Our speakers will cover every major asset class and region, giving you a comprehensive overview of the latest news in the world's major markets.
Our moderator for the day is Dominic O'Connell. Dominic is the business presenter of the Radio 4 Today Programme. He was formerly Business Editor of The Sunday Times, since 2010, and joined the paper in 2001. Before that, he was part of the launch team of Sunday Business. Under his editorship, the paper broke a series of big business stories including the news of BHS's pending administration, and previously the Pfizer bid for Astra Zeneca, the largest ever attempted takeover of a British company. As well as his role on the Today Programme, Dominic also appears regularly on Business Live on BBC World News and the News Channel, on World Service Radio business output, and contributes to the online business pages.
Akanksha is a client portfolio manager for Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Fundamental Equity team with a focus on the global developed market equity, ESG and thematic equity strategies. Akanksha joined the client portfolio management team at GSAM as an analyst in May 2016. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a product specialist within the retail broking division at the leading Indian financial services company, Edelweiss. Akanksha has received her Bachelor in Business Administration in Finance (BBA Finance) from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, India (NMIMS), her Master in Business Administration specializing in Finance (MBA Finance) from Symbiosis International University, India (SCMHRD) and was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2022.
Alessandro is a portfolio manager within the Value team at Ninety One. Since April 2020 he assumed co-portfolio management of the UK Value strategies in addition to the Global Value Equity strategies that he has been managing since 2016. In 2011, Alessandro joined the firm as an analyst in the Value team. Previously he worked at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co as a fixed income derivatives salesperson in London. He graduated from UCL in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Economics and holds a Masters degree in Finance from the London Business School. He has passed Level III of the CFA® Programme.
Alex Savvides is Senior Fund Manager of the JOHCM UK Dynamic Fund. He joined J O Hambro Capital Management (JOHCM) in March 2003 as Assistant Fund Manager of the JOHCM UK Growth Fund, working in partnership with lead Fund Manager Mark Costar. Alex developed and launched UK Dynamic in June 2008, in doing so becoming the first internally developed Fund Manager to launch a new and 'home grown' investment process at JOHCM, as well as the first to be backed by seed capital solely from JOHCM's own balance sheet. Prior to joining JOHCM, Alex spent his early investment career at three independent UK stockbroking firms, starting his career as a Research Associate at Astaire & Partners before moving into corporate and non-corporate sales roles at Teather & Greenwood and Numis Securities. Alex is a Fellow of the Securities Institute and holds the Securities Institute Diploma. He also holds a BA (Hons) in Politics from the University of Nottingham.
Ashish Bhardwaj joined Fidelity in 2009 as an Asian equity analyst, based in Mumbai. In 2012 he relocated to London to join the US equity research team. He initially covered Indian autos, construction, materials and infrastructure stocks while in Asia, before subsequently taking on coverage for US aerospace & defence, transportation, logistics and industrial services. In 2015 Ashish was promoted to Portfolio Manager and commenced managing the FF Global Industrials Fund. Prior to joining Fidelity, Ashish worked for a number of technology companies. He was a software engineer at IBM and Business Evolutions, and a project leader at ServiceSPAN. Ashish has a B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur (India), a MS in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (US), as well as an MBA from Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago (US).
Baylee is a Portfolio Manager in the Multi-Asset Funds team. She is a member of the Asset Allocation Committee and focusses on research and the development of quantitative tools and models. Baylee joined Aviva Investors as an Analyst in the Multi-Asset Funds team before moving into her current portfolio management role. Baylee holds an MPhil in Genomic Medicine from the University of Cambridge and a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science from St George's Hospital Medical School (University of London). She is also a CFA Level III candidate.
Ben Russon is a vice president and portfolio manager based in Leeds as part of Franklin Templeton Fund Management. He is the lead manager on the Franklin UK Opportunities Fund and co-manager on the Franklin UK Managers' Focus Fund. Mr. Russon joined the Franklin Templeton UK Equity team during 2013. Prior to this he spent 13 years as a fund manager with Newton Investment Management, specialising in UK Equities. He was the lead manager on the Newton UK Opportunities Fund from 2005, alongside associated institutional mandates. Previously he worked at Newton in the research function, specialising in the global food retail sector. Wider responsibilities also included global equity investment with the Newton Osprey Fund. Mr. Russon graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an M.A. (joint honours) in geography and economics. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.
Christopher Korpan, executive director, is a portfolio manager and global sector specialist in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management International Equity Group, based in London. An employee since 2010, Christopher was previously a business analyst at Lundin Mining Corporation and a geologist at Bema Gold Corporation. Christopher obtained a MSc in Metals and Energy Finance from Imperial College London and a BSc Geology (Hons) from Edinburgh University, and is a CFA charterholder.
Colin Finlayson, Investment Manager, is a member of the Global Rates and Multi-Sector portfolio management teams. He specialises in global government bonds and relative-value analysis. Colin is the co-manager of our absolute return bond fund as well as our strategic bond funds. Colin has been in the industry since 2000 and started with the firm in 2000 directly from the University of Strathclyde, where he studied Economics and Finance. Colin is a CFA charterholder.
Hamish is Head of Global Sustainable Equities and is responsible for managing the Janus Henderson Global Sustainable Equity and Global Responsible Managed strategies since 2013. He was an investment manager with the firm from 2012 and joined Henderson as an investment analyst in 2011. Hamish graduated with a master’s degree in chemistry from New College, Oxford University and has 18 years of financial industry experience.
Harry Richards joined Jupiter in 2011, first becoming a fund manager in 2018. He manages its Strategic Bond and Dynamic Bond funds alongside Ariel Bezalel. He is also co-manager, alongside Adam Darling, of the Corporate Bond fund. Richards has a degree in chemistry from the University of Oxford and is a CFA charterholder.
Hugo Machin is co-manager of global property securities at Schroders Investment Management. He joined the firm in 2014 and previously, he was head of European listed real estate at AMP Capital from 2006. Hugo is a member of the EPRA Report and Accounts Committee and graduated from Durham University with a BA (Hons) in English Literature, Reading University with an MSc in Real Estate Finance and Investment and the Oxford Said Business School with a diploma in Cross Border Valuation.
James is Deputy Fund Manager for the Henley-based Asian and Emerging Market Equities team. Joining Invesco in August 2013 as an intern, James undertook internships with the Henley Emerging Market Equities and US Equities teams before becoming a permanent member of the investment team in December 2013. He holds an MSc in Finance and Banking and a BSc honours degree in Mathematics from the University of Bath, and the Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society of the UK.
John is an investment specialist within the Emerging Markets Client Team. John graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Physics from the University of Glasgow and joined Baillie Gifford in 2017.
Justin Jones is a Senior Investment Manager on the Multi-Manager Strategies team. He is the co-manager of the MyFolio Market, Index and Sustainable Index range of Funds alongside the MyPortfolio suite of MPS models and a number of institutional mandates. Additional to his PM responsibilities, Justin also covers manager selection within Global Emerging Markets, Emerging Market Debt, Asian Equity, Global Reits and Passive sectors. Justin has over 25 years financial services experience having previously worked in corporate banking in a variety of systems and analytical roles at both NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Justin is lead Fund Manager and Head of Retail Multi Asset Funds at Legal & General and has been named one of London’s most influential people of 2019 for Fintech & Banking. Justin is a big advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is Ambassador for the industry-wide Diversity Project.
Mandy Hickson has over 30 years' experience within aviation. She joined the Royal Air Force in 1994 and flew the Tornado GR4 on the front line, where she operated in hostile environments, including patrolling the ‘No Fly’ zone over Iraq. Since leaving the RAF she retrained as a facilitator and coach in human performance factors. Drawing on her experience of calculated risk-taking, decision-making under pressure and the critical role of the human in the system, she transfers vivid lessons from the cockpit to other management and leadership contexts. She has recently launched her bestselling book, ‘An Officer, not a gentleman’, about her inspirational journey to become a pioneering female fighter pilot.
Mike is Head of Sustainable Investments and co-fund manager of the RL Sustainable Leaders, RL World and RL Diversified trusts as well as the RL Global Sustainable Equity Fund. He has managed Sustainable Leaders since November 2003. Mike originally trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young. Mike has spent the majority of his career assessing environmental, social and governance issues and how they influence investment decisions. He is a specialist in sustainable investing and one of the few fund managers in this area with such long tenure.
Paul is a portfolio manager and strategist at Newton. He is a portfolio manager on the Newton Global Income strategy and is also lead manager of the Newton Multi-Asset Income strategy and the Newton Multi-Asset Diversified Return strategy. He also provides leadership and analysis on asset allocation, derivatives and convertible bonds for the wider firm, having spent the earlier part of his career working on strategic asset allocation and derivative strategy. Paul is responsible for generating ideas within alternative assets and has been leading in this area since 2008. He is a member of the asset class strategy group and provides feedback to the wider house on strategic and tactical asset allocation. Paul joined Newton in 2004. He is a CFA1 charterholder and has completed the certificate in quantitative finance (CQF) after passing with distinction. Paul studied Astrophysics at the University of St Andrews and is a keen cyclist and runner, having recently cycled the length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats and often participates in marathons.
Ritu Vohora is an investment specialist representing the firm’s views on capital markets in the Multi-Asset Division. She is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price International Ltd. Ritu’s investment experience began in 2005, and she has been with T. Rowe Price since 2020, beginning in the Multi-Asset Division. Prior to this, Ritu spent 15 years at M&G Investments, most recently as an investment director and the head of Equities Investment Communications. Ritu earned a B.Sc. (honors) in accounting and finance from the University of Warwick (Warwick Business School) and an M.Sc. in management and the regulation of risk from the London School of Economics. Ritu has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and the UK Society of Investment Professionals (UKSIP) Level 3 certificate in investment management. Ritu won the Highly Commended honor for Role Model of the Year at Investment Week’s Women in Investment Awards 2017. She also was a finalist for the Asian Women of Achievement Awards 2017 (Business category) and the London Asian Business Awards 2017. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Simon Bond joined the company in 2003 and has been the portfolio manager of the Threadneedle UK Social Bond Fund since its launch in 2013, as well as the Threadneedle (Lux) European Social Bond Fund launched in 2017. Having previously managed a number of institutional and retail investment grade corporate bond portfolios, Simon now concentrates his focus on managing Columbia Threadneedle’s social bond portfolios and developing other responsible investment strategies across the firm. Throughout his career, Simon has taken a keen interest in the social investment space and as an analyst the first entity Simon reported on was Peabody Trust and the first sector he covered was housing associations. Simon is particularly passionate about the role of infrastructure in both regeneration and economic growth.
With a BSc and a MSc in Finance from Queen’s University, Belfast, in 1994 Stephen started his career at Aegon Asset Management (now Kames Capital) as a US equity analyst and fund manager. In 1998 he moved to fixed income, becoming manager of Kames’ Sterling Corporate Bond Fund in June 2000. Stephen then joined Old Mutual Asset Managers and managed their Corporate Bond Fund from 2004 – 2011, when he returned to Kames. There, as co-head of fixed income, he was co-manager of the Kames Investment Grade Bond Fund, the Investment Grade Global Bond Fund and the Absolute Return Bond Fund until November 2018. In May 2019 Stephen joined Artemis as a partner, to lead our fixed income team.
Stuart Rhodes joined M&G in 2004 as a global equity analyst after graduating from Bath University with a degree in business administration. Stuart has been the manager of the M&G Global Dividend strategy since it was launched in July 2008. In April 2015 he was appointed deputy manager of the M&G North American Dividend strategy and in January 2019 of the M&G Global Themes strategy. Stuart is a CFA charterholder.
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