DAY 1
THURSDAY, 7 November 2024
08:30 - 09:15
Registrations - Welcome coffee
09:15 - 09:25
Introduction by the Chairperson of the Summit
Maria Panayiotou, President, Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA)/ Managing Director, AML & Compliance Officer GMM Fund Management
Keynote Addresses
09:25 - 09:35
Recent developments and trends in the regulatory landscape of the Investment Funds Sector
George Theocharides, Chairman, Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
09:35 - 09:45
Cyprus an attractive location for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Marios Tannousis, CEO, Invest Cyprus
09:45 - 10:00
Cyprus’s Blended Finance Schemes & Incentives: What’s In It for Investors
Marios Tannousis, CEO, Invest Cyprus
10:00 - 10:30
Investment Outlook 2025
What will the future bring? Investment trends and opportunities.
Tilmann Galler, Global Market Strategist, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
10:30 - 11:45
Leadership Strategies
• Driving Growth in Challenging Times
• Investment Solutions and Strategies for 2025
• The Asset Manager of the Future – Exceeding Client Expectations
10:30 - 10:45
Seizing Opportunities in Active Fixed Income
The economic landscape is stabilizing post-pandemic, but central banks are keeping high policy rates, prompting questions about future rate cuts. Investors should remain cautious due to slowing economies and geopolitical risks. As central banks lower short-term rates, yield curves are expected to steepen, benefiting high-quality bonds, which traditionally perform well in downturns. Bond yields are attractive, particularly in the five-year segment, while corporate credit markets show signs of complacency. Higher-quality credit and U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) are recommended, with asset-based sectors offering appealing opportunities for private market investors
Michael Biemann, senior vice president and fixed income strategist PIMCO
10:45 - 11:00
Investment landscape in the aftermath of US elections
2024 saw elections take place in countries home to half the world’s population, however the US elections drew the biggest focus – given implications for foreign and fiscal policy, trade, regulation and beyond. Financial markets have weathered geopolitical risks and growth concerns so far, thanks to resilient household and corporate balance sheets and Central Bank easing. We stay invested on solid fundamentals, but consider the investment implications in the US and elsewhere.
Georgios Leontaris, Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer - Switzerland and EMEA, HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth
11:00 - 11:15
Questions and Answers
MODERATOR
Demetris Themistocleous, Senior Manager, Fund Services, PwC Cyprus
11:15 - 12:00
Networking Coffee Break
12:00 - 12:30
The Equities Stage
• Making Smart Trading Decisions
• Winning Product Investment Strategies 2025
Positioning Yourself for 2025 – Regardless of Who Is in the White House
Too many eyes are focused on the Presidential outcome and not enough on Fed policy and what is really driving the market. We will discuss that, the current two-year bull market and what sectors are poised to lead this market higher in 2025.
Jay Woods, Chief Global Strategist, Freedom Capital Markets (US)
12:30 - 13:40
The Fixed Income Stage
• Execution Strategies for success in changing market conditions
• Achieving the optimal mix across fixed income products
• Optimising desk performance in fragmented markets
12:30 - 12:45
Where to allocate within the Fixed Income markets
The presentation will explore key segments of the fixed income markets, such as government, corporate, and high yield bonds. It will provide insights into the current market conditions and interest rate trends, helping to inform allocation decisions based on risk and return considerations.
Franck NICOLAS, Global Fixed Income Senior Investment Specialist BNP Paribas Asset Management Luxembourg SA
12:45 - 13:00
Emerging Market Debt: The Stars are aligned
Sound policy making leading to strong fundamentals producing a positive rating trajectory coupled with a supportive Fed at a time of historically high yields implies high expected returns.
Richard House, Managing Director - CIO for Emerging Markets, Allianz Global Investors
13:00 - 13:15
Deeping into the Fixed Income Ecosystem in a Fast-Paced Environment
The presentation seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the current fixed income market landscape. We will explore various critical components of the ecosystem including liquidity channels, data democratization, artificial intelligence, transaction cost analysis in fixed income and the regulatory framework among others. Our analysis will delve into the synergies among market participants all and forecast potential developments for the industry moving forward.
Elina Asimakopoulou, Senior Trader, Société Générale Luxembourg
13:15 - 13:40
Questions and Answers
MODERATOR
Michael Konstantinou, Senior Portfolio Manager, Athlos Capital
13:40 - 15:00
Exclusive Networking Cocktail in the Sponsors’ Lounge
15:00
End of Day 1
DAY 2
FRIDAY, 8 November 2024
08:30 - 09:15
Registrations - Welcome coffee
09:15 - 09:30
Introduction by the Chairperson of the Summit
Petros Mavrommatis, Vice President, Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA)/ Head of KPMG Cyprus Asset Management Services
09:30 - 09:50
Keynote Speech
Verena Ross, Chair, ESMA
09:50 - 11:10
The Alternatives Stage
• Dealing with macro risk: managing an alternatives portfolio ahead of a potential recession
• Dealing with valuation risk: measuring value in non-transparent markets
• Impact Investing: creating a portfolio without a clearly defined risk language
• Deep dives into:
o Private Equity
o Hedge Funds
o Venture Capital o Commodities
09:50 - 10:10
Private Equity Unleashed: empowering portfolios for the future
Explore why private equity has transitioned from an alternative investment vehicle to a core component of modern portfolio strategy, and uncover the key factors influencing its future.
• Drivers of Outperformance: Understand the fundamental factors contributing to private equity’s historical outperformance and evaluate whether this trend is set to continue.
• Market State: Gain insights into the current landscape of the private equity market, identifying the most promising segments for potential investments.
• Accessing Private Equity: Discover various avenues how to access private equity relevant not only for institutional, but also for professional and even retail investors
• Timeliness of Allocation: Learn why the current market conditions present a compelling opportunity for investors to build or even increase their exposure to this asset
Benjamin Alt, Head of Global Private Equity Portfolios, Schroders Capital
10:10 - 10:30
Asset Allocation for Alternatives: Commodities & Crypto
Alternatives assets offer the potential to generate additional returns and contribute to portfolio diversification, when allocated appropriately. The case for investing in alternatives is often to diversify asset risks with the aim to achieve greater long-term rewards. Over the past few decades, the alternative assets have expanded from commodities, real estate, hedge funds, private markets, risk premia strategies to cryptocurrencies. Join for an engaging overview on the role of Commodities and Cryptocurrencies in your asset allocation!
Jigna Gibb, Head of Commodities & Crypto Index Products, Bloomberg
10:30 - 10:50
Democratising alternative asset classes – the rise of semi-liquid strategies within the private markets
• The rise of semi-liquid structures in private markets, how liquid is semi-liquid
• What structures have been available and which are now in favour to manage vs traditional drawdown vehicles
• How can managers capture as much of the underlying asset class returns whilst still managing
perpetual capital
• Which asset classes are best suited to democratisation and why
• Challenges for investors seeking to provide access to previously inaccessible markets, what are the roles
of distributors in this process?
• How to mitigate the J-curve effect typically present in private markets, what the role of perpetual
vehicles will be in this
James People, Senior Alternatives Sales Specialist EMEA Alternative Wealth Management, Franklin Templeton
10:50 - 11:10
Questions and Answers
MODERATOR
Marios P. Charalambides, Partner, Board Member, Head of Financial Services, RSM Cyprus
11:10 - 11:40
Empowering Traders with AI and smart Data Analytics
• How can AI and data analytics drive better investment decisions?
• Improving customer experience and meeting changing investor needs
PANELISTS
• Gerasimos Ntouskas, Board Member, Technology Consulting, KPMG Limited
• Harry Michaelides, Treasury and Investment Junior Director, ECOMMBX
MODERATOR
Monica Ioannidou Polemitis, Member of the Board of Directors, Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF)
11:40 - 12:25
Networking Coffee Break
12:25 - 13:25
ESG: Changing the investment landscape
12:25 - 12:45
• Latest developments, opportunities and obligations
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• Dimitrios Batzis, Head of Southern CEE & Mediterranean countries, Schroders Investment
Managment (Europe) S.A.
12:45 - 13:05
Navigating Macro ESG Risks In A Globalised World
Efforts to meet the Paris Agreement emissions reduction target are failing as key markets grapple with high borrowing costs, elevated inflation, more intense natural disasters, demographic challenges, and rising authoritarianism. These interrelated challenges are increasingly affecting economic growth and financial markets. This presentation will explore the risks and opportunities that these challenges present, and which countries are best placed to innovate and achieve more sustainable growth.
Matt Miclea Sechovsky, Head of Country ESG at Fitch Solutions UK
13:05 - 13:25
Questions and Answers
MODERATOR
Spyros Ierides, CFA, Chartered MCSI, Manager, Asset Management, CISCO - Bank of Cyprus
13:25 - 13:50
Financial Innovation: Challenges and Opportunities
Jason Cave, a veteran US banking regulator and former member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and founder of a Fintech start-up, will provide an update on the developments in the fintech space in the US, how recent events have shifted the regulatory landscape, and where opportunities exist to expand the fintech perimeter.
Jason Cave, Principal, Piedmont Risk Advisors LLC
13:50 - 13:25
Exploring the Regulatory Agenda
• Regulators and experts discuss latest developments and incoming changes
PANELISTS
• Vassiliki Lazarakou, Chair of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC)
• George Theocharides, Chairman, Cysec
• Laurent Van Burik, Head of Unit Regulation/ Legal/International/Enforcement and ESG - Collective Investment Schemes, Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, Luxembourg
MODERATOR
Michalis Vassiliou, Vice President, Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA
14:30 - 15:30
Networking Cocktail in the Sponsors’ Lounge
15:30
End of Day 2