Please note this event will be postponed to a later date. If you have any questions, please contact us at events@aima.org
AGENDA
Pre-Forum Welcome Reception: Wednesday, 1 April 2020
We are hosting a welcome drinks reception for all registered Forum attendees and speakers.
Please register your attendance by emailing events@aima.org
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Venue: The Westin Paris - Vendôme, 3 Rue de Castiglione, 75001 Paris, France
Main Conference: Thursday, 2 April 2020
12:35
Lunchtime Workshop Session 1
by Lenz & Staehelin
Lunchtime Workshop Session 2
by Simmons & Simmons
Lunchtime Workshop Session 3
by Maples Group
Fund Regulation: A Changing Landscape
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This session will examine the ever changing regulatory landscape across the main fund domiciles of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Jersey and Luxembourg. We will consider the themes of investment fund regulation, management companies, economic substance and impact investing.
Switzerland – FinSA 2020 – Fundamental changes for the cross-border provision of financial services and fund marketing.
The financial services industry will have to implement new regulations and related requirements as part of the entry into force of the Swiss Financial Services Act (FinSA) on 1 January 2020.
This workshop will focus on the salient features of the new legislation, and will provide a first analysis of the challenges, opportunities and practical consequences thereof with a specific focus on the marketing of funds in Switzerland on a cross-border basis. The workshop will also address the transitional regime.
08:30
Registration & Refreshments
12:25
Networking lunch
14:35
Breakout Session 1
Breakout Session 2
15:15
Afternoon Refreshments, Exhibition & Networking
09:10
Keynote Speaker - ESMA priorities in 2020
Verena Ross, Executive Director, ESMA
09:00
Welcome Remarks
Jack Inglis, Chief Executive Officer, AIMA
13:25
Keynote Speaker - The Inside Story of Tipper X
Tom Hardin, Owner, Tipper X Advisors
10:25
Morning Refreshments, Exhibition & Networking
14:30- 14:35
Transfer Time
15:45
Presentation
Paul Horvath, Chief Executive Officer, Orchard Global Asset Management
10:55
13:45
Panel Four: New strategies. New styles.
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In the quest for alpha, investment managers are increasingly diversifying – whether that be a move into other asset classes or an expansion into different segments of the alternatives space. At the same time, regulators are taking a keen interest in various aspects of the investment process, including sustainability, diversity and activism. These forces, as well as investor demands, are combining to create new risks for firms: what does an agile response look like in this context?
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Speakers:
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Vanessa Casano, Head of Asset Management, AMF
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Jason Mitchell, Co-Head of Responsible Investment, Man Group
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Michael Weinberg, Managing Director, Head of Hedge Funds and Alternative Alpha Hedge Fund Investments, APG Asset Management US Inc.​
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Marco Zwick, Director, CSSF
Opening Presentation
Darren Fox, Partner, Financial Services Regulatory, Simmons & Simmons LLP
09:05
09:40
Panel One: Industry perspectives - Setting the scene
This session will bring together senior representatives of our industry to shine a light on the big trends that will change the alternatives space in years to come. We will also consider the industry’s journey in the thirty years since AIMA was founded in 1990. And looking ahead: how can we respond to regulatory scrutiny of so-called ‘short-termism’?
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Speakers:
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Jennifer Mernagh, Investment Strategist, Aberdeen Standard Investments
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Darcy Bradbury, Managing Director, D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P.
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Philippe Jordan, President, CFM International
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Paul Chadwick, Managing Director, Nanuk Asset Management
Panel Two: Redefining borders
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This session is devoted to the question of how the regulation of cross-border activities – whether relating to marketing, trading or infrastructure – is shifting in light of geopolitical and market developments. We will consider not just the EU/UK relationship, but also more broadly the approach taken in sectoral legislation, including AIFMD and MiFID II, to dealing with third-country firms, with a view to answering the question: how should firms respond to the risk of greater fragmentation?
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Speakers:
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Sven Gentner, Head of Asset Management Unit, European Commission
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Katherine Martin, Associate Director, Regulatory Policy, Securities and Exchange Commission
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Sébastien Raspiller, Assistant Secretary, Head of Financial Sector Department, Directorate-General of the Treasury, French Ministry of Economy and Finance
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Eva Sanchez, General Counsel and Head of Compliance, AQR Capital Management (Europe) LLP
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Tracey Wingate, Associate Director, Office of International Affairs, CFTC
Moderator: Catherine Weeks, Partner, Simmons & Simmons
11:40
Panel Three: Building the digital economy
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This session is devoted to the role of data and technology in asset management, exploring the potential for alternative data, artificial intelligence and machine learning to transform the investment process and give firms the competitive edge. We will consider the regulatory response to these changes, whilst also looking at how firms approach risks relating to data security. What is the right approach when it comes to exploiting the possibilities associated with technology whilst maintaining firm resilience?
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Speakers:
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Harold de Boer, Managing Director, Transtrend
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Thomas Hirschi, Head of the Asset Management Division, FINMA
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Yasumasa Tahara, Director, Strategy Development Division, Financial Services Agency
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Mirèl ter Braak, Senior Policy Advisor, Innovation & FinTech, Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets
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Giles Ward, Senior Policy Advisor, IOSCO
Panel Five: The Macro outlook 2020 and beyond
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This session is devoted to a discussion of the macro outlook for the year ahead, exploring the economic, monetary and political trends and risks that provide the backdrop to the current regulatory reform agenda, covering issues including global trade dynamics and political unrest. We will explore the risks to firms’ business models, as well as the opportunities that will emerge in terms of strategies, products and regional growth.
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Speakers:
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Tsuyoshi Fukui, Team Head, Principal Portfolio Manager, World Bank Treasury
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Steffen Kern, Chief Economist and Head of Risk Analysis, ESMA
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Dr. Jörg Kukies, State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance
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Savvas Savouri, Chief Economist, Toscafund
16:15
EU ESG Regulation: what fund managers need to know, including special considerations for ERISA money.
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The EU ESG initiative is relevant to hedge fund managers and many of the rules apply regardless of whether a fund has an express ESG or sustainability focus.
Simmons & Simmons Financial Services Regulatory partner Nick Colston, Funds partners Lucian Firth and Niamh Ryan and Seward & Kissel partner John Ryan will discuss the key issues for fund managers, including special considerations for managers of ERISA funds and portfolios.
U.S. Policy & Regulatory Update
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The 2020 U.S. Election will determine whether the recent trend toward nationalism and deregulation will continue, or whether the political pendulum will again swing toward global regulatory harmonization. In the wake of Brexit, new free trade agreements will be negotiated between the EU, UK and U.S. Implicit in such negotiations are fundamental questions about the role of the corporation and the corporate governance responsibilities of shareholders and asset managers.
The panel will explore the trend toward “sustainability” considerations that are of increasing importance to investors, and the prospects for public policy and regulatory developments under alternate political scenarios.
LIBOR: how to identify and manage conduct risk during transition
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This session will examine the key conduct risks which arise as a result of LIBOR transition, together with ways to mitigate these risks and meet regulatory expectations in relation to buy-side transition programmes. The session will be presented by Simmons & Simmons Financial Markets Litigation partner Elizabeth Williams and Financial Services Regulatory partner Alex Ainley and Seward & Kissel partner Miki Navazio.
17:00
Closing remarks
17:15
Drinks Reception