Funds Congress Virtual took place on 25 February 2021. You can now view the full event and all sessions on demand by entering your details below.
Jack Bouroudjian
Chief Economist and Co-Founder
UCX Tech
Hagop (Jack) Bouroudjian is the chief economist, co-founder and director of the UCX Tech, and chairman and co-founder of the Global Smart Commodity Exchange. Previously, Jack was CEO of Index Futures Group, SVP for Nikko Securities, Japan’s second largest brokerage house; SVP for Credit Agricole Futures and Commerzbank Futures, divisions of the 17th and 25th largest banks in the world respectively. He also served as president of Commerzbank Futures during the introduction of the Euro currency and oversaw the transition from D-mark to Euro. Jack is a serial entrepreneur with interests ranging from fintech to private equity. He has helped create over a dozen companies and thrives on innovative and disruptive ideas.
Natasha Cazenave
Deputy Secretary General in Charge of Policy and International Affairs
French Autorité des Marchés Financiers
Natasha Cazenave is managing director of the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and head of the policy and international affairs directorate. The directorate covers all areas of securities regulation including market intermediaries and infrastructures, asset management, transparency requirements for issuers and fintech companies, and sustainable finance.
Prior to joining the AMF, she worked eight years for Deminor, a European consultancy specialised in corporate governance and the promotion of investor rights. She started her career at Ernst & Young, in the valuation and business modelling team of Ernst & Young Corporate Finance. Natasha holds a master’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Paris Dauphine.
Jay Clayton
Former Chairman of the SEC
Jay Clayton was the chairman of the SEC from 2017 to 2020. Prior to joining the commission, Clayton was a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, where he was a member of the firm’s management committee and co-head of the firm’s corporate practice. From 2009 to 2017, he was a lecturer in law and adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Brian Coulton
Chief Economist
Fitch Ratings
Brian re-joined Fitch Ratings in October 2015 as chief economist. His previous employment was at Legal and General Investment Management in London where he worked as emerging market strategist from November 2010 to September 2015.
Prior to that Brian worked for 11 years in the sovereign group at Fitch Ratings, including spells in Hong Kong as Head of Asia Pacific sovereigns and in London as head of EMEA sovereigns and global economics. He was formerly an economic adviser at HM Treasury.
Brian has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Warwick and a BSc (Econ) from the University of Wales.
Leslie Gent
Managing Director, Head of Responsible Investing
Coutts
Leslie Gent, a managing director at Coutts, is responsible for delivering Coutts’ investment propositions. Her current role includes spearheading Coutts’ approach to responsible investing. Previous roles at Coutts include head of private banking investments and portfolio manager.
Before joining Coutts, Leslie spent five years at Charles Schwab in San Francisco where she was a director in the investment research division. She also has experience as a sell-side equity research analyst covering the semi-conductor and data storage industries.
Leslie is an executive director of RBS Asset Management (Dublin) Limited, Equator ICAV and RBS Asset Management Holdings.
Leslie is a CFA charterholder, a member of London Society of Financial Analysts, and a participant in the CFA Institute’s Continuing Education program.
Sarah Gordon
Chief Executive
Impact Investing Institute
Sarah leads the institute’s team and works closely with the board, the advisory council and external stakeholders to deliver the institute’s strategy. She is also in charge of the institute’s policy and advocacy work around green+ sovereign bonds, impact reporting and social investment.
Before Sarah was appointed CEO of the Impact Investing Institute in July 2019, she was business editor at the Financial Times, where she worked for 18 years. Prior to working at the Financial Times, Sarah worked in emerging markets fund management for Citigroup’s asset management business and at Foreign & Colonial.
Sarah is a non-executive director of Social Finance, a companion at the Chartered Management Institute and a visiting professor at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at Kings College London.
Julian Hiscox
Chair in Infection and Global Health
University of Liverpool
Prof. Julian A. Hiscox is chair in infection and global health at the University of Liverpool and deputy executive dean of the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences. He leads a US$6.6 million U.S. Food and Drug Administration-funded international research programme on the ‘Characterisation of severe coronavirus infection in humans and model systems for medical countermeasure development and evaluation’. His laboratory specialises in analysis samples from patients with high consequence infections and biological and chemical threat agents. Currently a major focus of his work is on SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19). Because of his coronavirus experience he is a co-opted member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), which advises the Chief Medical Officer.
Tai Hui
Chief Market Strategist, Asia Pacific
J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Tai Hui, managing director, is the chief market strategist, Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. With 20 years of experience, Tai formulates and disseminates J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s views on the markets, economy and investing to financial advisors and investors in the Asia region. With his knowledge and experience, he is able to explain and illustrate complex economic and financial issues in a digestible way, primarily via the Market Insights program. He also regularly appears on international and local financial media, including as a guest host on CNBC Asia, as well as Bloomberg TV and Reuters TV.
Prior to joining J.P. Morgan in 2012, Tai served as the regional head of research (Asia) with Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. Tai obtained a master’s in international and public affairs from the University of Hong Kong.
Dominic Jermey
Director
ZSL
Leading ZSL, Dominic is positioning the organisation as a force for international wildlife conservation, undertaking conservation and science projects in over 50 countries, engaging nearly two million visitors to its world-class zoos on wildlife-related issues and carrying out wildlife science at ZSL’s Institute of zoology.
Dominic’s particular focus is on promoting a positive relationship between people and wildlife, whether through managing wildlife health to mitigate the impact of zoonotic diseases (like COVID), influencing the policy agenda to reduce illegal wildlife trade or fostering positive attitudes to conservation through ZSL’s zoos and media coverage.
Leo Johnson
Lead Partner, Disruption & Innovation
PwC
Leo Johnson leads PwC's disruption practice and co-presents the Radio 4 series “FutureProofing”, exploring the impacts of exponential technologies on business and society. Formerly at the World Bank, Leo is the co-founder of the advisory firm Sustainable Finance, now part of the PwC group. He is the co-author of Turnaround Challenge: Business and the City of the Future (Oxford University Press, 2013) and a visiting business fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise & Environment at Oxford University.
Cathy Jones
Partner
Northill Capital
Cathy Jones is a HR professional who has over 25 years of experience working extensively with a wide range of asset managers in the UK, Europe, U.S., Australia and Asia. Managers have included those operating in a broad spectrum of asset classes including OCIO, ILS, infrastructure, credit and both regional and global equities.
Cathy has been with Northill Capital LLP for nine years as a partner, and prior to this was the HR director for BNY Mellon Asset Servicing EMEA for nine years. Cathy also held senior roles within the financial services sector in Australia. Cathy sits on a number of asset management boards and committees where she shares her extensive senior HR experience with a focus on representing diversity and inclusion.
Meredith Jones
Global ESG Strategy Lead
Aon
Meredith A. Jones is the Global ESG Strategy Lead for Aon and an internationally recognised researcher, writer, blogger and speaker in the investment industry. She is the author of Women of The Street: Why Female Money Managers Generate Higher Returns (And How You Can Too). She has been a contributor to Institutional Investor magazine and MarketWatch, and was invited to testify on diversity in investments before the House Finance Committee in 2019.
Meredith serves on the board of directors for Rock the Street, Wall Street, a non-profit that provides financial and investment literacy programs to high school girls and delivered a TEDx talk on creating luck for girls in finance in 2018.
Sandy Kaul
Managing Director and Global Head of Business Advisory Services
Citi Global Investor Sales and Relationship Management
Colm Kincaid
Director of Securities and Markets Supervision
Central Bank of Ireland
Colm Kincaid was appointed director of securities and markets supervision at the Central Bank of Ireland in 2018. He oversees both primary and secondary markets supervision, as well as the authorisation and supervision of regulated investment funds and the approval of prospectuses. Colm is the Central Bank of Ireland’s alternate member of the ESMA board of supervisors and ESMA management board. Prior to this role, Colm was head of consumer protection: policy & authorisations. Previously to this he practised as a solicitor, both as legal advisor to the Central Bank of Ireland and in commercial practice in London and in Dublin.
Mike O'Brien
Non-Executive Director
Carne Group
Michael O’Brien has over 25 years of experience within the asset management industry, most recently as global co-head of the asset management solutions business for J.P. Morgan Asset Management based in New York. He is also a non-executive director of Carne’s board of directors. At J.P. Morgan, Michael was responsible for the firm’s multi-asset, retirement and pensions, and insurance advisory businesses globally.
Previously, Michael was CEO of J.P. Morgan Asset Management EMEA, where he partnered with the global investment business and function heads to develop the business priorities in EMEA. Before joining J.P. Morgan Asset Management, he was head of institutional business for EMEA at Blackrock / Barclays Global Investors (BGI).
Michael is an actuary (FIA) and a CFA Charter holder and is an advisor to the Investment Committee of the UK’s Pension Protection Fund.
Ciara O'Leary
Financial Services Partner
Dechert LLP
Ciara O'Leary focuses her practice on investment funds, advising fund promoters and fund services firms on matters relating to the establishment, authorisation, operation and ongoing maintenance of funds. Ciara advises on all types of funds, including UCITS and Alternative Investment Funds. She has extensive experience handling matters pertaining to ETFs, alternative or structured UCITS and the use of derivatives and financial indices within the UCITS space.
Prior to joining Dechert, Ciara was an investment management partner at another global law firm.
George Osborne
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer
George Osborne was the conservative member of the House of Commons for Tatton, Cheshire. In 2017, he was appointed editor of the London Evening Standard. George is also the chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a not-for-profit organisation he established with business and civic leaders to promote economic development in the North of England. He is the inaugural Kissinger Fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership.
George served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016 – one of the longest periods anyone has held the office. Following the successful election of a conservative government in 2015, he served as first secretary of state. As a prominent campaigner for Britain to remain in the EU, George left the government in July 2016 following the outcome of the referendum.
During his time as chancellor the fortunes of the British economy dramatically improved, and George left office with the strongest growth record in the G7, the deficit greatly reduced, corporate tax rates at a record low and the employment rate at an all-time high. He also oversaw major reforms including: the regeneration of the north of England through the 'Northern Powerhouse'; forging a new 'golden era' of relations with China; and an overhaul of the UK pension and welfare systems.
On his appointment in May 2010, George was the youngest chancellor since Randolph Churchill in 1886. Prior to that he was elected as the youngest conservative MP in 2001, he served as shadow chancellor for five years, ran David Cameron's successful campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party and helped negotiate the formation of Britain's first coalition government since the Second World War.
In August 2016, George was made a Companion of Honour by Her Majesty the Queen. He has a master’s degree from Oxford University in modern history, and was a Dean Rusk Scholar at Davidson College, North Carolina.
John Pienaar
Former BBC Deputy Political Editor
John Pienaar was the BBC’s deputy political editor and presenter of the weekly Westminster round-up Pienaar’ s Politics on Radio 5 Live. A seasoned reporter, he sees his job as beating a path through the forest of government spin, a role he maintains for Times Radio. Ever since his original, often controversial parliamentary sketch for The Independent, he has acted as tour guide and translator of goings-on in the Westminster village.
Prior to spending almost three decades at the BBC, John originally trained at South London Press. He then became an Old Bailey correspondent and even wrote an angling column (without ever having held a fishing rod). Instantly recognisable to television news audiences, John has spent hundreds of hours standing in the rain outside 10 Downing Street.
Fiona Reynolds
CEO
Principles for Responsible Investment
Fiona Reynolds is the CEO of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI is a UN-supported organisation, with more than 3,000 signatories who collectively represent over US$100 trillion in assets under management. She is responsible for the PRI’s global operations.
Appointed at the beginning of 2013, Reynolds has 25 years' experience in the financial services and pension sector. She joined the PRI from Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST), where she spent seven years as the CEO.
Fiona also serves on the board of the UN Global Compact, she chaired the financial services commission into modern slavery and human trafficking (The Liechtenstein initiative) and is now a member of the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) global steering committee.
John Romeo
Managing Partner
Oliver Wyman Forum
John is a managing partner of Oliver Wyman and head of the Oliver Wyman Forum, the firm’s platform for engaging key business, public policy and societal leaders to act on shared challenges. He leads Oliver Wyman’s private capital business and has over 25 years of consulting experience advising the boards and senior executives of the world’s leading private and public sector institutions on strategy, organisational effectiveness, risk management and M&A.
John is a board member of Safe Horizon (the largest victims’ services agency in the United States) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), chair of the London Data Commission, and a member of Young Presidents’ Organisation, The Wall Street Journal CEO Council, Investment Committee of Duke Royalty and MMC Advantage Advisory Council.
Edwin Schooling Latter
Director of Markets and Wholesale Policy
Financial Conduct Authority
Edwin Schooling Latter is director of markets and wholesale policy at the Financial Conduct Authority where his responsibilities encompass policy in relation to primary and secondary markets, trading venues, trading conduct, benchmarks, asset management and pensions.
From 2011-2014 Edwin was head of the financial market infrastructure directorate at the Bank of England, responsible for supervision of CCPs, securities settlement systems, and systemically important payment systems, and for the bank’s input to policy-making on central clearing and OTC derivatives reforms. Prior to appointment as head of MID, Edwin worked in the bank’s financial stability area for several years, including as secretary to the bank’s financial stability committee. Edwin was also previously managing director of UK payment system, LINK Interchange Network Ltd.
Nilesh Shah
Group President and Managing Director
Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd.
Nilesh Shah is group president and managing director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited.
Nilesh was part of the team that received the Best Fund House of the Year Award at all the mutual funds where he worked over the last three decades, namely: Kotak MF, ICICI Prudential and Franklin Templeton.
Nilesh is chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), member of the Mutual Fund Advisory Committee (MFAC) and a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. Nilesh was featured in Top 50 People of India by India Today for CY 20.
Laure Villepelet, CFA
Head of ESG and CSR
Tikehau Capital
Laure Villepelet, CFA joined Tikehau Capital in 2017 to promote and accelerate ESG initiatives across alternative asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies). Laure drives the creation, implementation and reporting of the group’s practices regarding ESG integration, engagement and impact (with a focus on climate change, healthcare, innovation and inclusion). Previously, Laure was sustainable development manager for L'Oréal France and coordinated projects from recycling initiatives to clean transports. She started her career with PWC valuations in NYC and London, and worked as financial analyst in Singapore. Laure has a master’s degree in science from Sciences Po Bordeaux and is a CFA® charter holder.
Mark Wiseman
Former Chair, Global Investment Committee
BlackRock
Mark Wiseman is a Canadian investment manager and business executive and an industry-leading expert in alternatives and active equity investments. Until last year, Mark was a senior managing director at BlackRock and chairman of BlackRock’s global investment committee. Prior to joining BlackRock in 2016, he was president and CEO of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
Marco Zwick
Director
Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier
Marco Zwick was appointed as director of the Luxembourg supervisory authority, the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), on 1 September 2018. He is predominantly in charge of the regulation and supervision of the investment fund industry and of the specialised professionals of the financial sector. Marco has held various functions in the financial sector since 1989, including being the head of compliance of Deutsche Börse Group and head of compliance and risk, EMEA, for Schroders prior to joining RBC Investor Services Bank in May 2015, where he was a member of the executive committee and headed the compliance functions in Europe and Asia and AML for I&TS globally. He has been chairing the AML working group of ALFI until his appointment as director of the CSSF. Marco was the president of the Luxembourg Association of Risk Management (ALRiM) from 2010 to 2016. He is a member of the board of the Economist Club in Luxembourg.
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