Lonsec Symposium 2024
Speakers
Thursday, 02 May 2024
08.45 AM – 04.00 PM
We are pleased to present a wide range of industry leaders at this year’s Lonsec Symposium. If you would like to find out more about the speakers who will be featuring in our sessions, you can read each of their bios below.
Click on any of the titles listed here to navigate directly to the speakers for that particular session:
- Session 1 – Sailing Through the Storm: Navigating the Macro and Surviving the Geopolitical
- Session 2 – Have Developed Markets Peaked, and is Now the Time for Emerging Markets and SMID Caps to Prosper?
- Session 3 – Leveraging Fixed Income Opportunities and Protection in Times of Uncertainty
- Session 4 – Net Zero in the Real World
- Session 5 – It’s Time for Alternatives to Enter the Mainstream
- Session 6 – Infrastructure Investment Dynamics: Navigating New Frontiers and Emerging Realities
- Session 7 – From Product to Profit Driver: What’s preventing practices from harnessing the power of managed accounts?
- Session 8 – Charting the AI Landscape: Seizing Opportunities and Implications for Advisers
Session 1
Sailing Through the Storm: Navigating the Macro and Surviving the Geopolitical
Session 1 synopsis:
Step into the captivating world of macroeconomics, where we’ll discuss the latest insights into Central Banks’ pathways and the elusive concept of a soft landing, all while navigating the complex web of geopolitical risks. Get ready to uncover the exciting implications for markets and investment strategies as we arm advisers with deep insights into the implications behind the headlines.
Nathan Lim | Chief Investment Officer, Lonsec Investment Solutions
Nathan Lim is the Chief Investment Officer at Lonsec. He is responsible for building and managing Lonsec’s suite of investment solutions, devising strategies for growth and acting as the liaison with the market.
He was previously with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management from 2016 to 2023 holding senior roles in Sydney and Hong Kong where he developed their multi-asset investment approach which was recognized by the Institute of Managed Account Professionals as the winner in the 2021 Multi-Asset and Licensee Managed Account categories. Before Morgan Stanley, Nathan was with Australian Ethical Investment where he managed the Australian Ethical International Shares Fund which won the Best International Equities Award from the Australian Fund Manager Foundation in 2014.
He started his career in 1995 and has extensive experience in asset management, research and stockbroking that has taken him across Asia, North America, the Middle East and Australia. Nathan is a frequent speaker and writer on the intersection between finance and the environment, has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia, is an Honorary Adjunct Professor with the University of Technology Sydney Business School and is a CFA® charterholder.
Lydia Khalil | Research Fellow, Lowy Institute
Lydia Khalil is a Research Fellow and Project Director at the Lowy Institute. Lydia has spent her career focusing on the intersection between governance, technology and security. She has a broad range of policy, research and private sector experience and has a professional background in international relations, national security and strategic intelligence analysis, with a particular focus on transnational challenges and all forms of political violence. She consults widely with both government and private enterprise.
Lydia is also a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University’s Alfred Deakin Institute, where she is the co-convener of the Addressing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation to Terrorism (AVERT) Research Network. Lydia has held previous appointments as an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and Macquarie University.
She has previously served as an adviser with the US Department of Defense and as a senior policy and intelligence adviser to the Boston Police Department and New York Police Department. Lydia is a frequent media commentator and has published widely in both popular and academic publications on her areas of expertise. She holds a BA in International Relations from Boston College and a Master’s in International Security from Georgetown University.
Daniel J. Ivascyn | Group Chief Investment Officer, PIMCO
Mr. Ivascyn is Group Chief Investment Officer and a managing director in the Newport Beach office. He is lead portfolio manager for the firm’s income, credit hedge fund, and mortgage opportunistic strategies, and is also a portfolio manager for total return strategies.
He is a member of PIMCO’s Executive Committee and a member of the Investment Committee. Morningstar named him Fixed-Income Fund Manager of the Year (U.S.) for 2013, and he was inducted into the Fixed Income Analysts Society Hall of Fame in 2019.
Prior to joining PIMCO in 1998, he worked at Bear Stearns in the asset-backed securities group, as well as T. Rowe Price and Fidelity Investments. He has 32 years of investment experience and holds an MBA in analytic finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Occidental College.
Session 2
Have Developed Markets Peaked, and is Now the Time for Emerging Markets and SMID Caps to Prosper?
Session 2 synopsis:
Global equities rebounded in 2023 from the worst annual performance since the Global Financial Crisis. The strong performance, however, masked an underlying trend that global equities indices are becoming increasingly concentrated, and returns are becoming increasingly driven by Developed Markets Large Caps stocks, which have seen Emerging Markets and SMID Caps indices materially underperform. In fact, during 2023 there was a 14 and nine percentage point difference between the returns of the MSCI World Index, and the Emerging Markets and SMID Caps indices respectively, and by year-end the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ made up 20% of the index – with Apple and Microsoft making up almost 10%! During this session, our panellists will highlight the risks and opportunities in their respective sectors, and provide their views on how investors should be positioned to prosper during these volatile times.
Richard S. Pzena | Founder & Chief Investment Officer, Pzena Investment Management
Mr. Pzena is the architect of the firm’s investment strategy and conceived and developed our proprietary screening model. He serves as co-portfolio manager for the U.S. Large Cap strategies, along with the U.S. Best Ideas service. Mr. Pzena began the firm in 1995.
Prior to forming Pzena Investment Management, Mr. Pzena was the Director of U.S. Equity Investments and Chief Research Officer for Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. He joined Bernstein as an oil industry analyst and was named to the Institutional Investor All America Research Team for three years running. Mr. Pzena also served as Chief Investment Officer, Small Cap Equities.
Prior to joining Bernstein, Mr. Pzena worked for the Amoco Corporation in various financial and planning roles. He earned a B.S. summa cum laude and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Nicholas Cregan | Partner & Portfolio Manager, Fairlight Asset Management
Nick is a partner of Fairlight Asset Management, serving as a portfolio manager in the investment team since the inception of the Fund in 2018. Nick has over 20 years investment experience in the domestic, US and international markets.
Prior to forming Fairlight Nicholas served as a Portfolio Manager at Evans and Partners, and at Schroder Investment Management where he held Senior Analyst and Portfolio Manager positions in the New York and Sydney teams respectively.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Business
Edward Evans | Portfolio Manager, Ashmore Investment Management
Edward Evans joined Ashmore in 2017 and is a Portfolio Manager of the Ashmore Emerging Markets Equity Fund. He has 21 years of investment experience specialising in Emerging Markets equity, which commenced with the JPMorgan Asset Management and continued with ABN AMRO and Schroders. His prior roles include analyst and portfolio manager.
Hong Hon | Manager, Global Equities, Lonsec Research
Hong joined Lonsec in April 2019 as a Senior Investment Analyst within the managed funds research team. In his role, Hong is responsible for undertaking research across a range of asset classes. Hong has over 15 years of experience working in a variety of analytical, investment research and portfolio management roles within the financial services industry.
Nicholas Ward | Portfolio Manager, Lonsec Investment Solutions
Nick is a Portfolio Manager at Lonsec Investment Solutions. His previous experience includes working as an investment consultant at Quilla. Prior to Quilla, Nick worked as NAB/MLC’s Private Investment Consulting (PIC) division, providing consulting services to the NAB aligned adviser network.
Session 3
Leveraging Fixed Income Opportunities and Protection in Times of Uncertainty
Session 3 synopsis:
Over the past two years, we have witnessed heightened volatility in the fixed income market. 2022 has proven to be one of the most challenging years on record for fixed income investors amid central banks’ aggressive rate hikes to curb inflation. This was followed by a strong recovery towards the end of 2023 as the US Federal Reserve paused on interest rate hikes and signalled potential rate cuts in 2024.
Looking ahead to 2024, bond market volatility is expected to persist driven by ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The trajectory of monetary policies and economic growth will remain pivotal in influencing bond prices. While central banks appear largely done with raising interest rates, rates are likely to remain higher for longer due to persistent inflationary pressures stemming from structural factors such as deglobalisation, diminished labour force participation rates, and escalating energy prices. Despite the market consensus of a mild economic slowdown, there is a potential risk of a more pronounced economic slowdown resulting from the delayed impact of policy tightening.
Volatility typically brings greater performance dispersion across the fixed income spectrum encompassing sovereign bonds, investment grade credit, high yield bonds and securitised assets. Against this backdrop, the diverse fixed income markets may present an array of opportunities with the potential to weather the portfolio in different economic scenarios. Our panel of fixed income experts will provide valuable insights on navigating the bond market volatility.
Amy Xie Patrick | Head of Income Strategies, Pendal
Amy is the Head of Income Strategies at Pendal. As part of her role, Amy provides investment research, strategy and asset allocation insights that can be leveraged off for a wide range of fixed interest products managed within the team. Amy joined Pendal in 2017, bringing extensive global experience in credit, high yield, rates and emerging markets.
Prior to that, Amy was a Fund Manager with F&C Asset Management in the UK, running a suite of credit and income portfolios. Her market experience began in 2004 as a market-maker in emerging market fixed income securities with Citigroup Global Markets in London. Amy holds an honours degree in Economics from Cambridge University.
Myles Bradshaw | Head of Global Aggregate Bonds, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Myles Bradshaw, CFA, managing director, is the Head of Global Aggregate Bonds within the Global Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities (GFICC) group. Based in London, he is a portfolio manager focusing on multi-sector bond strategies for both segregated and pooled funds. He has 23+ years of experience managing interest rate, credit, securitized, volatility and foreign exchange rate risks in global portfolios.
Myles joins from Amundi, where he was Head of the Global Aggregate Fixed Income team. Before joining Amundi, Myles spent 8 years as a portfolio manager at PIMCO, where he led the firm’s Eurozone sovereign and macro strategy, and sat on the regional European investment committee. He also worked at Threadneedle Investment Managers, managing global and sterling portfolios.
Myles started his career in 1996 as an economist at HM Treasury in London, before moving into asset management with M&G Investments. He holds an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and is a CFA charterholder.
Isrin Khor | Manager, Fixed Income, Lonsec Research
Isrin joined Lonsec’s managed fund research team in June 2021 and is responsible for the Fixed Income sector. Isrin has been involved in the review of financial products across the Fixed Income and Multi-Asset sectors.
Isrin previously was a Senior Investment Analyst at AMP focusing on fixed income, multi-asset, property and infrastructure and was also responsible for constructing and managing the multi-asset portfolios (SMAs).
Prior to that Isrin also worked at Macquarie Group for 15 years as a Senior Investment Analyst covering the full range of asset classes including direct infrastructure, direct property and private equity and was also responsible for the research publications on markets and investments.
Ron Mehmet | Portfolio Manager, Lonsec Investment Solutions
Ron joined Lonsec in April 2020. Ron brings extensive experience in manager research, funds management and portfolio construction from previous senior roles at both BTFG/Advance (6 years+) and INGIM/Optimix (13 years+) as part of the multi manager funds management team.
While Ron has been involved in the management of teams and multi manager funds across the full range of asset classes, he brings particular expertise in fixed income, having also held a Senior Manager, Money Market role in Institutional Banking at CBA. Prior to joining Lonsec, Ron worked at Perpetual Investments as an Investment Specialist alongside the Fixed Income team.
Session 4
Net Zero in the Real World
Session 4 synopsis:
Net Zero Emissions in The Real World is a central challenge for stakeholders who are involved in the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
Join Portfolio Manager, Will Baylis of Martin Currie Australia, a Franklin Templeton company, at the Lonsec Symposium this May, for a compelling panel discussion alongside representatives from select ASX 200 Listed Companies. This session will delve into the actionable strategies and collaborative efforts needed to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources effectively.
The panel will explore the role of transition fuels, carbon offsets, and the importance of innovation in project delivery and infrastructure, while highlighting the significance of community engagement and obtaining a social license to operate. This discussion aims to realign our expectations on the achievability of net zero carbon emissions and underscore the urgency of immediate action to mitigate future consequences.
Tony Adams | Head of Sustainable Investment Research, Lonsec Research
Tony joined Lonsec in March 2019 and is responsible for the ESG assessment of funds across all sectors and as well broad oversight of the assessment of sustainable, ethical, ESG and impact capabilities across managers. He is responsible for Lonsec’s sustainability reporting framework (Lonsec’s BEE’s) for funds.
Prior to joining Lonsec, Tony has had 30 years’ experience in global fixed interest markets, most recently as Head of Global Fixed Interest and Credit at Colonial First State Global Asset Management, where he developed the firm’s global credit capability and oversaw the implementation of ESG across portfolios.
Naomi Bant | Portfolio Manager, Martin Currie
Naomi is a Portfolio Manager at Martin Currie Australia (MCA) and is passionate about building out MCA’s Sustainability frameworks and using Quantitative research to improve the alpha lenses that form the MCA research platform. She joined MCA’s predecessor firm in December 2006 as a Quantitative Associate, and her role has evolved from a focus on risk control, to building Sustainability frameworks that help to deliver financial returns while considering benefits to society and the business.
Naomi has a Bachelor of Commerce (Econometric) and Finance from the University of Melbourne, is a CFA® charterholder and has passed the CFA Institute’s Certificate in ESG Investing.
Naomi is an avid hiker in her free time and has hiked amongst the breathtaking fjords in Norway, the Himalayas and even the Dolomites on the border of Italy and Austria. These experiences have provided her with direct exposure to the effects of climate change, shaping her interest in sustainable investing.
Damien Nicks | Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, AGL
Damien was appointed interim Chief Executive Officer on 19 September 2022 and confirmed as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer on 19 January 2023.
Since joining AGL in March 2013, Damien held several senior executive finance roles before joining the Executive Team as Chief Financial Officer in August 2018.
Damien has more than 28 years’ experience across large multinational businesses including Linfox Logistics, Smorgon Steel and Deloitte.
David Moffatt | Chairman, Ventia
David has over 30 years’ experience in executive leadership, CEO and board positions for companies in the Telecommunications, Finance, Industrial Services and Media Industries. He has lived and worked in Australia, US, Europe and Asia.
David is Chairman of Ventia Services Group, a $5.0 Billion revenues Telecommunications, Defence, Infrastructure (Roads, Water, Power), Environmental Remediation and Social Services (Hospitals, Schools) business with over 35,000 employees & contractors, operating in Australia and New Zealand. David is a long term Senior Advisor to Apollo Global Management Inc, one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers, in 2023 he was appointed Chairman – Australia and New Zealand.
David’s previous roles include CEO of Lebara Group, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator with businesses in UK, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland and Australia, Chief Financial Officer and Group MD Finance for Telstra Corporation Limited & Group MD Telstra Consumer. He was CEO GE & GE Capital Australia New Zealand and a Director and Finance Committee Chair of Foxtel Limited.
Warren Flentje | Industrial Decarbonisation Lead, CSIRO Towards Net Zero Mission
Warren leads industrial decarbonisation for CSIRO’s Towards Net Zero mission with a focus on low emissions steel and sustainable aviation fuel. The Mission develops multidisciplinary strategies to support an accelerated transition for hard-to-abate sectors to a low emissions future while growing long-term sustainable value.
Working across value chains with external stakeholders from government, industry and international partners, Warren’s work helps to define a national strategy to position Australia for long-term growth in a global low carbon economy and coordinates CSIRO research to target critical research goals.
Session 5
It’s Time for Alternatives to Enter the Mainstream
Session 5 synopsis:
For most of the recent past, asset allocators have been able to rely on equities and bonds to deliver relatively good returns with low risk, and further the negative correlation between equities and bonds as a primary source of diversification. With higher interest rates, ongoing geopolitical risks, and volatility and dispersion returning to markets, alternatives are becoming a more essential allocation to build portfolio resiliency.
That all said, alternatives have had a challenging period for much of the post GFC period with liquid alternatives struggling in the low interest rate, low vol environment. On the other hand, private assets, which have been the mainstay of institutional investors but are now being democratised for retail investors, have generally performed strong. What is the role of alternatives in portfolios, is there a place for both liquid alternatives and private assets, does the complementary risk and liquidity characteristics of liquid alternatives and private assets may make for a balanced and outcome oriented alternatives allocation.
Is it time for alternatives to enter the mainstream?
Adrian MacKenzie | Founder & Partner, Five V Capital
Adrian is the founder and a partner of Five V Capital. He is a highly experienced investor with over 25 years of private equity experience.
Adrian has successfully led and managed Five V’s investments, including Ascender, Madman Film & Entertainment, Canva, Plenti, Education Perfect, the Probe Group, Zenith Investment Partners, Openway Food Co, Penten and Automic.
Before founding Five V Capital, Adrian was a managing partner and board member at leading global private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, where he helped establish the Asia Pacific and Australian offices.
Andrew Harrex | Managing Director Australia & NZ, P/E Investments
Andrew joined P/E Investments in 2012 to lead Australia and New Zealand investor services and assist with development of FX Overlay services. Andrew served as a Partner of Mercer’s Investment Consulting business and Regional Head of Mercer’s Tools business from 2006 – 2011.
Prior he served as CIO and Head of Investment Consulting at United Funds Management and Mellon HR&IS from 2003 – 2006. From 1999 to 2002, Andrew served as General Manager Treasury & Portfolio Services at Treasury Corporation of Victoria (CIO equivalent). Andrew was Manager of Fixed Interest and Currency at both AMP from 1985 to 1995 as well as Colonial from 1995 to 1996.
Naomi Finnigan | Head of Investment Solutions, Netwealth
Naomi joined Netwealth in 2021 as Head of Investment Solutions and works with wealth management clients on tailoring Netwealth’s investment solutions for their needs. Prior to this, Naomi was Head of Private Wealth with Nikko Asset Management and previously held distribution and investment roles with Mason Stevens, Deutsche Asset Management, ABN AMRO and Macquarie, covering managed accounts, funds management, derivatives and stock broking.
Darrell Clark | Deputy Head of Research & Manager, Alternatives, Lonsec Research
Darrell joined Lonsec in January 2019 and is the Manager for the Multi-Asset sector. Prior to joining Lonsec, Darrell was the Head of Qualitative Analysis at Evergreen Consultants responsible for manager, market and economic research and assisting in building and monitoring Evergreen portfolios.
Darrell also spent several years as a Senior Investment Analyst within the Advice Research team at BT Financial Group where he was responsible for manager research across a number of sectors. Darrell’s other work history includes client relationship roles at Skandia and Gartmore Investment Management (London).
Deanne Baker | Deputy Chief Investment Officer & Portfolio Manager, Multi-Asset, Lonsec Investment Solutions
Deanne joined Lonsec Investment Solutions Pty Ltd (LIS) as Portfolio Manager in early 2020 and is responsible for the management of Lonsec’s multi-asset & retirement portfolios. Deanne has been with the Lonsec Group since July 2007 and holds over 20 years’ experience in managed funds research and portfolio management.
Prior to joining LIS, Deanne was Co-Head of Manager Research at Lonsec, responsible for the quality and suitability of Lonsec’s managed funds research and overseeing an award-winning team of analysts.
Deanne is a member of the Lonsec Asset Allocation and Manager Selection Committees.
Prior to joining Lonsec, Deanne spent seven years with Invesco (and its predecessor, County Investment Management) where she worked as an Investment Analyst and later, Assistant Investment Manager for multi-asset class and structured portfolios. Deanne has also previously held roles at Barclays Stockbrokers and Legal & General Investment Management in the UK.
Session 6
Infrastructure Investment Dynamics: Navigating New Frontiers and Emerging Realities
Session 6 synopsis:
This session is tailored for financial advisers seeking clarity on the evolving landscape of infrastructure investment. Delving into critical debates, it will explore the definition of infrastructure assets in today’s market, including emerging sectors like data centres and green energy. The discussion will also address whether infrastructure warrants its own category or belongs within REITs, alongside considerations of benchmarking, valuation methodologies, and the balance between listed and unlisted exposure. With a focus on navigating liquidity challenges and assessing ESG considerations, attendees will gain insights into optimising infrastructure allocations in a higher-for-longer environment while effectively managing emerging risks such as climate change.
Vicki Rigg | Managing Director, Palisade Investment Partners
Vicki has over 20 years’ experience in the infrastructure sector. She joined Palisade as one of the original team members in 2008. Vicki focuses on the acquisition and management of infrastructure assets and has oversight of Palisade’s funds and mandates. She has a particular interest in risk and governance and is a director on the board of Palisade Investment Partners.
Prior to joining Palisade, Vicki spent time with Perpetual Investments and prior to that, 10 years with Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons) and Linklaters in Sydney, London and Hong Kong.
Vicki’s experience spans a broad range of sectors including PPPs, roads, airports, pipelines, renewable energy, power and gas. Her roles have included acquiring and managing assets, sitting on infrastructure boards and acting for sponsors and financiers in relation to the development, acquisition and financing of projects in Australia, Asia, India and the UK.
David McGregor | Partner, ATLAS Infrastructure
David McGregor has 11 years’ experience in the listed infrastructure securities sector. Before joining ATLAS, David worked for RARE Infrastructure where he was responsible for analysis of a range of infrastructure and utilities securities in ATLAS’s investment universe, and Macquarie Capital Securities as an infrastructure and utilities research analyst.
Michael Elsworth | Manager, Global Real Assets, Lonsec Research
Michael joined Lonsec in 2006 as part of the research team and at various times had responsibility for sectors including structured and exchange traded products, fixed income and alternatives. He has also worked in the Investment Consulting team, providing advice and input into manager selection and model portfolio construction. Michael spent over 2 years at Resolution Life as part of a team responsible for insourcing investment management capabilities from AMP Capital, before re-joining the Lonsec research team in 2023.
Prior to Lonsec, Michael worked at Westpac in both retail and institutional financial markets, and structured product development roles where he was responsible for sourcing, repackaging and marketing financial markets products. Michael spent three years in Hong Kong and two years in New York where he acted as Westpac’s senior financial markets representative, helping expand the bank’s reach in structured credit products.
Peter Green | Director of Research, Lonsec Research
Peter joined Lonsec in 2008 and is Lonsec’s Director of Research, a role he has held since 2020. In this role, Peter is responsible for leading the research effort for all professionally managed investment capabilities including managed funds, ETFs and LICs/LITs. Peter also manages the broader research team as well as enhancing the research process as required.
Peter had previously been the Head of Listed Products among other roles. Prior to joining the Managed Funds team in mid-2012, Peter held roles as a Senior Investment Analyst for both Equities Research and Direct Property.
Before his career at Lonsec Research, Peter worked as a Development Analyst/Senior Property Accountant for an Australian REIT, where his main role was providing analysis and budgeting/forecasting capabilities to the Australian retail property team.
He originally worked for Andersen/Ernst & Young as an external audit senior as well as spending two years in the United Kingdom in various accounting roles. He is a Chartered Accountant.
Session 7
From Product to Profit Driver: What’s preventing practices from harnessing the power of managed accounts?
Session 7 synopsis:
Hear from General Manager, Consulting at VBP – Sue Viskovic on what the latest research reveals about the link between Managed Account uptake and profitability, pricing and efficiency. What are the most successful firms doing to supercharge their businesses, and what are some of the obstacles that stand in the way of business success when it comes to implementing a managed account strategy?
We will also hear from Lonsec CEO – Michael Wright and Head of Wealth for BlackRock Australasia – Chantal Giles on what’s being seen on a global scale when it comes to shifting the value proposition of advisers away from stock picking, as well as delving into a new partnership between both of these businesses, aimed at solving some of the obstacles advice businesses are facing when it comes to Managed Accounts.
John Burton | Head of Sales, Lonsec
John joined Lonsec in October 2021 as the Head of Sales, bringing with him over 25 years of experience in leading businesses and teams within the Financial Services industry. His expertise spans across financial advice, private banking, and wealth management.
John commenced his career as a financial adviser with MLC before moving into leading financial planning teams, practice development, and various leadership roles within advice and sales for BT and ANZ. Through his diverse background, which includes owning and operating financial planning, recruiting, and consulting businesses, John has gained a profound understanding of what it takes to establish strong client relationships and deliver life-changing advice.
At Lonsec, John leads the Business Development and Managed Account Implementation teams, leveraging his strategic acumen and deep industry knowledge to drive growth and foster client success.
Sue Viskovic | General Manager, Consulting, VBP
With over 20 years’ experience in financial services, with roles spanning banking, funds management, advice and licensee services, Sue has built her career and her business on helping financial advisers, accountants and risk specialists to improve the way that they run their businesses and deliver advice.
Sue founded Elixir back in 2007. Sensing a growing need for independent Practice Management and Business Coaching she built the foundations for a team of Consultants who could assist financial advisers around the country to improve their quality of advice and financial outcomes for business owners, as well as their staff and clients. Sue is thrilled to now share the stewardship of this national organisation with a passionate leadership team supporting highly competent coaches working with advisers in every state of Australia.
Michael Wright | Chief Executive Officer, Lonsec
Michael joined Lonsec in July 2021 as CEO. He has over 25 years’ experience in leading businesses and teams within Financial Services, across financial advice, private banking, wealth management, superannuation and retail banking.
Michael joined Lonsec from Xplore Wealth, where as CEO he led the transformation of the Xplore, upgrading the business, which resulted a successful friendly takeover to Hub24. At BT and Westpac, most recently as General Manager, BT Financial Advice, Michael successfully lead large teams across the Banks key client segments, responsible for change, leadership and strategy. Michael also worked at ANZ as Head of Alternative Investments and Head of Distribution for Banking Products.
Throughout Michael’s career, he has used his leadership, communication skills and commitment to a client first ethos, to build values-based cultures, inspire high performance teams whilst developing strong relationships with all key stakeholders.
Chantal Giles | Head of Wealth, BlackRock Australasia
Chantal Giles, Managing Director, is Head of Wealth Australasia, within the Client Business team at Blackrock where she is responsible for leading BlackRock’s relationships with wealth whole portfolio clients, wealth management firms and platforms and for distributing BlackRock’s alpha-seeking and iShares investment capabilities, and the adoption of BlackRock’s portfolio construction capabilities. Prior to this Ms. Giles was responsible for managing the firm’s relationships with sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, central banks, national pensions and supranationals across BlackRock’s product spectrum. Ms. Giles had responsibility for those clients in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Ms. Giles commenced with Blackrock in March 2007. Ms Giles worked on the BlackRock and Merrill Lynch merger in BlackRock’s London office and later went on to manager BlackRock Australia’s Client On-boarding team. Ms. Giles joined the Institutional Client business team in 2012 and has held both sales, support and business management roles within the team. Prior to joining BlackRock, Ms. Giles was employed with Financial Wisdom as a Financial Planner, assisting clients with their investment manager decisions and wealth creation strategies.
Ms. Giles earned a BAS in health science in 2000 and a BBA degree in financial planning from RMIT University in 2003.
Session 8
Charting the AI Landscape: Seizing Opportunities and Implications for Advisers
Session 8 synopsis:
The financial services industry is at a tipping point. Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept, it’s a transformative force with the potential to reshape traditional businesses and unlock unprecedented opportunities. This session transcends the headlines, delving into both the practical applications of AI in today’s dynamic financial services market and how investors can best seek to exploit the opportunities on offer.
Nick Griffin | Founding Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Munro Partners
Nick is a founding Partner and the Chief Investment Officer of Munro Partners.
Nick is responsible for the investment management of Munro’s key investment funds and the formulation and implementation of the proprietary investment process. Nick has been managing global long / short equity mandates for over 15 years.
Key career highlights include:
- Over 20 years working in financial services with 15 years funds management experience.
- 2005-2015, Head of International Strategy on the K2 Select International Absolute Return Fund.
- Member of the K2 Asset Management asset allocation and currency exposure committee.
- 2000-2005, Senior Analyst (Global Oil and Gas) at Deutsche Bank UK.
- 1996-1999, Manager Australian Equities for Commonwealth Financial Services.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree from the University of Melbourne, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment and a Registered Representative of the Sydney Futures Exchange.
Rebecca Engel | Director, Financial Services Industry, Microsoft
Rebecca has over 24 years Financial Services experience and has held Leadership roles across Banking, Wealth Management and Insurance, which have included P&L, Operations and Risk Management.
Through her role at Microsoft, she strives make a to make a genuine contribution to the Financial Services industry through driving digital transformation and the creation of value within the industry.
Rebecca is also a Non-Executive Director of the RegTechAssociation, holds an MBA from MGSM and is a member of AICD.
Greg Hansen | Executive, Group Strategy, HUB24
Greg is a key member of HUB24’s Strategic Development team and is focused on creating and enhancing technology solutions to help advisers provide high quality advice to clients and run efficient and profitable businesses. Greg has spent more than 25 years in the Australian financial services industry, most recently partnering with Paul Rogan (HUB24 non-exec director) to start up Retirement Essentials. Prior to that he had roles in Strategy for Advice and Distribution businesses across Challenger, ANZ, CFS and MLC.
Lorraine Robinson | Executive Director, Lonsec Research
Lorraine joined Lonsec in December 2019 to lead the Lonsec Research team. She has extensive experience in financial markets, across investment research, funds management and investor relations.
She joined Lonsec from Evans & Partners, where she was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of the Corporate and Institutional business. Her 10 year tenure included time as Head of Research and as a Senior Investment Analyst. Previously she developed her own investor relations and consulting practice, gaining experience across a number of different industries including financial services, media and communications and technology. She was a successful Research Analyst at JBWere and gained experience in both funds management and investment banking at Macquarie Bank.
Important information: Any express or implied rating or advice is limited to general advice, it doesn’t consider any personal needs, goals or objectives. Before making any decision about financial products, consider whether it is personally appropriate for you in light of your personal circumstances. Obtain and consider the Product Disclosure Statement for each financial product and seek professional personal advice before making any decisions regarding a financial product.