Charleston RIA CIO Summit 2024
Pack your pastels; Citywire is bringing RIAs to Rainbow Row this Spring!
We invite you to join us in Charleston on April 25-26 for our trademark blend of investment workshops, RIA industry insights, and networking opportunities.
Our invite-only event hosts CIOs and their investment team members from RIAs and family offices around the country. Attendees have a unique opportunity to discover new investment ideas for their portfolios, learn from some of the best CIOs in the wealth management industry and get a look at new developments in RIA technology.
The entire event is free to attend, with travel and onsite accommodation at the Hotel Bennett provided by Citywire for the nights of April 24-25.
We hope to see you there!
Agenda
7:30 - 9:00am
Networking Breakfast
8:00 - 9:00am
Registration
9:00 - 9:10am
Welcome
9:10 - 10:10am
Conference Session
10:10 - 10:15am
Tech Trail Ad Break
10:15 - 10:50am
Fund Group Workshop
11:00 - 11:35am
Fund Group Workshop
11:45 - 12:20pm
Fund Group Workshop
12:20 - 1:35pm
Table Planned Lunch
1:35 - 2:35pm
Panel Session - Women in Leadership
2:35 - 3:10pm
Fund Group Workshop
3:20 - 3:55pm
Fund Group Workshop
4:05 - 4:40pm
Fund Group Workshop
4:50 - 5:25pm
Fund Group Workshop
7:00 - 10:00pm
Dinner & Drinks
7:30 - 9:00am
Networking Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00am
Conference Session
10:00 - 10:35am
Fund Group Workshop
10:45 - 11:20am
Fund Group Workshop
11:30 - 12:05pm
Fund Group Workshop
12:05 - 2:00pm
Buffet Lunch
Register
Register
Sponsors
Workshops
Workshops
Differentiated Exposure and Opportunities: Upper-Middle-Market Enterprise Software Direct Lending
• Overview of Blue Owl’s approach to enterprise software direct lending – opportunities and risks in the space, resilient nature of lending to private equity sponsor-backed enterprise software businesses and the benefits of diversifying portfolio exposure to private credit.
• Blue Owl Technology Income Corp. (OTIC) is a perpetually private, non-traded business development company (BDC) focused on making predominantly senior-secured, floating rate loans with low loan-to-values to software and technology-related companies that have inherently defensive characteristics and strong private equity support. Accredited investors are fully paid in on monthly subscriptions, with quarterly liquidity and 1099 tax reporting.
Workshop Objective:
Educate advisors on the differentiated nature of upper-middle-market enterprise software direct lending through a discussion on the opportunities and risks in the private credit market.
Company Profile:
Blue Owl (NYSE: OWL) is a leading asset manager that is redefining alternatives. With $157 billion in assets under management1, we invest across three multi-strategy platforms: Credit, GP Strategic Capital, and Real Estate. Anchored by a strong permanent capital base, we provide businesses with private capital solutions to drive long-term growth and offer institutional and individual investors differentiated alternative investment opportunities that aim to deliver strong performance, risk-adjusted returns, and capital preservation. Together with over 650 experienced professionals in more than 10 offices globally, Blue Owl brings the vision and discipline to create the exceptional. To learn more, visit www.blueowl.com. 1 As of September 30, 2023
Speakers
Jeremy Lee
Principal and Lead Credit Strategist, Blue Owl
Jeremy Lee is a Principal at Blue Owl and member of the Private Wealth Team. In his role, he focuses on supporting the growth of the firm’s Credit platform acting as a conduit between the direct lending investment team and global private wealth distribution channel. Before joining Blue Owl, Jeremy was a Director at BlackRock. Jeremy began his career as a Product Strategist in the Global Credit – Leveraged Finance Business also at BlackRock.
Jeremy received his BS in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance and Management, cum laude, from Ithaca College.
Representatives
Henry Nelson
Relationship Manager – Key Accounts, Blue Owl
Henry Nelson is a Relationship Manager – Key Accounts on the RIA & Family Office Business Development team at Blue Owl. Based in New York, he is responsible for managing relationships and working with investors across the Blue Owl platform – specifically RIAs and multi-family offices based in the U.S.
Prior to joining Blue Owl, Henry was an Associate Regional Director at Russell Investments, a global investment solutions firm providing a wide range of investment capabilities to institutional investors, financial intermediaries, and individual investors around the world.
Henry received a BA in Marketing and Advertising from Marquette University.
Aaron Glenn
Vice President – RIA & Family Office, Blue Owl
Aaron received a BA in Economics and History from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. He holds FINRA Series 7 & 66 securities registrations.
Navigating an Uncertain Environment with Alternative Credit
Our presentation focuses on defining the public and private credit markets and speaking to the current opportunities and challenges faced today. We will discuss the current macroeconomic backdrop, increased competition between direct lenders and traditional banks, differences between upper middle market direct lending and core direct lending, and pockets of opportunity in public credit. The presentation then covers First Eagle’s capabilities, and how the fund opportunistically allocates between private and public markets.
Workshop Objective: In our session, we will work to demystify the private credit market and provide holistic commentary on both direct lending and the broadly syndicated loan market.
Company Profile: First Eagle Investments is an independent, privately owned investment management firm headquartered in New York with approximately $134 billion in assets under management (as of 12/31/23). With a focus on active, fundamental, benchmark-agnostic investing and downside mitigation, First Eagle has helped its clients avoid the permanent impairment of capital and earn attractive returns across economic cycles. The firm offers a range of differentiated strategies featuring equities, fixed income and currencies, alternative credit and real assets.
*The total AUM represents the combined AUM of (i) First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, (ii) its subsidiary investment advisers, First Eagle Separate Account Management, LLC, First Eagle Alternative Credit (“FEAC”) and Napier Park Global Capital (“Napier Park”), and (iii) Regatta Loan Management LLC, an advisory affiliate of Napier Park. The total AUM includes $2.1 billion of committed and other non-fee-paying capital from FEAC and $1.1 billion of committed and other non-fee-paying capital from Napier Park.
Speakers
Steve Krull
Managing Director, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading, Tradable Credit
Steve Krull is a managing director, portfolio manager and head of trading for First Eagle Alternative Credit’s Tradable Credit team and serves on its investment committee. He was previously a portfolio manager/head trader of alternative credit strategies at McDonnell Investment Management. Before that, he held various bank loan roles at Columbia Management Advisors. Steve earned a BA in economics from Illinois Wesleyan University. Steve holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Representatives
Brad Hoth
Senior Advisor Consultant
Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund: A New Way to Access Private Real Estate
Overview of Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund which gives individual investors direct exposure to a portfolio of well-leased private real estate that balances potential income generation and attractive growth opportunities.
Workshop Objective:
• Provide an overview of Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund
• Discuss the benefits of adding private real estate to a traditional 60/40 stock/bond portfolio
• Provide an overview of Clarion Partners and the Firm’s 40 year history managing private real estate.
Speakers
RICHARD H. SCHAUPP
Managing Director, Portfolio Manager
Richard Schaupp is an equity owner and Managing Director with Clarion Partners and leads the Portfolio Management
teams for a number ofclient accounts, including the Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund (CPREIF) and Clarion Ventures Qualified Opportunity Zone Partners (CV QOZP). As lead Portfolio Manager, Rick has overall responsibility for the management and portfolio strategy of these relationships. From 2005-2012, Rick was the assistant portfolio manager for the Clarion Ventures series and a separate account relationship. Rick has participated in the acquisition, asset management, and development management of over $4.0BN of real estate. He originally joined Clarion Partners in 2000 and began working in the real estate industry in 1995.
Representatives
Michael Dobkowski
Director, Alternative Investments
In his current role, Director of Alternative Investments at Franklin
Templeton, he leads the alternative fundraising efforts for RIAs, MFOs & Bank Trusts in the Southeast and Mid Atlantic, supporting strategies at Franklin Templeton’s wholly owned subsidiaries: Benefit Street Partners (private debt & credit), Clarion Partners (real estate), Lexington Partners (secondary PE and co investing) and K2 (hedged strategies & FOFs).
Drew Kehnast
Private Wealth Director
As an advisor to Registered Investment Advisors, Drew provides a valuable perspective in the areas of market insights, practice management, and portfolio construction. Steve’s has a wealth of industry knowledge and a deep understanding of Franklin Templeton investment solutions including mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, and Alternatives.
Delivering Goldman Sachs to RIAs: Accessing Unique, Customized Solutions through Goldman’s Capital Markets Desk
Join the GS team to discuss the institutional services available to you and your firm!
• Structured Notes & Hedging Portfolios: Direct access to customize structures across income alternatives, buffered equity, and 100% principal protection
• GS Select: High tech/high touch digital banking and lending platform for financial advisors
• Fixed Income Trading & Primary Markets: Trade individual bonds with our desk (treasuries, corporates, and municipals)
• Hedging & Monetization: Solutions for concentrated stock positions
• Alternatives: Access to unique third party alternatives
• Hedge Fund Alternatives: Systematic, rules based strategies
• Investment Banking Services: dedicated resource that provides full suite of IB services
• Private Stock Liquidity: For clients with a $20mm+ private holding, we can help find a buyer
• RIA Custody: Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions
Workshop Objective: Learn how Goldman’s services and products can be customized to meet your market outlook and your clients’ objectives.
Company Profile: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities and investment management services to a substantial and diversified client
base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the world. To learn more, visit www.gs.com.
Speakers
Sammi Lee
Vice President, RIA Capital Markets Solutions
Sammi Lee is a Vice President on the Private Investor Products Group at Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, Sammi focuses on providing RIA’s access to a variety of products within capital markets. She joined Goldman Sachs from Barclays where she was covering insurance companies for FIA/VA hedging, new mandates and FIA/Smart Beta marketing and more recently RIA’s for structured notes, ETN’s and other derivative products. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where she was a member of the golf team and studied Finance.
Representatives
Lindsay DiStaso
Associate, RIA Capital Markets Solutions
Cooper Rey
Managing Director
Prior to joining the firm, Cooper worked as a paralegal at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP from 2006 to 2008.
Cooper earned a BA in Economics from Columbia College in 2006.
How Opportunity Zone Funds Can Help Advisors Generate more High-Net-Worth Clients and Prospects.
Opportunity Zone Funds give advisors an opportunity to present a holistic solution that combines tax planning, financial planning, and after-tax investment alpha in a singular solution. It’s a versatile tool that can address the issues that high-net-worth investors care most about, planning, liability mitigation and after-tax investment outcomes and one of the best tools available to help cultivate the referral sources that most advisors seek.
Workshop Objective: To discuss how Griffin’s top advisors have used Opportunity Zone Funds to grow their businesses by cultivating the types of high-net-worth clients, prospects, and referral sources they want.
Company Profile: Griffin Capital is a deeply experienced real estate investment management firm that has been investing across different sectors of the property markets throughout the country in a variety of investment vehicle structures for almost 30 years.
The firm has raised over $17 Billion of equity through its relationships with private wealth intermediaries and has sponsored or co-sponsored investment strategies totaling over $23 billion. The firm’s management team and employees have co-invested over $300 million of their own capital alongside investors.
Today the firm is focused specifically on multifamily development due to the attractive long-term tailwinds that support demand for the multifamily sector, its resiliency through economic cycles, and the attractive premium that can be earned through the development process.
Speakers
Andy Marrone
SVP – National Sales Director
Andy Marrone serves as National Sales Director at Griffin Capital. At Griffin, Mr. Marrone focuses his efforts on Managing the firm's relationships across all channels and plays an integral role in supporting the financial intermediaries Griffin Capital serves. Mr. Marrone has extensive experience managing high-performing individuals and a deep understanding of the capital markets and intermediary distribution.
Prior to joining Griffin Capital, he served as a Senior Vice President at Ecovest Capital where he was head of Sales and Distribution and a key member of the Executive Leadership Team. Prior to Ecovest, he spent more than two decades in sales and leadership roles with firms such as FS Investments, Cole Capital, and AXA Equitable.
Representatives
Ian McElreath
SVP – Wealth Solutions
Value creation in uncertain markets through dynamic credit investing.
The global economy is in a dramatic regime change, shifting from a world where central banks fuelled global synchronized growth to one where cycles are more disperse, shorter, and more violent. In such markets, a different approach to fixed income investing may be warranted. We will cover these approaches and give an overview of how the Hartford Dynamic Bond Fund attempts to solve for these new regimes.
Workshop Objective: Participants will learn more about the shifting drivers of returns in fixed income and portfolio construction to meet the varying needs of fixed income investors.
Company Profile: Founded in 1996, Hartford Funds is a leading asset manager offering mutual funds, ETFs, and 529 college savings plans. With a human-centric investing approach, they create strategies to meet investor needs. Leveraging expert partnerships, Hartford Funds provides insights into demographic trends and investor behavior.
Their product lineup includes over sixty mutual funds and ETFs across a range of styles and asset classes. Most mutual funds are sub-advised by Wellington Management or Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. Their strategic beta ETFs use a risk-optimized approach to enhance returns. As of December 31, 2023, Hartford Funds managed approximately $131 billion in assets. Learn more at www.hartfordfunds.com. 🌟📈
Speakers
Connor Fitzgerald, CFA
Wellington Management, Portfolio Manager – Hartford Dynamic Bond Fund
Representatives
Tom Winkler
Vice President
Originally from the Washington, DC metro area, Tom attended Clemson University where he received a bachelor’s degree in business management. He currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife, Lori, and their daughters, Ella, and Grace.
Julia Dempsey
Regional director, Institutional consultant
Originally from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, Julia received her bachelor’s degree in business management from Loyola University New Orleans, where she ran track and cross country. She currently lives in Media, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Brian.
HPS – Private Markets & Direct Lending Workshop
Overviewing the history of private credit and the strong growth of the asset class. Conversation around default cycles, different economic crises, important figures and government regulations, and how private capital became a long-term solution as a result. Detailing where HPS fits in the broader eco-system of private lending and our differentiating factors including sourcing, structuring, diligence, and type of assets we invest in. Overview HPS as a firm, history of our company, our offerings/strategies – among a broader discussion around private credit and the current opportunity set including, but not limited to, public credit vs private credit, M&A activity, among other pertinent market related topics.
Workshop Objective: Discuss and learn about the history of private lending and the large influx of capital into the space. Detail how HPS is a top-tier player in private markets and how we differentiate our offerings versus our competition.
Company Profile: HPS Investment Partners is a leading global investment firm that seeks to provide creative capital solutions and generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for our clients. We manage various strategies across the capital structure, including privately negotiated senior debt; privately negotiated junior capital solutions in debt, preferred and equity formats; liquid credit including syndicated leveraged loans, collateralized loan obligations and high yield bonds; asset-based finance and real estate. The scale and breadth of our platform offers the flexibility to invest in companies large and small, through standard or customized solutions. At our core, we share a common thread of intellectual rigor and discipline that enables us to create value for our clients, who have entrusted us with approximately $110 billion of assets under management as of January 2023.
Speakers
John Christmas
Partner, Global Head of Business Development & Investor Relations
Mr. Christmas is a Managing Director and Co-Head of Business Development and Investor Relations at HPS Investment Partners. Prior to joining HPS in 2018, Mr. Christmas was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Private Bank, where he oversaw Product Specialists for the Alternatives Investment Group. Mr. Christmas helped originate public and private investment opportunities and constructed alternatives portfolios for many of the firm’s most sophisticated clients globally across private credit/equity, real estate, hedge funds, and direct investments. Prior to JPMorgan Private Bank, Mr. Christmas worked at several Investment Banking firms, including JPMorgan, Susquehanna, CIBC, and FBR in various Institutional Sales and Trading capacities across Equities and Fixed Income. Mr. Christmas holds a BA from Brown University.
Representatives
Rob Brown
Executive Director
Dimitri Loupakos
Executive Director
Opportunities in private credit backed by real estate
Private credit backed by real estate presents investors with a range of opportunities for steady returns and portfolio diversification. Unlike public markets, private debt offers less volatility and the potential for higher yields, often backed by tangible assets such as real estate. Additionally, private real estate debt can offer attractive risk-adjusted returns, especially in periods of economic uncertainty or rising interest rates. With careful due diligence and proper risk management, investors can capitalize on the stability and income potential that private real estate debt investments provide in today's market environment.
Workshop Objective: Your clients are facing unique challenges. Private credit backed by real estate could be the answer. This session will dive into why private credit could be right for your portfolios.
Company Profile: Invesco is a global independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. Our distinctive investment teams deliver a comprehensive range of active, passive and alternative investment capabilities. With offices in more than 20 countries, Invesco managed $1.4 trillion in assets on behalf of clients worldwide as of December 31, 2022. For more information, visit invesco.com/corporate.
Speakers
Yorick Starr
Managing Director, Credit Investments
Yorick Starr is a Managing Director and Investment Officer at Invesco Real Estate. Yorick is responsible for originating senior and mezzanine loans for the commercial real estate credit lines of business a primary focus on the Northeast and Eastern US. Yorick earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of San Diego with
minors in accounting and computer science.
Representatives
Shane Schofield
Client Portfolio Manager
Garrett Conley, CFP®
Market Leader
The Future of Wealth Creation: Democratizing Access to Private Markets For All
Breaking the traditional barriers to accessing private markets, Meketa Capital opens doors for investment in middle market private equity buyouts and infrastructure co-investments from top GPs in the U.S. and Europe. With a simple click, advisors gain diversification across GPs, sectors, vintage years, and portfolio companies—no J-Curve, accreditation requirements, fees, or carry. This closed-end interval fund democratizes access for individuals, family offices, and institutions, providing a direct route to harness the potential of private market investments. Regardless of your investing experience, you can learn how to seize this opportunity to expand your client portfolios and thrive in the private market landscape.
Workshop Objective: Attendees will explore the benefits of co-investments, private markets, and how a leading institutional consultant approaches private market investing. They will learn how to incorporate private market investments efficiently into client portfolios.
Company Profile: Meketa Capital is an asset management firm focused on expanding access to private market investments without the complexity of subscription documents, high investment minimums, and the complex tax treatment associated with traditional institutional private market investment structures.
As a subsidiary of Meketa Investment Group, a global public and private markets investments, consulting, and fiduciary management (OCIO) firm, Meketa Capital provides investment solutions for RIAs and other advisors to support their clients.
Meketa Capital also provides asset allocation for model portfolios, manages customized private market fund vehicles, provides OCIO services, as well as specialized general consulting services to advisors.
Speakers
Stephen McCourt
Managing Principal/Co-Chief Executive Officer, Meketa Investment Group
Stephen McCourt is Managing Principal and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Meketa Investment Group and lead consultant for several institutional funds, with public, Taft-Hartley, endowment, and non-profit plan sponsors. Stephen’s consulting work includes investment policy design, strategic and tactical asset allocation modeling, asset-liability modeling, investment education, and investment manager analysis. He sits on the firm’s Board of Directors and is a member of the firm’s Private Markets Policy, Meketa’s Fiduciary Management (OCIO) Investment, and Diversity Leadership Committees.
Representatives
Julian Lane
Senior Vice President, Business Development, Meketa Capital
Not all Private Credit is Created Equal: Identifying Key Differentiators that Really Matter
Churchill Asset Management, an investment affiliate of Nuveen, is a leading platform in the world of private capital. As investors have broadened their search for yield and are increasingly seeking to invest in private markets, Nuveen Churchill has several offerings available that take advantage of the Churchill team’s expertise within senior secured lending, junior capital, and private equity co-investments. Churchill has access to proprietary deal flow through their parent company, TIAA, and was named the #1 most active private equity lender in U.S. buyouts by PitchBook in 2023. Dating back to Churchill’s start in 2006, the team has maintained rigorous underwriting standards, which has led to strong performance through market cycles.
Workshop Objective: Deeper understanding of Private Capital landscape with a focus on middle market, and a clear understanding of Churchill’s competitive advantage in the space as they evaluate managers and opportunities.
Company Profile: Churchill Asset Management is a leading provider of flexible financing solutions to private equity sponsor-owned companies. As a majority-owned affiliate of Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, Churchill benefits from the institutional infrastructure of a $1.1T diversified asset manager with $89B invested in private capital.
Speakers
Alona Gornick
Managing Director, Senior Investment Strategist, Churchill Asset Management
Alona Gornick serves as a Managing Director, Senior Investment Strategist, and Co-Head of the Chicago Office for Churchill Asset Management. In her role, Alona provides meaningful investment insights across the private capital spectrum to the investment community, with a particular emphasis on the Private Wealth and Retail channel. She works closely with Nuveen’s global distribution team to deepen relationships with and educate Churchill’s investors and partners.
Exploring 2024 opportunities in real estate: Public REITs valuations are in favor
Speakers
Todd Kellenberger, CFA
Client Portfolio Manager, Real Estate Securities
Todd is a client portfolio manager for Principal Real Estate, the dedicated real estate unit of Principal Asset Management. He is responsible for the oversight of client portfolio management responsibilities for all public REIT and infrastructure strategies, including client relations, new business development, and marketing. Todd is a participating member of the investment team and prior to his current role he spent 12 years as an analyst responsible for the research analysis of REIT securities. Todd joined the firm and the REIT team in 2006. He received a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Northern Iowa. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute.
High Yield Credit - What’s the Outlook for Sub-Investment Grade Fixed Income in 2024?
The presentation discusses the fund’s team, objective and investment style.
The fund seeks total return, primarily from income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in global debt securities.
• Employs flexibility by allocating assets among core investments and opportunistic investments as market conditions change
• Identifies companies and securities that are believed to offer attractive relative values when compared to their fundamental credit risk
• Actively hedges portfolio risks, including credit, interest rate, and currency, in an effort to preserve capital
• Consists of several broad investment categories, including high yield bonds, bank loans, special situations, structured credit and hedges
Workshop Objective: Touchstone Investments believes in being Distinctively Active. To us this means delivering active investment management via institutional assets managers recognized for their particular expertise, delivering our industry leading practice management tools to help you actively manage your practice and offering unique perspectives on the economy and markets via our in-house thought leadership.
Company Profile: Touchstone Investments is a Distinctively Active fund company committed to providing investors with access to strategies sub-advised by institutional asset managers. Touchstone’s diverse but focused product offering gives investors a full breadth of investment options across styles and asset classes, includes U.S. equity, international equity, income and multi-asset funds.
Speakers
Erik Aarts, CIMA®
Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist, Touchstone Investments
Erik Aarts, Vice President and Senior Fixed Income Strategist for Touchstone Investments, is responsible for providing fixed income expertise and advocating for the firm’s bond solutions. Prior to joining Touchstone Investments, he was a senior executive at PIMCO focused on the fixed income solutions aimed at wealth management. He has over 25 years of financial services experience and holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Representatives
Emily Barnes
Vice President - Institutional Business Development
Tim Constanza
Managing Director of Institutional Business Development
Discuss our framework for effectively navigating both the challenges and opportunities in international equities.
A key consideration for most long-term equity investors, is whether a business can continue to expand its returns on capital over time and consistently generate and grow economic profit. The presenters will explain why this topic trumps the “growth vs value” debate, and will share a proven investment framework for assessing the trajectory of this economic profit generation. Will also discuss the international equity environment and how to best position oneself to succeed.
WCM Investment Management is an ~$80 billion AUM firm based in Laguna Beach. The firm’s Global Core investment team employs a unique approach to stock selection and portfolio construction, including a focus on moat trajectory, runway for growth, and corporate cultural analysis.
Workshop Objective: To help investors gain a deeper insight into the fundamental tenants of economic profit, a key determining factor in creating a positive shareholder experience.
Company Profile: WCM is an independent asset management firm that is motivated by a spirit of broad-based employee ownership.
At WCM, we have worked hard to build and maintain an organization that nurtures excellence, innovation and a healthy internal culture. To this end, we have kept head-count low, controlled asset growth, aligned employee incentives with clients’ long-term goals, and continued to offer equity ownership to the next generation of the firm.
We are a profitable, financially sound investment company with no debt. Our headquarters is in Laguna Beach, California and currently manage approximately ~$80 billion of AUM primarily for direct corporate & public institutions, endowments, foundations as well as intermediaries.
Speakers
Andrew Buchanan
Managing Director, WCM Investment Mgmt
Andrew joined WCM in 2021; he is responsible for developing and servicing client relationships with investment consultants, endowments, foundations, and other institutions. Since he began his investment career in 2000, Andrew has served in a variety of capacities at Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, most recently spending time as Senior Managing Director at Natixis Investment Managers. Prior to his career in finance, Andrew honorably served ten years as a U.S. Navy SEAL, where he was a combat-decorated veteran. He earned his B.A. in Communications from National University (California) and his M.B.A. from University of Southern California.
Representatives
Rob Quirk
Portfolio Manager, WCM Investment Mgmt
Address Market Uncertainty and Monetize Volatility with Convertible Bonds
Convertible bonds are in the midst of a renaissance. Higher rates have been a boom for new convertible issuance. Investors are placing a premium on convertibles’ built-in optionality in an uncertain market. And higher yields are finally allowing convert holders to get paid while waiting for potential stock appreciation.
Join Wellesley Asset Management to explore why this 150-year old asset class is again garnering consideration from institutional and private wealth investors.
Workshop Objectives: This session will explore the opportunity set within the convertible bond asset class in the current market environment.
Company Profile: Wellesley Asset Management is a boutique, alternative fixed income manager with $2.5B AUM that specializes in convertible bonds.
Since its founding in 1991, Wellesley has employed a defensive, credit-driven investment philosophy that focuses on capital preservation and minimizing downside risk. The firm’s conservative strategy is uniquely positioned within its Peer Group to be used as part of a fixed income portfolio.
In 2022, the firm expanded its product suite through the launch of a convertible arbitrage strategy.
Wellesley’s offerings include three mutual funds and a separately managed account: Miller Convertible Bond Fund (MCIFX), Miller Intermediate Bond Fund (MIFIX), Miller Market Neutral Income Fund (MMNIX), and the Wellesley Convertible Bond SMA.
Speakers
Michael Miller
President & Chief Investment Officer
Michael serves President and Chief Investment Officer of Wellesley Asset Management and a Portfolio Manager of the firm’s mutual funds, separately managed accounts and private fund. Michael is an integral part of the firm’s portfolio management team while overseeing firm strategy and day-to-day operations.
Michael received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from American University’s Kogod School of Business in Washington, DC, where he specialized in finance, and his Master of Business Administration degree from Babson College F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
Representatives
Jay Russo
Executive Director/Head of Intermediary Distribution
Jay holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Babson College and a Juris Doctor degree from Massachusetts School of Law.
Tech Sponsor - SmartX Advisory Solutions
SMArtX Advisory Solutions is an award-winning managed accounts technology provider and manages SMArtX, a turnkey asset management platform (‘TAMP’). SMArtX’s API-first, cloud-native technology operates within a modular, micro-services architecture, providing clients a tailored solution catered to their unique specifications. SMArtX is available as an off-the-shelf TAMP for advisors seeking a wider selection of investment products and ease of use, while automating the investment processes and simplifying the everyday tasks of managing client accounts. SMArtX also licenses its proprietary technology to enterprise firms looking to create, customize, or upgrade their existing managed accounts technology as a standalone or fully integrated solution. SMArtX is the managed account technology and TAMP platform of choice for multiple RIAs, broker-dealers, and asset managers, custodians, and FinTech firms.
Speakers
Brad Haag
Executive Vice President, Asset Manager Solutions
Brad Haag is the Executive Vice President of Asset Manager Solutions at SMArtX Advisory Solutions, a leading innovator in unified managed accounts (UMA) technology. He collaborates closely with leading asset management firms to assist them with marketing, distribution, and other initiatives on the SMArtX platform.
With extensive knowledge in wealthtech platforms, Brad is an integral member of SMArtX's Executive Leadership Team. He plays a pivotal role in strategic planning and continuously developing innovative initiatives.
Maggie Thompson
MBA, Vice President of Enterprise Consulting
Maggie Thompson, MBA is Vice President of Enterprise Consulting at SMArtX Advisory Solutions, a leading innovator in unified managed accounts (UMA) technology. In her role, she delivers strategic consultancy and business process support, integrating best practices to enterprise clients utilizing SMArtX's technology.
With a strong background in relationship management and project leadership, Maggie has successfully fostered partnerships and driven innovative solutions for top enterprise clients, solidifying SMArtX's position as a leading tech provider in financial services.
Speakers
Speakers
Rajini Kodialam
She is Co-Founder Emeritus of Focus Financial Partners, a leading international partnership of independent, fiduciary wealth management firms. Rajini served as the COO and Board Member for Focus( Nasdaq:FOCS) till 2023.
Prior to founding Focus, Rajini worked at American Express where she managed interactive services for the U.S. Consumer Card and Travel businesses. Prior to American Express, she was with McKinsey & Company in New York.
Rajini currently serves on the board of TIFIN AG. She previously served on the board of Focus as well as Smart Asset, a Y-Combinator fintech firm. Rajini is a frequent speaker at industry events and was recognized by Crains in their notable list of women in financial services.
Rajini is an alumna of Columbia Business School, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, India and Delhi University, India.
Sheelah Kolhatkar
Sheelah Kolhatkar, a former hedge fund analyst, is a staff writer and financial columnist at The New Yorker, where she writes about Wall Street, Silicon Valley, technology, economics and national politics. Previously, she was a features editor and national correspondent at Bloomberg Businessweek, and a regular contributor to Bloomberg Television. Her book Black Edge: Inside Information, Dirty Money, and the Quest to Bring Down the Most Wanted Man on Wall Street was a New York Times bestseller, a New York Times Book Critics’ Top Book of 2017, and was named one of Amazon’s Top 5 Business Books of 2017, among other honors. It takes readers inside the rise and fall of one of the world’s most powerful hedge funds and explores the way that the hedge fund industry helped transform Wall Street and the U.S. economy.
Kolhatkar has appeared as a commentator on business and economic issues on CNBC, MSNBC, PBS, CBS, NPR and contributes regularly to NPR’s Marketplace and WNYC’s Money Talking. She has given talks, moderated panels and conducted interviews at numerous live events, including the New Yorker Festival’s TechFest, the United Nations, Advertising Week, the Women’s Innovation Forum and the Business for Social Responsibility Conference. Her written work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Time, New York Magazine and other publications.
Before becoming a journalist, she spent several years as a risk arbitrage analyst at two hedge funds in New York City. Sheelah holds an undergraduate degree from New York University and a M.A. from Stanford University. She lives in New York.
Panel Session
Women in Leadership
Speakers
Cary Carbonaro (Moderator)
Cary Carbonaro is senior vice president and director of women and wealth with ACM Wealth. An award-winning CFP with over 25 years of experience, Cary is a tireless advocate for women in the financial industry and is passionate about increasing financial literacy and empowering women to overcome any financial challenge they face. Before joining ACM Wealth, Cary was vice president, head of office at Goldman Sachs. Following the firm’s acquisition of United Capital, she founded and served as Head of Women’s Leadership. During her tenure there, she served in a range of capacities, including managing director, partner, FINLIFE coach, and more. While there, she also earned several distinctions, including MVP managing director and the United Capital Diamond Office Winner, among others. She earned her BA in History from the State University of New York Cortland and her MBA from Long Island University. Cary recently endowed a scholarship from the State University of NY at Cortland for Women in Business. She was the founding president of the Women’s Giving Alliance, a women’s giving circle in South Lake Community Foundation, and also the founding President of her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau at Cortland. Driven by her passion for advancing women, Cary is in the benefactors’ circle at the Center for Financial Planning. Cary is the author of the bestselling wealth management book for women, The Money Queen’s Guide: For Women Who Want to Build Wealth and Banish Fear. She is a CFP® board ambassador and was appointed to represent the industry in the media. In 2016, she earned the prestigious InvestmentNews Women to Watch award. She has been honored five times as a top financial advisor on the Investopedia 100 list, most recently in 2023. In 2019, she ranked among the top five on the prestigious list. Cary was also named a LUMINARIES Class of 2023 finalist in the Thought Leadership category, recognized for driving the wealth management, investment, and retirement industry forward.
Molly Bennard
Molly Bennard is the chief executive officer at Connectus. She is responsible for establishing and leading the strategic vision and growth strategy of Connectus globally. As one of the initial architects of the Connectus business model, Molly passionately works alongside Connectus advisers to deliver strategic support and dedicated resources that generate better outcomes and experiences for clients and employees alike. Before joining Connectus, Molly was a managing director at Focus Financial Partners, responsible for leading business development and acquisition activities across both the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States. She also oversaw various international initiatives, including the expansion of Focus’ presence in Australia. Molly also worked closely with multiple Focus partner firms in delivering value-added resources to help execute strategic initiatives that accelerate growth. Prior to Focus, Molly held a leadership position as the Head of the Strategic Initiatives Group at AXA US, where she led corporate strategy and business development initiatives to drive profitable growth and performance across the organization. She also previously worked within Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division, executing M&A, equity and debt transactions within the financial services industry. She began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, providing financial due diligence and other advisory services to private equity and corporate clients within the U.S. and Latin America. Molly is a CPA and CFA charterholder. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In her free time, Molly enjoys running, scuba diving, international photography and cooking.
Cameron Dawson
Cameron Dawson is the chief investment officer of NewEdge Wealth. As chief investment officer, Cameron helps lead the development of NewEdge Wealth’s investment themes, strategies, and market views, while also working closely with the firm’s advisors and clients. Prior to joining NewEdge Wealth, Cameron was the chief market strategist at Fieldpoint Private Securities and a senior equity analyst at Bank of America. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive experience in macroeconomics and implementing forward-thinking investment themes and asset allocation strategies. She is widely known for her differentiated and thoughtful financial commentary and frequently appears on Bloomberg, CNBC, and Fox Business, among many others. Additionally, Cameron is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and a former board member of the CFA Society® of Orlando. A Florida native, Cameron earned her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Rollins College in Orlando. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, reading and dabbling in her previous talents as a professional ballet dancer.
Rafia Hasan
Rafia Hasan, CFA, CFP® is Chief Investment Officer of Perigon Wealth Management. She is responsible for Perigon’s investment strategies and supporting the firm’s growing advisor team by providing the resources and support they need to provide best-in-class investment advisory services to their clients. She chairs Perigon’s investment committee and leads the investment and trading team.
Prior to joining Perigon, Rafia was Chief Investment Officer of Wipfli Financial Advisors, an RIA firm with $5.5. billion in client assets. She has also worked at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where she advised RIA firms on portfolio construction and helped develop asset allocations. Her experience includes investment roles with Citibank in their Emerging Markets Corporate Bank and at Credit Suisse in their Alternative Investments Division. With two decades of experience across the advisory and institutional sides of investment management, Rafia brings a wealth of perspective to her role at Perigon.
Rafia holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and math from Wellesley College and an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin.
Shannon Eusey
Shannon Eusey is the chief executive officer of Beacon Pointe Advisors, the largest female-led RIA firm in the country serving private clients, foundations, and retirement plans. Prior to launching Beacon Pointe, Shannon served as senior managing director and portfolio manager at Roxbury Capital Management and oversaw the socially responsible investment (SRI) platform for several years. Shannon is regularly featured in The Wall Street Journal, InvestmentNews, Barron’s, Forbes, Financial Planning Magazine, among other publications. In 2023, Shannon was acknowledged as an ‘Orange County Visionary’ by the Los Angeles Times, in 2018 she was presented with the UC Irvine Lauds & Laurels Award, and 2017 the Orange County Business Journal Women in Business Award. Through Shannon’s passion for financial education, she is a founding member of the Beacon Pointe Women’s Advisory Institute and co-authored Your Dollars, Our Sense: A Fun and Simple Guide to Money Matters, an international best-selling book that has ranked #1 in six different business and finance categories. Shannon graduated from the University of California, Irvine where she played Division I Volleyball and she received her MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Business. Shannon is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) for the Orange County Chapter, and serves or has served on numerous boards including the Banc of California, the UCI Athletic Fund Board, the Charles Schwab Advisor Council, the TD Ameritrade Advisory Council, the CNBC Financial Advisor Council, as well as Scratchworks, a FinTech accelerator that connects innovative tech companies with investment and wealth management luminaries to advance the digital transformation of the financial services industry. As a dedicated philanthropist, she has also served on the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Professional Advisory Committee, the Investment Committee of Sisters of St. Joseph in Orange, and served as the executive director of the HALO Foundation. Shannon is married, has four children, and lives with her husband in Newport Beach, California.