction and investment strategies. Jordan and his team evaluate thousands of model portfolios a year and synthesize potential
return/risk in order to help deliver tools to financial professionals that aids them in serving their clients.
Jordan earned his undergraduate degree in Finance from Taylor University, and is a CFA charter holder. He also holds the Series 7 and Series 66
designations.
Liam O'Brien
Senior Product Specialist
Liam O’Brien is a Senior Portfolio Analyst and member of the First Trust Portfolio Analytics & Research Coverage Team. In his current role, Liam servesas a resource on portfolio construction and investment strategies. Liam and his team evaluate thousands of model portfolios a year, synthesize
potential risk/return characteristics, and help deliver potential solutions to financial professionals that aid them in serving their clients.
Prior to joining First Trust in 2019, Liam worked at AllianceBernstein and Wells Fargo.
Liam earned his undergraduate degree in Finance from Coastal Carolina University and his master’s degree in Finance from the Whitman School of
Management at Syracuse University. He is a CFA charterholder and has the CFP® certification along with the Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.
Dispelling today’s most common fixed income myths
Are bond market investors mislead by the headlines? In this session, Oakmark’s Head of Fixed Income and Portfolio Manager, Adam Abbas and Fixed Income Analyst Sean Bidzinski, CFA will address three common myths about fixed income investing, providing insights as to why these beliefs are misguided. They will discuss why they believe today’s market provides opportunity for yield and growth over the long-term, how they approach fixed income from a value investing standpoint, as well as strategies they use to navigate today’s market dynamics.
Workshop Objective: A discussion on current fixed income topics, challenges and opportunities, and insights on bond investing in today’s market.
Speakers
Adam Abbas
Portfolio Manager and Head of Fixed Income
Adam Abbas has been a manager of the Oakmark Bond Fund and Oakmark Equity and Income Fund since 2020. He is also a vice president of the Oakmark Funds.
He started at Harris Associates in 2018 after working as a lead portfolio manager at KVK Credit Opportunity Fund LP. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager at Driehaus Capital Management, a senior research analyst at Neuberger Berman/Lehman Brothers and an analyst at Huron Consulting Group.
Mr. Abbas earned a B.S. degree from Northwestern University (2004) and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago (2013).
Representatives
Sean N. Bidzinski, CFA
Fixed Income Investment Analyst
• B.B.A., Loyola University, 2009• M.B.A.–Applied Security Analysis Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015
• Vice President, Credit Analyst-Enterprise Valuation Group at Credit Suisse, 2015-19; Fixed Income Analyst-Intern at MEMBERS Capital Advisors, 2014; Fixed Income and Commodities Trader at Marquette Partners, 2009-13
• 14 years investment experience
• Joined Harris Associates in 2019
Michael J. Neary, CFA, CFP®
Partner and Client Portfolio Manager
• Vice President, Oakmark Funds• B.S., Northern Illinois University, 1990
• Managing Director, Marketing & Client Relations with Harris Associates L.P., 2002-12; Director, Advisor Relations with Harris Associates L.P., 1995-2002
• 31 years investment industry experience
• Joined Harris Associates in 1995
Lauren F. Northrop
Director, Marketing Operations
• B.S., Stockton University, 1999
• Manager, Marketing Operations with Harris Associates, 2015-18; Supervisor, Marketing Operations with Harris Associates, 2013-15; Client Relations Coordinator with Harris Associates, 2012-13; Sr. Marketing Administrator with Harris Associates, 2010-12; Client Service Administrator with Harris Associates, 2001-10
• 22 years investment industry experience
• Joined Harris Associates in 2001
Fixed Income: A New Era Requires a Different Approach
Fixed income investors have navigated several market environments over the last few years. In this presentation, we will share our economic and capital markets outlook, why we believe that a multisector approach is well-suited for the current environment, and how we seek to exploit market idiosyncrasies to generate both income and return for investors.
Workshop Objective: Bonds are offering more value than they have in years but navigating today’s market requires a different approach. Learn more about the current environment and why flexibility is key.
Company Profile: Nationwide is a Fortune 100 diversified insurance and financial services company with strong market positions in a number of categories. The financial services business comprises a majority of the firm's $298.6 billion* in assets. Nationwide Investment Management Group manages $72.1 billion* in assets through a broad range of investment solutions, including mutual funds, collective investment trusts and variable insurance trusts. As an institutional manager, Nationwide is uniquely positioned to serve the needs of sophisticated investment professionals.
*As of December 31, 2023
Speakers
Jeffrey Galloway
Portfolio Manager and Senior Vice President, Amundi US
Mr. Galloway is a senior vice president and portfolio manager at Amundi US with more than 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Amundi US in 2006, Mr. Galloway was a credit analyst at Lehman Brothers Asset Management/Neuberger Berman and Ritchie Capital.
He is a graduate of University of Iowa and obtained his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a CFA charterholder.
Representatives
Mark Constantini, CFA
Senior Institutional Relationship Manager, Nationwide
Mark joined Nationwide in 2012 and is responsible for managing national and regional broker/dealer research analyst relationships. Prior to his current role, Mark held a variety of roles within Nationwide’s Investment Management Group, working as both an analyst and product specialist. Before joining Nationwide, Mark worked for Vanguard in their Institutional Investors Group.
Ted Meyers, AIF
Senior Institutional Relationship Manager, Nationwide
Ted joined Nationwide in 2006 and is responsible for managing national and regional broker/dealer and consulting firm research analyst relationships. Prior to his current role, Ted was a consultant focusing on governmental DC plan investment line-ups. Before joining Nationwide, Ted worked for Bank of America as a marketing manager. He began his career at Alliance Bernstein as a product manager.
Opportunities in the global fixed income markets
This session will cover our key investment themes for 2024 and which fixed income sectors and strategies will likely benefit from the current market environment. We believe the current opportunity set in fixed income is the best we’ve seen in over 20 years. Fixed income investors seeking income can lock in very attractive yields and may also benefit from upcoming total return opportunities as long-term rates fall later this year.
Workshop Objective: To examine which fixed income strategies are appropriate for investors in the current market environment.
Company Profile: Nuveen® is a premier global investment manager that has been helping clients meet their goals for more than 120 years. The company brings together two great legacies of service: Nuveen’s parent, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America® (TIAA®), founded in 1918, pioneered retirement plans for teachers and non-profit organizations, while Nuveen, founded in 1898, helped build America’s infrastructure through municipal finance. Nuveen today has more than $1.2 trillion in assets under management and operations in 26 countries.
Speakers
Anders Persson, CFA
Chief Investment Officer, Head of Global Fixed Income
Anders is the fixed income chief investment officer and a member of the Nuveen Senior Leadership Team. He oversees all public and private global fixed income activities, including portfolio management, research, trading and investment risk management activities. Anders is also member of the Global Investment Committee and chairs the Global Fixed Income Investment Council.
Prior to his current role, he was head of global fixed income portfolio management and head of research. Before joining the firm, he was a founding member of the team that established Société Générale’s European high yield effort in London, and later worked to establish the high-yield research effort within Schroders Investment Management. He has also worked as a sell-side high-yield research analyst at Wells Fargo (formerly First Union).
Anders graduated with a B.S. from Lander College and an M.B.A. from Winthrop University. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the North Carolina Society of Security Analysts. Anders serves on the Board of the North Carolina Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Representatives
Ryan Moore, CFA®
Managing Director, Senior Investment Specialist, Nuveen Global Strategic Relations
Jim Cockerill, CFA®
Vice President, Investment Specialist, Nuveen Global Strategic Relations
each organization.
Why Direct Lending and the Lower Middle Market
Presentation and discussion will explore how direct lending fits in a diversified portfolio and why the lower and core segments of the middle market are the best places to invest in today’s market. We will discuss Principal’s approach to direct lending, including the alignment with our life insurance company, the experience of the team and the key attributes we look for in our investments. We will explore various trends in the direct lending market, including leverage levels, LTV, pricing and covenant differentiators. We will also discuss why our strategy can fit in portfolios that range from no direct lending exposure today to portfolios where our strategy can be complementary relative to other direct lending exposures.
Workshop Objective: Our objective will be to expand the knowledge of the audience regarding direct lending and why not all direct lenders or direct lending strategies should be treated equal.
Speakers
Brian Polomsky
Managing Director – Origination
Brian is an Originator at Principal Alternative Credit and has more than 24 years of experience in private equity sponsor coverage and deal execution. Brian was previously with Antares Capital covering sponsors in the Midwest and East. Transactions included deals across varying industries including manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, business services, consumer, software and aerospace with debt facility sizes of $50-$500 million. He began his career with GE Capital, with roles in audit, underwriting and account management for private equity backed businesses. Brian holds a bachelor's degree from John Carroll University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Casting a Wider Net in the Bond Market
With so much of the bond market underrepresented by the Agg, we believe in casting a wider net. Our flexible, high-conviction approach leads us to invest not simply sector-by-sector but bond-by-bond in search of the best risk/reward opportunities within and outside the benchmark categories. We believe a diversified portfolio encompassing broad market exposure, including benchmark and non-benchmark, fixed and floating rate, is a competitive advantage in today's environment. Our current asset allocation reflects our focus on sector and security selection, focusing on those assets that we believe have the most favorable risk/reward opportunities and are well-positioned to weather various macro environments.
Workshop Objective: Demonstrate the value of the Weitz Core Plus Income Strategy and our active, flexible, high-conviction investment approach that we believe is a key driver of our outperformance.
Company Profile: Weitz Investment Management, Inc. is an independent, boutique asset management firm headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Since its founding by Wally Weitz in 1983, the firm has focused on providing exceptional service and delivering solid long-term, risk-adjusted returns. Weitz is guided by a steadfast investment philosophy of using bottom-up, fundamental research to build high-quality, high-conviction portfolios. Across its equity, fixed income, and conservative allocation solutions, Weitz takes long-term views that aim to transcend short-term market noise and volatility. The approach aims to deliver enduring value in an ever-changing market.
Speakers
Tom Carney
CFA, Co-Head of Fixed Income, Portfolio Manager
Tom Carney joined Weitz Investment Management in 1995 as an equity trader. He was promoted to co-portfolio manager in 1996 and to portfolio manager in 1999. Prior to joining the firm, Tom held several positions at Chiles, Heider & Co., Inc. Previously, he was a municipal securities professional with Smith Barney. He has investment industry experience since 1982 has a bachelor's in finance from the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Nolan Anderson
Co-Head of Fixed Income, Portfolio Manager
Nolan Anderson joined Weitz Investment Management in 2011 and was promoted to portfolio manager. Prior to joining the firm, Nolan performed financial modeling and due diligence on leveraged buyout transactions for Wells Fargo Bank. Previously, he worked for Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society. He has investment industry experience since 2004 and a bachelor's in real estate and land use economics, and MBA from the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Representatives
Dan Ryan
Head of Consultant Relations & Senior Client Portfolio Manager
Dan Ryan joined Weitz Investment Management in 2021. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Senior Vice President with Amundi Smith Breeden-Amundi Pioneer and prior to that was Vice President, Director of Institutional Sales at Calamos Advisors. Dan has a bachelor's in economics and finance from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.
Ryan Holloman
Directory of Intermediary Sales
Ryan joined Weitz Investment Management in 2022 as VP, Director of Intermediary Sales. Prior to joining Weitz, Ryan served as Director of National Sales at the investment management firm TortoiseEcofin. Before that, he held sales-related roles at Montage Investments and Ivy Funds, and he previously served as a financial advisor for Edward Jones. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Washburn University.
Credit Investments Group – Floating Rate High Income Fund and Strategic Income Fund
To give an overview of Credit Investments Group (CIG), one of the top non-IG credit managers in the world, and its two flagship products: Floating Rate High Income Fund and Strategic Income Fund.
Workshop Objective: To explain to the audience the importance of non-IG credit as part of asset allocation: why now, how it has been performing throughout rate and economic cycles, and why CIG.
Company Profile: Rooted in our Zurich home but established across the world, UBS Asset Management has been a dependable partner both at home and abroad for over 150 years. UBS Asset Management is a large scale investment manager with a presence of 23 markets. We offer investment capabilities and investment styles across all major asset classes, from active to passive offering to institutions, wholesale intermediaries, and wealth management clients. With the successful merger with Credit Suisse Asset Management in 2023, UBS Asset Management has now more comprehensive product offerings and strategic partnerships. With combined assets of USD 1.6 trillion, UBS is the third largest Europe-based asset manager and the #11 firm globally.
Speakers
Eileen Liu-Baumert
Executive Director
Eileen Liu-Baumert is Head of US Client Portfolio Management for the Credit Investments Group (CIG). Prior to joining CIG, Ms. Liu-Baumert worked in various product specialist and development roles within Credit Suisse Asset Management. She has been with the firm since 2008. She began her career in finance at Lightyear Capital, a middle market financial services private equity firm. She received her M.B.A. and B.A. from New York University.
Representatives
Victoria Coe, CFA, CAIA
Executive Director
Filippo Ilardi
Managing Director, Head of U.S. Wholesale Distribution
Kevin Granelli
Executive Director