IA Investment Horizons Conference

We are excited to announce we'll be delivering a new IA event this year, the IA Investment Horizons Conference, kindly hosted by J.P. Morgan in London on Tuesday 03 December 2024.

• What are the megatrends and structural shifts re-shaping investment?
• What is driving the rapid growth of alternative investments and is this trend here to stay?
• How investment opportunities transcend challenging macro- and regulatory backdrop?
• How can investment managers best support local economies?
• Spotlight on the biggest opportunities to transform the real economy (infrastructure, energy systems, technology)
• Deep-dive into the necessary innovations in market structures – how can we solve the enduring issues with market data, market resilience and liquidity fragmentation?
• What do our future clients need and what does the future of asset allocation hold?

Chris Cummings, Chief Executive, The Investment Association
Chris Cummings is the Chief Executive of The Investment Association, a post he has held since September 2016. The Investment Association is the trade body that represents UK-based investment managers.

He is a member of HM Treasury’s Asset Management Taskforce, and was a founding member of its Financial Services Trade & Investment Board. He serves on the Chancellor’s Financial Services Industry Advisory Group and Department for International Trade’s Financial Services Trade Advisory Group. He is a Board member on EFAMA, the European trade association for investment management and is Chairman of IIFA, the international association for investment management. He is also a Chair of Just Finance Foundation.

He was previously a member of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulatory Decisions Committee, a Settlement Decision Maker for the Payment Services Regulator. He served on the Foreign & Commonwealth’s Diplomatic Excellence Panel.

Before joining The Investment Association he was the founding CEO of TheCityUK, held senior posts in banking, insurance and consulting with major global firms. He is a regular columnist, commentator and speaker on issues of international competitiveness and regulation in financial services.

Sonja Laud, Global Chief Investment Officer, LGIM
Sonja Laud is Global Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of the Asset Management division of Legal & General and a member of the Executive Team. She leads the firm’s entire Investment, Responsible Investment and Trading teams for public markets.
Sonja joined Legal & General in 2019 from Fidelity International where she was Head of Equity. Prior to that she worked at Barings where she launched and managed global multi-asset portfolios.
Prior to that, she worked for Schroders where she managed, for eight years, several successful global, European and UK equity funds, with a focus on high-dividend stocks. Sonja started her career at DWS in Frankfurt, where she was an award-winning global equities portfolio manager.
Sonja has completed a Global Executive MBA program at TRIUM (LSE, NYUStern, HEC) and has MSc, EMIM from ESCP Europe. She is a CFA Charter holder. She is a regular media commentator, appearing across broadcast including the BBC, Sky News, Bloomberg and CNBC.

Fabiana Fedeli, Chief Investment Officer Equities, Multi Asset and Sustainability, M&G Investments.
Fabiana is a member of the Executive Committee of M&G Investments (Asset Management) and a non-executive director of M&G Investments Southern Africa. Ms Fedeli leads a team of investment professionals deploying over US$70bn globally across multiple asset classes, based in the UK, Continental Europe, the US and Asia.
Prior to joining M&G Investments, Ms. Fedeli served as Global Head of Fundamental Equities and Emerging Markets Equities Portfolio Manager at Robeco. Prior to joining Robeco, she was a Portfolio Manager Asian Equities at Pioneer Asset Management and at Occam Asset Management.
Ms. Fedeli began her career at ING Barings Tokyo as a Research Analyst in Japanese equities in 1999.

Ms. Fedeli holds a Master's in Economics from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo and a Bachelor's in Economic and Social Sciences from Bocconi University in Milan. She also received a Certificate in Financial Asset Management and Engineering from the University of Lausanne, Swiss Finance Institute, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Ms. Fedeli is a member of the Investment Committee of The Investment Association, a trade body representing Investment Managers in the UK that collectively manage over US$12 trillion in assets. She is also a member of the Investment Committee of UK-based The Open University. Ms. Fedeli is also a non-executive director of Relmada Therapeutics (Nasdaq: RLMD), a late-stage biotechnology company. In 2022 and 2024, Ms. Fedeli was named among Financial News’ 100 Most Influential Women in Finance, and she was recently awarded the ‘Excellence in Asset Management’ honour at the European Women in Finance Awards.

Michelle Ostermann, CEO, Pension Protection Fund, Chair, International Centre for Pension Management
Michelle Ostermann is recognised as a thought leader in the pensions industry, having contributed significantly to the global landscape. She is well recognised as an inspirational leader and excellent communicator and very passionate about the growing and important role asset owners play in financial systems. Her extensive global network gives her an exceptionally broad perspective on best practices and trends. She is best known for her experience in governance, strategy and risk management. Throughout her career she has developed a track record of transforming businesses and cultures.
Michelle joined the Pension Protection Fund as CEO in April 2024 and has been the Chair of the global pension industry association, International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM), since January 2024. She has over 30 years of experience in the global pensions and investment industry and has held senior positions at several leading firms in Canada and the UK.
Michelle was Managing Director at Railpen Investments in the UK where she was ultimately responsible for the £30 billion railway workers’ pension fund. Most recently Michelle was the Senior Vice President and Global Head of the $120 billion Capital Markets team at PSP Investments, the fourth largest pension fund in Canada.

Edward Park, Chief Asset Management Officer, Evelyn Partners
Edward joined Evelyn Partners in 2024 and is a member of the Group Executive Committee with responsibility for the group’s centrally managed investment propositions and oversight of the group’s investment process. Edward chairs the Investment Process Committee, Asset Allocation Committee and Institutional Asset Management Committee as part of his role, Edward also acts as a spokesperson for the firm’s investment propositions. Edward is a CFA charter holder.

Sandra Boss, Chair of BlackRock UK
Sandy Boss is Chair of BlackRock UK and a member of the firm’s Global Operating Committee. Previously, she was the Chief Operating Officer for BlackRock’s Global Client Business. She joined the firm in 2020 as the Global Head of BlackRock Investment Stewardship, in which role she was a member of the Global Executive Committee.
Sandy was an external member of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Committee from 2014 to 2020. She was also Senior Independent Director and Risk Committee Chair for the Bank’s Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)/Chaps Board. During this period, she served on the Boards of two listed companies — one UK and the other Nasdaq.
Sandy spent the first 20 years of her career at McKinsey. As a Senior Partner, she led the firm's Corporate and Investment Banking, and Credit and Counterparty Risk Management practices among other leadership roles in both the US and Europe.
Sandy received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA from Stanford University.

Oliver Wiedemeijer, Managing Director, Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions.
Oliver is responsible for product development and acts as a product specialist for EMEA and APAC.

Before joining Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions in 2023, Mr. Wiedemeijer spent over 18 years at Credit Suisse, most recently serving as global head of due diligence and product strategy across private and alternative markets. He has held numerous alternative investment and client relationship management roles during his tenure. Mr. Wiedemeijer holds a Masters of Economics from St. Gallen University (HSG).

David Genn, CEO, Goji, Euroclear Group
David Genn is the CEO of Goji, a British fintech company and part of the Euroclear group. Goji specialises in providing digital access and technology-enabled solutions to private markets. David joined Goji as employee number one in 2015 to lead the technology build of the platform before taking over as CEO in January 2019. A developer by background, David upholds innovation, keeps technology at the core of what Goji does, and simplifies the complex.

Stephen Richard Yeats, Global Head of Fixed Income Beta Solutions - UK Head of Investment, CFA
Stephen is a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Fixed Income Beta Solutions. He is also UK Head of Investments.

In his fixed income role, Stephen is responsible for over $600bn of fixed income assets, and a team of more than 45 investment professionals, working in seven locations globally. As UK Head of Investments Stephen has supervisory responsibility for investment staff in the UK, across a wide range of asset classes and investment styles.

Stephen is a member of SSGA's Executive Management Group and EMEA ExCo, as well as the Global Investment and Product, EMEA Risk and UK Senior Management Committees.

He graduated with a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering from Nottingham University and has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He is a member of the CFA Society of the UK and the CFA Institute.

Adam Conn, Head of Trading, Baillie Gifford
Adam Conn joined Baillie Gifford in 2016 as Head of Trading. He is a director of Baillie Gifford Overseas Ltd and is an active participant in its Multi-Cultural Network. Adam began his career in 1984 as a junior trader on the floor of the London Stock Exchange with Scott Goff Layton & Co. and subsequently led trading teams based in London, Hong Kong and New York. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. In 2017 he was presented with “The Trade” magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Adam is the current Chair of the Investment Association’s Equity Trading Committee.

Jon Relleen, Director of Infrastructure & Exchanges, Supervision, Policy & Competition - Markets, FCA
As Director of Infrastructure and Exchanges at the Financial Conduct Authority I cover significant aspects of the UK’s financial markets. This includes supervision, policy and competition issues with respect to trading venues and the functioning of wholesale capital markets. To support our supervision and policy work we also conduct market analysis and research, including via use of regulatory data. In addition I am part of the FCA’s senior leadership team; helping to set strategy, deliver outcomes and convey the work we are doing externally.

Before joining the FCA in December 2022, I spent 24 years at the Bank of England. My career at the Bank spanned monetary policy, financial stability and market operations. I worked across a wide range of different topics, but a common thread was economic and regulatory policy work related to financial markets. My expertise straddles, macroeconomics and finance as well as practical knowledge of capital markets, investment institutions and central bank operations.

Eleanor Beasley, Managing Director, Global Banking and Markets Goldman Sachs
Ellie is head of market structure and chief operating officer for Goldman Sachs’ EMEA Equities business. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2019 as an executive director and was named managing director in 2023.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Ellie spent 15 years at Morgan Stanley, where she held several roles and was most recently head of Market Structure for Clients.

Ellie serves on the board of Cboe Europe, the AFME Equities Board and the FCA’s secondary markets advisory committee, in addition to several exchange and industry advisory groups.

Ellie earned a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Bristol University

Richard Worrell, Co-Head of Equity Trading, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)
Richard Worrell is Co-Head of Equity Trading for the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) alongside Tom Stenhouse. He joined LSEG in January 2024. Previously he was Head of EMEA Equity Trading at Janus Henderson Investors, (JHI), a position he held between 2017 and 2024. Prior to JHI, he spent over ten years on the sell side, first at Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) and then with Redburn Atlantic. He has over twenty-five years of industry experience, having begun his career on the buyside. Prior to joining LSEG, Richard was also a Plato Partnership board member and was the Chairman of the Investment Association’s Buyside Trading Committee

Richard Atkinson, Managing Director in Systems Development, SS&C
Richard Atkinson is a Managing Director in Systems Development at SS&C and joined the firm in 2002. He manages the development of a number of systems that support the Fund Services business including security master, pricing, quantitative development, artificial intelligence solutions, loan processing, task management and cash wires. Previously he worked at JPMorgan where he was responsible for specific web based internal systems in the International Treasury and Global Trading Divisions and managed development teams in London and New York.

Raj Somal, UK Country Manager, ACA Group
Raj Somal, UK Country Manager at ACA Group (ACA), is responsible for identifying and implementing the regional strategy for ACA across the range the firm’s advisory, managed services and regulatory technology divisions. She provides cross-functional and holistic leadership to ensure the range of products and services provided by ACA meet local client needs.

She is a board-level executive and advisor, bringing over 15 years of legal, regulatory compliance and risk management experience to this role, having held a host of positions across the investment and financial markets.

Raj has held roles as CCO and General Counsel, as well as executive and non-executive directorships. Her experience spans a range of buy and sell side firms of differing sizes.

Outside the office Raj is kept on her toes by her family and likes to cook up a storm in the kitchen when the opportunity allows.

Marc Salter, Managing Director, Regulatory Technology, ACA Group
Marc Salter is the Managing Director of Regulatory Technology at ACA Group, where he leads a global team responsible for ComplianceAlpha®, ACA’s comprehensive technology product suite designed to streamline compliance, risk, and operational processes.

Based in the UK, Marc works closely with ACA’s largest and most complex clients and prospects to understand their key challenges and collaborate on tailored solutions. He also represents ACA at conferences and corporate events, participates in speaking engagements, and contributes to thought leadership in the Regulatory Technology space.

Marc brings extensive experience in eCommunication and trade surveillance from his tenure at prominent fintech firms. He also spent a decade in algorithmic sales and trading divisions at several leading investment banks, including Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch, and Citi, focusing on servicing hedge funds, asset managers, investment banks and brokerage firms across Europe and Asia.

Gerald D. Rehn, CFA, Managing Director, Head of IM EMEA Ltd, BNY Mellon Investments
Gerald is Managing Director and Head (Chief Executive-SMF1, SMF3) of BNY Mellon Investment Management EMEA Ltd., BNY Investments distribution business in EMEA and is based in London, UK. His responsibilities include overall distribution and client strategy; management of sales, marketing, product strategy and development, client services, and operational areas. Gerald is a member of BNY Investments’ Global Distribution Executive Committee and chair of BNY Investment EMEA’s Executive Committee. In addition to IM EMEA Ltd, Gerald is a Board Director of BNY Mellon Fund Management (Luxembourg) S.A. Prior to joining BNY in 2013, Gerald held distribution, product, trading and portfolio management roles in the USA, UK and UAE since 1999. He is an American and British citizen, holds an MBA from Bayes Business School London (2004, formerly Cass Business School) and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA).

Robert Gardner, CEO, Rebalance Earth
Robert has 25 years of sustainable finance experience, including co-founding Redington and Mallowstreet. His mission is to create a world worth living in by mobilising £10 billion for Nature restoration, mitigating climate risks for businesses and communities, and delivering resilient, sustainable returns for investors.

Nicola Morgan-Brownsell, Head of Multi-Asset Partnership Strategies, LGIM
Nicola joined LGIM in 2018 as a Fund Manager within the Multi-Asset Funds team, becoming the Head of Multi-Asset Partnership Strategies in 2023. Nicola is responsible for the management of £10bn of bespoke client funds, as well as providing support and leadership for the Model Portfolio Services team. Prior to joining LGIM, Nicola worked at HSBC Asset Management as the Head of Global Portfolio Analytics - Equities, and from 2009 to 2015 she worked within Multi Asset Solutions at BNP Paribas Investment Partners. Nicola graduated from Sidney Sussex, Cambridge with a BA in history and is also a CFA charterholder.

Emily Shepperd, Chief Operating Officer, FCA
As Chief Operating Officer since January 2022, Emily is responsible for the FCA’s strategy, operations and business performance, systems and infrastructure, change and communications functions and finances.

Emily was Executive Director of Authorisations for 3 years from March 2021, overseeing firms and individuals applying to carry out regulated financial services activity, as well as the Supervision Hub which acts as first point of call into the FCA for consumers and firms.

Before joining the FCA, Emily was Director of Customer Services and Change at Aegon UK. Prior to this, Emily was EMEA Chief Operating Officer for Bank of New York Mellon where she led operations, technology and change across all businesses and support areas, ranging from global markets to asset servicing.

Outside, she has been involved in many industry initiatives including chairing the Association for Financial Markets in Europe technology and operations group.