ALAN HOBBS
Head of Special Projects Asset Management, Legal & General Investment Management
Alan joined Legal & General Investment Management in 2016 to lead an Investment Fund Finance and Operations function before moving into transformation focussing on the operating model and total management systems. Prior to Joining LGIM Alan has over 20 years’ experience in the Financial Services sector across buy and sell side with a multi-disciplinary skillset across change and transformation, finance, operations, and IT product ownership.
Alan has an interest in helping organisations maximise their effectiveness and ensuring the design and performance of management systems, and organisational architecture are fully aligned to business strategy. He has an Accounting & Finance Degree from Birmingham University, is CIMA qualified and recently completing University of Cambridge Judge Business School GMCA.
My session title:
- PANEL DISCUSSION: The future of investment operations in the age of splintered reporting regimes, new technological capabilities, and a saturated vendor landscape: Developing operational strategies to increase efficiency and optimise costs in an increasingly volatile world : 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
ALASDAIR KINLOCH
Programme Director, Phoenix Group
My session title:
- PANEL DISCUSSION: The future of investment operations in the age of splintered reporting regimes, new technological capabilities, and a saturated vendor landscape: Developing operational strategies to increase efficiency and optimise costs in an increasingly volatile world : 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
ALEDA ANDERSON
Non-Executive Director, Baillie Gifford Investment Management and Carne Global Fund Managers Ireland, former Chief Executive and Operating Officer, Principal Global Investors Europe,
My session title:
- FIRESIDE CHAT: Devising the target operating model – revisiting the value proposition, operating environment, and setting a culture ready for the adoption of AI and new technologies : 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
ALESSANDRO DEPLANO
Operational Due Diligence , Aon
Alessandro is a senior member of Aon's Operational Risk Solutions and Analytics Group focused on carrying out Operational Due Diligence reviews of Investment Managers across all asset classes.
Before joining Aon in 2016, Alessandro spent two years at BlueBay Asset Management. Alessandro started his career in 2010 as an Analyst in the Global Markets division at Citigroup.
Alessandro is a CAIA Charterholder.
My session title:
- PRIVATE MARKETS OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - PANEL DISCUSSION: Best practices for succeeding in an opaque field: Fair valuations, proprietary models, and enhancing data interpretation : 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM
ANNA COLOMBATTI
Head of Research, AXA IM
Anna Colombatti is a Chartered Investment professional with broad experience in Asset Management and Financial Services as an executive and non-executive. Anna has two decades global experience in the selection, allocation and oversight of investment products, firms and service providers. She is passionate about digital transformation, AI, sustainability and D&I. Currently, Anna is the functional COO for the Front Office department of the AXA IM multi managers business, responsible for investment, operational and ESG research, due diligence and all global operational initiatives.
My session title:
- ESG OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - PRESENTATION/FIRESIDE CHAT: Is greenwashing still a concern? Authenticity and due diligence throughout the reporting pipeline, and ensuring accurate assessment of risks : 2:10 PM - 2:50 PM
ARUN KELSHIKER
ESG Advisor and former Head of Asset Allocation and Portfolio Strategy , Standard Chartered Bank
Arun Kelshiker was the former Head of Asset Allocation and Portfolio Strategy at Standard Chartered Bank and a senior portfolio manager and country Chief Investment Officer with Allianz Global Investors / Allianz Group. He brings close to twenty years of multi-asset & ESG career experience, having managed institutional assets and provided investment advisory with leading international asset managers and banks. In his role as the Head of Asset Allocation and Portfolio Strategy at Standard Chartered Bank, he provided investment advice and best of breed fund solutions for clients. He was part of Standard Chartered’s Global Investment Committee, and the author and responsible for multi-asset and alternatives within Standard Chartered global publications for several years. He also delivered the bank's roboadvisory & digital investment advisory solutions.
My session title:
- PANEL DISCUSSION: The future of investment operations in the age of splintered reporting regimes, new technological capabilities, and a saturated vendor landscape: Developing operational strategies to increase efficiency and optimise costs in an increasingly volatile world : 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
CHRIS TAYLOR
Chief Operating Officer, CG Asset Management
Prior to joining CGAM in 2015 Chris was an Operations Officer at State Street Bank. He has held operational roles servicing Investment Trust and Institutional Pension Fund clients.
My session title:
- FUND OPERATIONAL STRATEGY FORUM - PANEL DISCUSSION: Working with teams to improve workflow automation whilst bolstering information security: How do you ensure data flows seamlessly? : 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM
CLAIRE GEORGE
Chief Technology & Operations Officer, Savills Investment Management
Claire is the Chief Technology and Operating Officer at Savills IM. In this role, she is responsible for the Global Operating Platform and procedures as well as the digital capabilities used to better serve Savills IM’s clients. Claire is also a member of external European Industry Technology committees. Claire joined Savills IM in 2022 having held similar roles at Aberdeen Standard Investments and the Cromwell Group
My session title:
- PRIVATE MARKETS OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - FIRESIDE CHAT: Navigating the technology & data landscape for Private Markets to enable scalable growth : 2:10 PM - 2:40 PM
CORNELIA FRENTZ
Director Governance and Sustainable Investing, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund
My session title:
- ESG OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - PRESENTATION/FIRESIDE CHAT: Sustainability reporting amidst proliferating regimes: Creating robust processes and agile pipelines fit for the future : 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
DAMIEN LE GUILLOU
Director Operations & Controls, BPI
My session title:
- PANEL DISCUSSION: Harmonising people and tools: Optimising your IT infrastructure, and how to make the most out of provider relationships and reskill your workforce around new, ever-evolving systems and tech : 4:45 PM - 5:25 PM
DARREN JOHNSON
Global Chief Operating Officer, IMPAX AM
Darren Johnson is Impax’s Chief Operating Officer. He sits on our Management Committee and is responsible for operations throughout the organisation. He has held this role since joining in 2007 and in that time has driven operational transformation, built teams and pioneered the company’s transition into cloud services to support rapid growth.
Prior to Impax, Darren held a similar role for family office Talisman Global Asset Management and his previous experience has included roles at RAB Capital, AXA Investment Managers, and Legal & General.
Darren sits on the board of several charities and organisations, including St Mungo’s, the UK’s largest homeless charity, and the investment advisory board of Comic Relief. He is a prominent advocate of diversity issues across financial services, is co-founder of TalkAboutBlack, sits on the CIC board of the Diversity Project, which aims to accelerate progress towards an inclusive culture in the investment and savings industry, and is on the Standing Committee for Investment 20/20, an organisation providing school leavers and graduates from non-traditional backgrounds with opportunities in asset management.
My session title:
- FUND OPERATIONAL STRATEGY FORUM - PRESENTATION/FIRESIDE CHAT: Agility and longevity around new tech: How do you successfully implement AI to lessen the reporting burden : 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
HENRY BACON
Head of Investor Relations, Finance and Operations, Snowball Investment Management
Responsible for investor relations, compliance, operations and finance. Prior to joining Snowball in 2017, he had a twelve-year career in corporate banking working at Santander, CaixaBank and MUFG as a senior member of the credit team. He is also the trustee and treasurer of Westway Community Transport and Urban Eye.
My session title:
- ESG OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - PRESENTATION/FIRESIDE CHAT: Is greenwashing still a concern? Authenticity and due diligence throughout the reporting pipeline, and ensuring accurate assessment of risks : 2:10 PM - 2:50 PM
IJEOMA OKOLI
Director, The Digital Economy Initiative
Ijeoma is a strategic advisory consultant on digital assets and artificial intelligence and a co-Director of the Digital Economy Initiative, an independent think tank focused on US and UK digital assets public policy. She previously was Digital Currency Risk Management Lead and an Executive Director at JPMorgan where she co-designed the financial services group’s first global digital currency risk management and governance framework and opined on and vetted digital assets-related business proposals. She also previously advised JPMorgan’s Chief Investment Office, Corporate Treasury, Investment Bank and Asset Management division in London on various other matters including investments, capital raisings, restructuring funding lines and regulatory and compliance matters. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of Aldermanbury Investments Limited, a JPMorgan subsidiary.
Ijeoma also focuses on Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) risks, legal and governance issues and is also an expert on existing digital assets risks, regulation and public policy in the US and UK and the gaps that exist in the legal frameworks. She speaks regularly on digital assets and AI issues at conferences and institutions in the US and Europe and has also written a number of papers on the existing US and UK digital assets public policy and proposals for comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks for the digital assets sector. She was a subject matter expert invited by the UK Financial Conduct Authority to its first ever Crypto Sprint where it brought in experts to advise the regulator on what its approach to digital assets should look like in the future and has provided input to UK and US authorities on legal and regulatory proposals relating to digital assets.
Ijeoma was listed in the 2020 FTSE Board Report’s 100 Women to Watch list, named Investment Woman of the Year at the 2020 Woman in Investment Awards, won the Outstanding Contribution of the Year Award at the 2021 Women in Finance Awards, was listed as one of Brummell Magazine’s 2022 Inspirational Women in the City, PitchBook’s 2022 and 2023 Female Founders and Investors to Know and Innovate Finance’s Women in FinTech Powerlist 2022. She was also featured in the June 2023 edition of The Banker magazine, and The Block’s July 2023 list of 9 Power Players Shaping the UK's Growing Crypto Agenda and was appointed to the President’s Council of Cornell Women in 2024.
Ijeoma holds a B.A. and M.P.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Cornell University.
My session title:
- FUND OPERATIONAL STRATEGY FORUM - FIRESIDE CHAT: Keeping ahead of developing AI trends: Staying cost effective whilst ensuring tools are ‘value-add’ for the entire organisation : 2:10 PM - 2:40 PM
JOHN MAHONY
Head of Compliance, Atrato Group
My session title:
- ESG OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - PANEL DISCUSSION: Transforming a data infrastructure around historically subjective information, cultivating trust, and ensuring methodologies are robust : 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM
MARIO DE BERGOLIS
Chief Operating Officer, Asset Management One International
Mario De Bergolis is the Chief Operating Officer and Compliance Officer at Asset Management One International Ltd. where he is responsible for the firm’s Operations, Middle Office, Compliance and Systems Support departments. Prior to this appointment Mario held the position of Global Head of Strategy and Business Management, Client & Multi-Manager Solutions, at Aberdeen Standard Investments. He was responsible for the implementation of business strategy and provided oversight of the area’s technology and change, governance and operational risk framework. Mario has also previously held several leadership positions within Operational Due Diligence and Operations at LGT Vestra and SS&C GlobeOp.
My session title:
- PANEL DISCUSSION: Harmonising people and tools: Optimising your IT infrastructure, and how to make the most out of provider relationships and reskill your workforce around new, ever-evolving systems and tech : 4:45 PM - 5:25 PM
MATT GIORDMAINA
Head of Reconciliations - Investment Operations, Man Group
Matthew Giordmaina has worked in Asset Management Operations for over 15 years, and managed various teams for over 10 years. He has previously worked at Schroders, Jupiter Asset Management, Pictet Asset Management, and his current role with Man Group is Global Head of Reconciliations, Investment Operations. Matthew has been a contributor to global process improvements, with successive experiences delivering change to operational set-up and policies, processes, systems, and technology. Matthew is particularly passionate about maximising opportunities for collaboration and communication, with various initiatives implemented across his previous firms.
My session title:
- PANEL DISCUSSION: Harmonising people and tools: Optimising your IT infrastructure, and how to make the most out of provider relationships and reskill your workforce around new, ever-evolving systems and tech : 4:45 PM - 5:25 PM
MATTHEW STILING
Senior Operational Due Diligence Analyst, Investcorp-Tages
My session title:
- PRIVATE MARKETS OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - PANEL DISCUSSION: Best practices for succeeding in an opaque field: Fair valuations, proprietary models, and enhancing data interpretation : 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM
ROB KNIGHT
Managing Director, RRAK Advisory
Rob Knight is a consulting Managing Director who specialises in operations and regulations. She is also a NED on the Board of East London Business Alliance and special advisor to two California based start-ups. Rob’s unique professional background spans successful leadership roles within large international businesses, leading teams in Asia, Europe, India, UK and USA. She was Head of Global Business Services at Barings (subsidiary of MassMutual), sitting on the firm’s Operations Leadership Team, Pricing Committee and Client Asset Oversight Working Group. Her global teams supported investment strategies for USD 280B+ of private and public assets. She has a keen interest in automation and data science to create more efficient and scalable workflows.
Rob served as Chairperson for the UK Investment Association’s Trade & Transaction reporting Committee until 2022, where she contributed to engagement with European and UK regulators. Prior to joining Barings, Rob led the fiduciary management team for Citigroup – Asset Management Unit in London.
In 2007 Rob co-founded the award-winning Barings’ See The Possibilities student programme for university and college students. This program introduces students to the financial services industry, while opening doors to entry level Analyst roles.
She holds a MBA, the CFA UK: Investment Management Certificate, and is a member of the Chartered Governance Institute
My session title:
- FUND OPERATIONAL STRATEGY FORUM - FIRESIDE CHAT: Keeping ahead of developing AI trends: Staying cost effective whilst ensuring tools are ‘value-add’ for the entire organisation : 2:10 PM - 2:40 PM
ROBERT CORBALLY
Founder and Director, Hawser Consulting
Robert founded Hawser Consulting in 2021 to provide bespoke investment product consultancy to asset managers. Previously he worked for several large corporations, and he has over 23 years of experience in the design, development and cross border distribution of investment funds.
My session title:
- FUND OPERATIONAL STRATEGY FORUM - PANEL DISCUSSION: Working with teams to improve workflow automation whilst bolstering information security: How do you ensure data flows seamlessly? : 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM
RODNEY HUTCHINSON
Director of Strategy & Digital Transformation, M&G Investments
Rodney is Director of Strategy & IT Transformation at M&G and has over 20 years experience in the asset management industry as an advisor and leader of strategic change, driving a broad spectrum of initiatives throughout his career including strategic growth, target operating models, cost transformation, merger integration, organisation and process design and large scale systems implementations. He is focussed on the future and the key trends that will impact the asset management industry and enable the firm to innovate, remain competitive in a changing and uncertain environment and continue to deliver the best outcomes for clients.
My session title:
- PANEL DISCUSSION: Harmonising people and tools: Optimising your IT infrastructure, and how to make the most out of provider relationships and reskill your workforce around new, ever-evolving systems and tech : 4:45 PM - 5:25 PM
SAHEM GULATI
Head of Strategy & Consulting, M&G Plc
Sahem joined M&G Investments in May 2021 and leads the Private Assets Strategy & Consulting team. He has over nine years’ industry experience and is passionate about driving positive change within businesses with extensive experience across Private Equity, Private Debt, Infrastructure and Real Assets.
Sahem is responsible for working alongside Senior Leaders within the Private Assets organization to shape the strategy & vision, lead target operating model reviews & design as well as managing key initiatives focused on strategic & scalable growth. He is also a Diversity & Inclusiveness ambassador at M&G Investments.
My session title:
- PRIVATE MARKETS OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - FIRESIDE CHAT: Navigating the technology & data landscape for Private Markets to enable scalable growth : 2:10 PM - 2:40 PM
STUART GUNDERSON
Chief Operating Officer, Seilern Investment Management
Stuart is the Chief Operating Officer at Seilern. Prior to joining Seilern, Stuart Gunderson was Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and a Founding Partner of Kiltearn. Stuart started his career in 1997, working at firms including Deutsche Bank, HSBC Global Fund Services, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management and Franklin Templeton Investments. He has vast experience in a number of operational and servicing roles and has strategically and successfully managed business change throughout his career by focussing on enhanced client service, reduction in risk and cost management. Stuart is qualified from the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments (C.I.S.I).
My session title:
- ESG OPERATIONS, RISK & REPORTING FORUM - PANEL DISCUSSION: Transforming a data infrastructure around historically subjective information, cultivating trust, and ensuring methodologies are robust : 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM
