Speakers and topics

More to be announced soon

Are your clients ready for outcome-based fixed income solutions?

abrdn Sicav I – Short Dated Enhanced Income Fund & abrdn Sicav II – Global Income Bond Fund

Many of today’s investors have substantial cash allocations that are designed to deliver yield, reduce risk and/or help with liquidity. But what happens when interest rates start to go down and yields on cash start to fall? Join abrdn Investments fixed income investment director Mark Munro as he explains the benefits of two global ‘best ideas’ outcome-oriented fixed income solutions, the abrdn Global Income Bond Fund and abrdn Short Dated Enhanced Income Fund. If you want to lock in a higher level of income for your clients without exposing them to higher levels of volatility either of these funds might be worthy of consideration.

Investment director
abrdn Investments

Mark is a member of the global fixed income team at abrdn based in Edinburgh. He has been running corporate bond funds since 2010 across a variety of strategies from investment grade to unconstrained. He is the lead manager on both the abrdn Global Income Bond and Short Dated Enhanced Income funds.

Capturing alpha through multi-decade megatrends

Global Sustainable Infrastructure Fund

Colm will discuss the megatrends which have driven KBIGI excess alpha for the past 18 years, why he believes these alpha drivers are even stronger today and why he sees thematic investing as a global equity diversifier.

Head of portfolio management, natural resources
KBI Global Investors, part of the Amundi Group

Colm is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Global Sustainable Infrastructure strategy and the Energy Transition strategy. He joined the natural resource team in 2006 as an analyst, and in 2023, he was promoted to head of portfolio management for the team.

The power of blue sky thinking

Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust

The purpose of Scottish Mortgage is to identify, own and support the world’s most exceptional growth companies, whether public or private. The returns from the Scottish Mortgage portfolio over the past 10 years reveal a clear pattern. Yes - it has made some mistakes, however, it has also made some very successful investments. The returns from winners has been many multiples of the initial investment: NVIDIA; Tesla; and Amazon to name a few. To deliver these large multiple returns at scale, companies either need to be tapping into or driving a significant structural change in the economy. The philosophy is designed around the concept that the only thing you can count on is change. The process is firmly geared to the profit pools of the future and making sure Scottish Mortgage is well positioned to capture the next generation of winners.

Portfolio director, Scottish mortgage investment trust
Baillie Gifford

Claire joined Baillie Gifford in 2019 as an investment specialist for the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust. Prior to this, since 2014, she was a portfolio manager of European small- and mid-caps at SYZ AM and previously spent six years at Franklin Templeton on the European equities team. 

Higher for longer: why global value equities are poised for a strong resurgence

Robeco BP Global Premium Equities Fund

Over the past 15 years, global markets have experienced a wide variety of anomalies, ranging from the Great Financial Crisis to Brexit. Through all of these varying environments, the Robeco BP Global Premium Equities Fund has remained unwaveringly committed to its value discipline and its time-tested investment philosophy and process. It is an all-cap global equity fund which focuses on constructing a portfolio from the bottom up, centred on attractively priced companies with excellent fundamental quality and business momentum in all market environments. This philosophy, employed by a consistent team, has delivered excellent returns, driving alpha through stock selection. While the mega-cap magnificent seven companies and growth funds have mostly posted strong results in a very concentrated market, value has quietly produced highly competitive returns and is poised for a period of outperformance given much more reasonable valuations, growing earnings and a higher for longer environment. Chris has managed the portfolio since 2008 and will make the case for value in a new market environment that is likely to look very different to the past 15 years.

Portfolio manager
Boston Partners

Christopher is a portfolio manager of the Boston Partners Global Equity and Boston Partners International Equity strategies, with primary responsibility for managing the firm’s Global Equity long portfolios. Prior to this, he was the portfolio manager of the Boston Partners International Small Cap Value product, and, before that, an assistant portfolio manager of the Boston Partners Small Cap Value products for three years. Previously, he was a research analyst specialising in the conglomerates, engineering and construction, building, machinery, aerospace and defence, and Reits sectors of the equity market. He joined the firm in 2002 from Fidelity Investments where he was a research analyst.

European equities: what doesn’t change in a fast-changing world

Comgest Growth Europe ex UK Compounders

Within its newly launched Europe ex UK Compounders fund Comgest seeks companies that have consistent qualities: longevity; durability; and visibility of their growth. These are key characteristics which make excellent compounding stocks that can stand the test of time. These high-quality companies are typically global industry leaders who, despite financial, economic and geopolitical crises, continue to innovate, expand and achieve earnings growth, while staying true to their cultural values and long-term vision. James will highlight the key elements of the strategy's investment approach, as well as some stock examples of what makes a successful compounder.

Analyst/portfolio manager
Comgest

James joined Comgest in 2018 and is an analyst and portfolio manager specialising in European equities. He contributes widely to the investment team’s research coverage for a diverse selection of pan-European quality growth stocks. He started his career in 2011 as an analyst at Credit Suisse and, prior to joining Comgest, spent four years as a global generalist at Capital Group.

Europe's resurgence: reasons for optimism

VT Downing European Unconstrained Income Fund

Europe is currently at its most affordable relative to the US in more than 15 years, smaller companies within Europe are experiencing all-time low valuations and European investments have been underrepresented among clients (but this trend is beginning to shift). The macroeconomic landscape in Europe is showing encouraging signs of recovery and corporate earnings in Europe are improving and surpassing expectations. The VT Downing European Unconstrained Income Fund is perfectly positioned to seize this unique opportunity and help you access great valuations whilst diversifying your exposures.

Fund manager
Downing Fund Managers

Mike and Pras have been the fund managers of the VT Downing European Unconstrained Income Fund since launch in November 2020. Mike has more than 20 years' experience in the industry and more than 12 years' experience managing European equity portfolios.

Fund manager
Downing Fund Managers

Pras and Mike have been the fund managers of the VT Downing European Unconstrained Income Fund since launch in November 2020. Pras has more than 11 years' investment experience.

GEM ex-China: unlocking EM growth in a shifting landscape

Eastspring Investments - Global EM ex China Dynamic Fund - C

Global emerging markets continue to evolve over time, with dominant countries and sectors shifting through economic and geopolitical cycles. Today, investors are very focused on how to think about China's role in their EM portfolio. Whether it remains part of EM allocation, a discrete allocation or to avoid it all together. During the presentation we Navin will focus on the case for an emerging market investment opportunity outside China and present his thoughts on how best to capture the returns from these ideas over time.

Portfolio manager
Eastspring Investments

Navin joined Eastspring Investments as a portfolio manager in 2011. He is a senior member of the Singapore-based equity team and the lead manager for the GEM ex China Dynamic strategy and co-manager of the GEM Fundamental Value strategy. Prior to joining, he worked as a portfolio manager in the emerging market team at JP Morgan Asset Management in London. He has 23 years of financial industry experience.

Taking stock of Japanese companies amid slowing US growth

Jupiter Japan Income Fund

The recent whipsaw in Japanese stocks has put the spotlight on the profit outlook for its companies that are heavily reliant on industries and exports. Slowing US growth, a hawkish Bank of Japan and the yen’s strength are important factors to keep in mind. Mitesh will discuss how a portfolio combining income along with the prospect of capital growth can be constructed in Japanese equities and analyse the opportunities and risks posed by the current environment.

Investment manager
Jupiter Asset Management

Mitesh is an investment manager in the Japanese equities team. He joined Jupiter in 2016. Previously, he worked at Barings AM, first as a Japanese equity analyst from 2009 and then as an investment manager in Japanese equities from 2013. Prior to this, he spent three years at BlackRock IM on the global equities and UK equities teams. He began his investment career in 2006.

Decarbonisation is bullish transition commodities

Pooled Index Strategy

By 2040, the market value of key energy transition minerals will more than double, under climate-driven scenarios modelled by the IEA1. Join Michael to discover the metals enabling electrification, the role of transition energy sources in bridging the gap to next zero and how carbon pricing works. The energy transition isn’t only an equities story, LGIM believes commodities are a fundamentally different way of accessing the theme, providing a range of potential benefits in a multi-asset portfolio.

Head of Pooled Index strategy
LGIM

Michael focuses on the creation and ongoing support of investment strategies for LGIM's ETFs as well as the strategic role for ETFs within the business. Before joining in 2019, he worked in ETF product development at Invesco, developing and supporting a wide range of ETFs across all asset classes.

Transition materials: essential elements of system-level change

LO Funds – Transition Materials

As the demand for renewable energy, artificial intelligence and net-zero technologies surges, key commodities are becoming vital for powering the rewiring of the global economy. Marc will unpack the investment opportunity provided by transition materials as a strategic allocation for a multi-asset portfolio as our economic system transforms.

Senior portfolio manager, commodities and alternative risk premia strategies
Lombard Odier Investment Managers

Marc is a senior portfolio manager in the 1798 Hedge Fund / Systematic Alternatives team. He initially joined LOIM in 2007, and the systematic alternatives team in 2009, where he co-managed a hedge fund replicator. This was a top-down factor-based approach aimed at delivering hedge fund-like returns with daily liquidity. With the inception of LOIM’s Alternative Risk Premia franchise, the natural evolution was to then further incorporate a bottom-up approach, which was done in 2014. Marc has been developing and co-managing this franchise ever since. In addition, he also co-manages LOIM’s Commodity Risk Premia offering since 2011

Resilience and lower volatility of short-dated credit: why M&G believes it should form part of your asset allocation

M&G Short Dated Corporate Bond Fund

M&G Short Dated Corporate Bond Fund manager Matt Russell discusses the potential benefits of having an allocation to short-dated credit in your portfolios. The resilience of the asset class through different market conditions and how its lower volatility offers it a role alongside a more traditional corporate bond fund. Matt will discuss how M&G implements its short-dated strategy and what makes the fund at M&G different to the other short-dated offerings in the market.

Fund manager
M&G Investments

Matthew joined M&G in 2007 as a fund managers’ assistant, covering fixed income funds. He became deputy manager of the Short Dated Corporate Bond strategy in 2011 and, two years later, was appointed manager. In 2015 he started managing the Gilt & Fixed Interest Income strategy and in June 2021 became manager of the European Inflation Linked Corporate Bond strategy and deputy manager of the UK Inflation Linked Corporate Bond strategy.