Alternatives in Focus 2024 Singapore

Date:
Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Time:
09:00 – 12:30, followed by a networking lunch
Venue:
Ballroom, Level B1, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

Registration to Alternatives in Focus 2024 Singapore is now closed.

This event is restricted to attendees from private banks, private wealth managers, IAMs, and family offices. All registrations are subject to approval by Asian Private Banker

Overview

Alternatives in Focus 2024 is a powerful gathering of senior practitioners from across the region’s private banking spectrum for a critical half-day event dissecting the burgeoning landscape of private markets in Asia. Through concentrated dialogues, we’ll explore strategies for maximising the potential of private and open-ended funds in the face of evolving economic obstacles, the impact these approaches are having on conventional investing frameworks, and how wealth managers are seeking to leverage growth in private credit, real estate, and private equity in response to market fluctuations and inflationary pressures.

Agenda

09:10 – 09:15 Welcome Remarks
09:15 – 10:00 Opening Panel: Bridging assets – How should private market and open-ended funds be effectively utilised in 2024?

  • How are current economic conditions driving U/HNW individuals to allocate investments into private markets, and what effect does this have on the conventional 60/40 investment mix?
  • With consideration to economic instability and rising inflation, what strategies can best mitigate risk while taking advantage of the growth potential in sectors such as private credit, real estate, and infrastructure?
  • How are private banks incorporating open-ended solutions, and what role do these play in achieving a balance of diversification and risk-adjusted performance?
  • What approaches are wealth managers using to reconcile a desire for liquidity with the pursuit of higher returns through private market funds?
  • How are the evolving dynamics in private equity and the availability of financing influencing the landscape of private credit and direct lending?

Speakers:

Kah Yi Chung
Head of Alternative Investments, Southeast Asia, HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth
Hui Yang Goh
Head of Alternative Investments Asia, Pictet Wealth Management
Brad McCarthy
Managing Director & APAC Head of Alternative Investment Sales, Citi Global Wealth Investments
10:00 – 10:30 Panel Discussion: The real estate investment roadmap: Identifying prime opportunities and building durable portfolios in Asia

  • With a focus on hedging inflation in conjunction with potential rate reductions at some point 2024, what type of real estate investments are optimal for U/HNW clients in Asia, and what methods are being used to assess their risks?
  • Can triple net lease strategies with investment-grade tenants in Asia offer stable cash flow, inflation protection, and lower risk relative to other real estate investments?
  • What best practices in due diligence are being applied to assess tenant creditworthiness and lease structures for better retention and returns in sale-leaseback transactions?
  • How does diversification by geography and asset class shape lease portfolio construction, and what are the prime investment opportunities in the real estate segment for both experienced and new investors?

Speakers:

Yvonne Siew
Executive Director, Head of Real Estate Advisory & Investments, Bank of Singapore
Eugene Lim
Managing Director, Blue Owl Capital

 
Hosted in collaboration with

10:30 – 11:00 Panel Discussion: The lending landscape transformed: Examining private credit’s ascendancy in diversifying portfolios

  • After strong performance against traditional fixed income in 2023, how is U/HNW client interest in private credit likely to evolve in the coming year and what impact will this have on portfolio allocation and investment advisory?
  • As banks retreat from traditional financing, how are private credit providers stepping in to bridge the gap, and what impact does this transition have on investor returns?
  • What qualities do private banks prioritise in fund managers in seeking superior performance in the private credit space, particularly when it comes to default management and strong covenant packages?
  • Amid concerns over potential private credit loan defaults due to sustained high interest rates, how are fund managers mitigating this risk, and what effect might it have on private debt investors?

Speakers:

Jiun Wen Chee
Head of Private Markets & Alternatives, Bank of Singapore
Kevin McMahon
Managing Director & Head of Credit Strategy Team, KKR

 
Hosted in collaboration with

11:00 – 11:30 Networking Break
11:30 – 12:00 Panel Discussion: Rethink the re-up in private equity

  • As private markets become more accessible to U/HNW investors, how are private banks adjusting their stance on offering illiquid strategies to clients and what changes are we seeing in portfolio allocation strategies accordingly?
  • In a changing macro environment, what strategies should private equity investors prioritise to adapt to the new investment climate?
  • What are the key long-term trends that will shape the future of private equity returns, and how should investors modify their strategies in response to these trends?
  • Providing more liquidity has been a core feature of many funds targeting private wealth clients, but how does this compromise returns? And are traditional private equity performance metrics like IRR and TVPI still pertinent in this context?

Speakers:

Tim Boole
Head of Product Management Private Equity & Co-head of Schroders Capital Structuring, Schroders Capital
Vincent Ee
Head of Investments, Schroders Wealth Management

 
Hosted in collaboration with

12:00 – 12:30

Panel Discussion: Breaking barriers – leveraging evergreen funds as a gateway to private equity investing

  • How are evergreen funds helping U/HNW investors navigate the traditional barriers to private equity entry?
  • What impact do evergreen funds have on the portfolio allocation recommendations provided by private banks?
  • In what ways are evergreen funds structured to provide more accessible, liquid, and immediate investment opportunities in private markets?
  • What are the critical aspects private banks assess during the due diligence of evergreen funds, and what challenges exist in encouraging client adoption of private market funds?

Speakers:

Hamza Azeem
Portfolio Manager, Evergreen Portfolio Management Team, Hamilton Lane
Mischa Bitton
Head, Alternative Investments, Wealth Management, Standard Chartered Bank

 
Hosted in collaboration with

12:30 – 13:30 Networking Lunch

Conversation Partners

Location

1 Fullerton Square,
Singapore 049178

Contact Us

Speaking Opportunities
clark.c@asianprivatebanker.com

Arjan de Boer
Head of Markets, Investments & Structuring, Asia, Indosuez Wealth Management

Arjan de Boer is head of markets, investments & structuring, Asia at Indosuez Wealth Management. In his role, he leads the regional investment strategy and is responsible for the full products and services offering in Asia.

Arjan started his financial career with Hollandsche Bank Unie serving private, corporate and institutional clients within a dealing room environment, and subsequently became head of treasury & special products private clients in the Netherlands. He was then at ABN AMRO Private Banking for 14 years, with seven of those in Asia, including being regional head of treasury & special products for private banking Asia in Singapore, and then head of private banking for North Asia, based in Hong Kong. Prior to his role at Indosuez in 2017, he was head of North Asia at ANZ Private Bank before being appointed head of integration for ANZ retail & private wealth Asia in 2016.

Arjan graduated with a Master of Science in Business Economics from Nyenrode University, The Netherlands.

Arnaud Tellier
CEO, Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas Wealth ManagementArnaud Tellier leads a regional team of over 1,100 private banking professionals across key markets in Asia.In his role, Arnaud defines the strategic direction of the business while overseeing its day-to- day management; his hands-on approach ensures clients and their families can better navigate ever-changing markets in Asia, and across the world.

Arnaud brings a multi-disciplinary approach to serving BNP Paribas’ private banking clients, with a background in capital markets and corporate and investment banking. His efforts in transforming the bank’s offering for Asian clients saw him awarded ‘Private Banker of the Year’ at The Digital Banker’s 2019 Global Private Banking Innovation Awards.

Arnaud has held senior management positions at BNP Paribas for more than 20 years. A finance graduate of the French Business School, Arnaud is fluent in Spanish, French and English. A family person at heart; he is also an avid sports enthusiast and participates in triathlons with his son.

Simon England-Brammer
Senior Managing Director, Head of EMEA & APAC Institutional, Global Client Group, Nuveen

Simon England-Brammer is the head of EMEA and APAC Global Client Group and senior managing director of Nuveen Hong Kong office. As head of Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, he drives a focused distribution team on delivering investment solutions for institutional clients’ asset allocation needs. In his capacity as Head of Hong Kong, he oversees the overall operation and development of the asset management business.

Simon joined the TIAA organisation in 2016. Prior to joining TIAA Global Asset Management, Simon spent 14 years with Invesco. His last position was head of institutional, covering South East Asia, Hong Kong and Korea. Before moving to Hong Kong, he focused on Invesco’s UK institutional business, managing relationships with the largest UK Corporate Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution schemes, together with local authorities in the UK.

Randy Schwimmer
Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Senior Lending, Churchill Asset Management

Randy is co-head of senior lending and oversees senior lending origination and capital markets for Churchill Asset Management, an investment specialist of Nuveen.

Randy has broad experience in middle market finance and is widely credited with developing loan syndications for middle market companies.

Prior to joining the firm, Randy served as a senior managing director and head of capital markets and indirect origination at Churchill Financial. In those positions, he took responsibility for all loan capital markets activities and for managing the firm’s indirect origination platform.

Before that, he worked as managing director and head of leveraged finance syndication for BNP Paribas. He spent 15 years at JP Morgan Chase in corporate banking and loan syndications, where he originated, structured and syndicated leveraged loans.

Randy graduated with a B.A., cum laude, from Trinity College and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.

Jeremy Hall
Asia Pacific Region Head, Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions

Jeremy Hall has 19 years of experience and is the region head for Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions, based in Singapore. he leads the marketing and business development efforts of Brookfield and Oaktree’s Private Wealth Solutions business in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, Jeremy was head of institutional sales and consultant relations, Asia Pacific, for Eastspring Investments (a division of Prudential plc) and head of client relations, Asia Pacific, at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (formerly RREEF). Jeremy earned both his Master of Management and Finance and Bachelor of Business degrees from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Mischa Bitton
Head, Alternative Investments, Wealth Management, Standard Chartered Bank

Mischa joined Standard Chartered Bank in June 2019. Based in Singapore, he is leading the alternative investments team overseeing hedge funds and private markets products. Prior to that, Mischa worked for DBS Bank and Societe Generale Private Banking where he held various positions in Asia and in Europe as product manager in the fund team, covering both traditional and non-traditional investments. He has more than 10 years of experience in the fund management industry. Mischa holds an MSc in finance and banking from the University Paris II Assas and is CAIA Charterholder.

Hui Yang Goh
Head of Alternative Investments Asia, Pictet Wealth Management

Hui Yang Goh was appointed head of alternative investments for Asia effective January 1, 2023. She first joined Pictet in 2020 as a senior alternative investments specialist, and brings about 20 years of experience in managing US and Asia funds and co-investment portfolios.

Before Pictet, Hui Yang worked for Temasek International Pte Ltd Singapore, where she was director – private equity fund investments. She led private equity projects involving cross-functional teams of key internal stakeholder and external parties.

In an earlier role at Temasek, Hui Yang was working in the US for close to four years, responsible for executing the US fund investment strategy which consisted of a portfolio of more than 30 funds and co-investments.

Hui Yang graduated from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Accountancy.

Marc Lansonneur
Managing Director, Head of Managed Solutions, DBS Bank

When he’s not seeking out investment opportunities for clients, Marc coaches rugby for underprivileged kids. At the heart of it is his belief in creating a positive change to people and to society. He brings this philosophy to work, where he sees ESG as a way to both help clients do well, and do good at the same time.

Joining DBS from Société Générale in October 2014, Marc leads the wealth managed solutions and balance sheet products. His team of specialists cover managed products such as funds (unit trusts, hedge funds), funds selection and private investments. It should come as no surprise that Marc is a member of DBS Group Sustainability Council.

At Société Générale, he held various positions in private banking, corporate and investment banking in Asia, Europe and America. He has more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry.

A French national, Marc holds a Master in Business Administration from ESSEC in Paris, France.

Royston Low
Managing Director & Regional Head, Private Investments, BNP Paribas Wealth Management

Royston is the regional head for private investments at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, which encompasses private equity and private real estate funds. Based out of Singapore, he has held this role since 2010.

Prior to this, he spent seven years of his career with TIFF Ventures PTE Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board. TIFF Ventures managed the US$1.3 Billion Technopreneurship Investment Fund, a “fund of funds” established to promote venture capital and private equity investments in Singapore. In this capacity, he was responsible for origination and due diligence, which resulted in numerous investments in private equity funds globally.

Royston started his career with the National Science and Technology Board of Singapore (now agency for Science, Technology and Research, *ASTAR). He graduated with a Master of Science degree from the National University of Singapore.

Manali Parekh
Managing Director, Private Wealth Solutions – Singapore, Blackstone

Manali Parekh is a managing director in the private wealth solutions group, based in Singapore.

Prior to joining Blackstone, Ms. Parekh worked at J.P. Morgan in the alternative investments group in Singapore, most recently as an executive director where she was responsible for the Southeast Asia and Australia business. Before moving to Asia, Ms. Parekh managed relationships and investment portfolios for some of the world’s elite law firms and their principals as part of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Law Firm Group in New York City.

Ms. Parekh received a BBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

Sueann Yeo
Head of APAC PWM Client Relations & Capital Raising, EQT Partners

Sueann Yeo joined EQT Partners in April 2022. She is a CR Director and leads the private wealth management capital raising of APAC based in Singapore.

Prior to joining EQT Partners, Sueann was an executive director and head of alternative investments (Southeast Asia) at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. She focused on ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices investors coverage. Sueann received a BBM with a major in finance from Singapore Management University. She is also a chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) charter holder.

Robert Reid
Global Head of Alternative Investments and Managed Solutions, Bank of SingaporePrior to joining Bank of Singapore, Robert was a managing director at BlackRock, most recently serving the firm and its clients as country head for both Hong Kong and Taiwan, having joined the firm more than eight years before as the head of strategy and chief operating officer for BlackRock’s iShares/ETF business in Asia.Robert has more than 30 years of experience in professional and financial services in Asia, having served in senior leadership roles with P&L responsibility for global asset management and sell-side firms.

Robert originally qualified as a corporate finance solicitor at Linklaters, specialising in public and private M&A transactions for nearly 10 years, before moving to McKinsey & Company and then CLSA, serving the firm in multiple leadership positions.

Philippe Spielhofer
Co-Head Advisory & Sales and Client Services APAC Managing Director, UBS Global Wealth ManagementPhilippe is responsible for sales management, product specialists for investment solutions, active advisory, wealth planning, family advisory and marketing. He also oversees investment management, investment office and lending and banking products for the Hong Kong location.Philippe joined UBS in 2011 to support the creation of an integrated client coverage across business divisions in APAC for the top accounts at group-level. In 2015, he was appointed operating head for investment products & solutions for Asia pacific in wealth management, and from 2016 to 2017 he also assumed the additional role of local product head for WM China domestic. In January 2020, Philippe took up the role of head investment specialists Greater China, in WM advisory & sales, and was appointed to the current roles in January 2021.

Prior to UBS, Philippe held various positions at Credit Suisse in Zurich, Hong Kong and Seoul. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Durham, United Kingdom.

Marco Yau
Portfolio Manager, Research Analyst, Allianz Global InvestorsMarco is a Hong Kong-based research analyst with Allianz Global Investors, specialising in the China financials and software sectors. He joined the firm in October 2018 and became co-lead portfolio manager of the AllianzGI China Future Technologies strategy in July 2022. Marco has 12 years of industry experience. Before joining Allianz Global Investors, he worked at CEB International Capital and CLSA Ltd, specialising in China financials. Marco holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Hong Kong, as well as an LLB degree from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Jason Hsu
Portfolio Manager, Research Analyst, Allianz Global InvestorsJason joined Allianz Global Investors in April 2018 as a research analyst specialising in technology companies across Asia ex-Japan. He became co-lead portfolio manager of the AllianzGI China Future Technologies strategy in July 2022. Before joining, Jason worked at Bric Neutron Asset Management as co-manager of a global TMT portfolio. With 14 years of industry experience, he also previously worked at Allard Partner Limited as a Greater China TMT research analyst. Jason holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from National Taiwan University.
Günter Tschiderer
Head of Intermediary Sales, Hong Kong & South East Asia, BNP Paribas Asset ManagementGünter Tschiderer leads business development with intermediaries (private banks, retail banks and insurers) in Hong Kong and South East Asia for BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM).Prior to this assignment, he successfully developed fund distribution with private banks in Asia Pacific out of Hong Kong. His previous roles included heading the wholesale distribution teams in North and South East Asia out of Hong Kong and Singapore. Upon arrival in Asia, Günter marketed smart beta and liquid alternative investment solutions as a sales specialist for THEAM (BNP Paribas) across the Asia Pacific region.

Günter is a CFA charter holder and holds a master’s degree in international economics from the University of Innsbruck, Austria and a diploma in management from the Grenoble School of Management, France. In addition to German, his native language, he is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Mathieu Forcioli
Global Head and Asia-Pacific Head of Alternatives, HSBC Wealth and Personal BankingMathieu is currently global head and Asia Pacific head of alternatives, in HSBC’s global private banking and wealth division, based in Hong Kong. In this capacity, he oversees the offering of hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds and other private investment opportunities to HSBC’s private banking and wealth customers.Prior to joining HSBC, Mathieu set up the private markets offering of Antarctica Asset Management, a global platform allowing wealth managers to offer their clients access to a curated offering of hedge funds and private market funds.

Before that, Mathieu set up and grew the Asia operations of Moonfare, an online platform allowing private individuals to invest in private equity funds. In the earlier part of his career, Mathieu held various leadership roles at UBS, including leadership of the wealth management private markets distribution team and the institutional investments group for APAC.

Ancus Mak
Head Mandate Consulting, Hong Kong, Asia Investment Management, Bank Julius BaerAncus Mak is responsible for overseeing the business activities of Bank Julius Baer’s Asia investment management (AIM) in North Asia. In this role, he has established AIM’s Hong Kong franchise via strategic proposition, product development and marketing campaigns since he joined Bank Julius Baer in 2017. He is also actively involved in structuring appropriate discretionary investment solutions for HNW, UHNW and Institutional clients with the relationship managers.Ancus has more than 15 years of experience in investment management. Before joining Bank Julius Baer, he was a discretionary portfolio management specialist at Deutsche Bank Wealth Management, where he was responsible for developing and implementing business strategies for discretionary mandates in the APAC region. Ancus started his career as a finance journalist who covered the Hong Kong and China capital markets.

Sijin Choi
Team Lead, Multi-Managers Private Equity APAC, UBS

Sijin is Team Lead Multi-Managers Private Equity APAC for Multi-Managers Private Equity (MMPE), a business which forms part of Real Estate & Private Markets (REPM) business within UBS Asset Management (UBS-AM).

Based in Hong Kong, Sijin is leading MMPE’s Asia-Pacific investment activities on the primary and co-investment side across the region and all stages (venture, growth, buyout, special situations). The role also includes business development activities across the region.

Prior to joining UBS Asset Management in 2020, Sijin worked for Wilshire Associate’s Hong Kong office four years as Head of Asia, and five years for Samsung Asset Management and Life Insurance in Korea covering the US investment opportunities focused on primary and co-investments. Sijin also has work experience in direct venture capital and M&A advisory.

Daniel Shane
Editor, Asian Private BankerDaniel Shane is Editor of Asian Private Banker and is responsible for spearheading the publication’s editorial, awards and data products. Daniel was previously Asia Companies & Markets News Editor at the Financial Times in Hong Kong where he managed corporate and financial coverage in both online and print, as well as moderating events for the FT in the region. Earlier in his career Daniel was a reporter for CNN and Barron’s in Asia. He graduated with a degree in Anthropology from the UK’s University of Sussex.
Twinkle Zhou
Senior Reporter, Asian Private BankerTwinkle Zhou is a senior reporter of Asian Private Banker. Twinkle was previously a reporter at AsianInvestor where she covered institutional asset management, with a focus on Greater China. She was also with Acuris, SCMP and Hong Kong Economic Times in earlier years, covering ECM, conglomerates and TMT.
Jacky Tang
Head of Portfolio Management Group Asia, Head of Portfolio Advisory Group Asia, Head of Investment Strategy Group Asia, Goldman Sachs Private Wealth ManagementJacky is head of the portfolio management group, head of the portfolio advisory group, and head of the investment strategy group for Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management in Asia Pacific. He is responsible for centralised discretionary portfolio management for ultra high net worth and institutional clients across Asia Pacific. Jacky is also responsible for advising clients on strategic asset allocation and tactical investment strategies. He joined Goldman Sachs as an executive director in 2012 and was named managing director in 2019.Jacky has served as an adjunct professor for the City University of Hong Kong’s department of economics and finance and has led a number of workshops in behavioural finance, sustainable finance, financial markets, asset allocation and portfolio management.

Jacky earned a PhD in economics from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge.

Clark Cahill
Senior Content Manager, Asian Private BankerClark is responsible for content development and production for Asian Private Banker’s events and conferences. Prior to this, he helmed content production roles for events and conferences at the South China Morning Post and InfoPro Digital. Early in his career, he spent time in Beijing, working as an editor at China Daily and as a news anchor with China Xinhua News Network Corporation (CNC), a TV news network run by Xinhua News Agency that targets overseas audiences.Clark graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa (USA).

Nan Liu
Product Specialist, Allianz Global InvestorsNan Liu is a Hong Kong-based product specialist with Allianz Global Investors. She joined the firm in January 2022 and specialises in China equity strategies. Nan previously worked as a product specialist at Invesco, focused on China and Asian equity strategies. Prior to this, she was part of the research team at Deutsche Bank and also a deputy economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, responsible for research and economic forecasting of China’s national and regional economy.Nan holds a Master in Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Economics and Finance from the University of Hong Kong.