Stefan Dunatov
Chairman, Head of Investment Risk, Strategy and Research at bcIMC
Stefan is head of Investment Risk, Strategy and Research at bcIMC, which has $130bn in assets under management for various pension and insurance clients. He is also the a member of the Wellcome Trust investment committee. Previously, he was Chief Investment Officer at Coal Pension Investments and has worked at Deutsche Asset Management, Equitas Insurance, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and HSBC. He studied economics and law at the University of Auckland and completed his masters in economics at the London School of Economics.
Jaap van Dam
Chairman - European Chapter, Principal Director Investment Strategy, PGGM
As Principal Director Investment Strategy, Jaap is responsible for making sure that the investment management practice of PGGM is the best available and state of the art. He is responsible for formulating the change agenda for PGGM’s Investment Practice, ranging from why (principles) to how (investment framework) to what (building blocks).
Mr. Van Dam is a member of the ICPM Research Committee, the Investment Board of the Dutch Society of Industry Pension funds (Pensioenfederatie) and the EDHEC‐Risk Institute International Advisory Board. He graduated in 1987 from Rotterdam Erasmus University where he studied Finance. Mr. Van Dam started at PGGM Investments in 2005 as Head of Inhouse Equities. In 2006 he was appointed Chief Strategist.
Pascal Blanqué
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Amundi
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Pascal Blanqué
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Amundi
Pascal Blanqué has been Global Chief Investment Officer at AMUNDI (formerly known as Crédit Agricole Asset Management, CAAM), Head of Institutional Investors and Third Party Distributors and member of the Executive Committee since February 2005. He was also appointed Chairman of the Board of CPR AM in January 2007. From 2000 to 2005 he was Head of Economic Research and Chief Economist of Crédit Agricole. Before joining Crédit Agricole, Pascal Blanqué was Deputy Director of the Economic Research Department at Paribas (1997-2000) following four years as a strategist in asset allocation at Paribas Asset Management in London (1992- 1996). He began his career in institutional and private asset management at Paribas in 1991.
As an economist and a financial historian Pascal Blanqué is the author of several contributions. His research interests and his academic work focus on monetary issues, the functioning of financial markets and the philosophical foundations of economics. His books include Money, Memory and Asset Prices, The Social Economy of Freedom, Philosophy in Economics and Essays in Positive Investment Management, all published and distributed by Economica and Brookings Institution Press. His publications in international Journals and specialized newspapers include numerous articles concerning financial history, economics and policy making. He taught and carried out research at Ecole Normale Supérieure, Ecole Polytechnique and Paris-Dauphine University. He is a member of the French Société d’Economie Politique.
Pascal Blanqué was awarded European CIO of the Year 2013 by Funds Europe Magazine.
Born in 1964, Pascal Blanqué studied at the Ecole Normale Supérieure. He is a graduate of Paris’s Institut d’Etudes Politiques and holds a Phd in Finance from Paris-Dauphine University.
`Sally Bridgeland
Avida International
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Sally Bridgeland
Avida International
Well known in the UK pensions industry, Sally currently combines governance consultancy for Avida International with a number of complementary non-executive and advisory roles.
Sally is a non-executive director at insurer Royal London, at Impax Asset Management plc and Local Pensions Partnership (LPP) Limited, where she chairs its FCA regulated investment company. She is a trustee at both NEST Corporation and the Lloyds Bank pension schemes.
Sally was previously the Chief Executive Officer of BP Pension Trustees Limited. Before BP, Sally spent twenty years with Aon Hewitt (originally Bacon & Woodrow) working both as a pensions consultant and in the investment practice.
Sally is currently Master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries.
As well as being named in Engaged Investor’s Top 50 People In Pensions 2014, Sally was featured in the Timewise Power Part-Timers list in December 2013. She founded and runs the charity Executive Shift.
`Alan Brown
Former Chief Investment Officer, Schroders
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Alan Brown
Former Chief Investment Officer, Schroders
Alan has forty years background in international investment management, having led two of the most highly respected investment businesses in both the UK and US. His most recent full time position was as a main board director and Chief Investment Officer of Schroders. Prior to that he was Group Chief Investment Officer and Vice Chairman of State Street Global Advisors, and Executive Vice President of State Street Corporation. He has been awarded Chief Investment Officer of the Year on three occasions.
In 25 years as Chief Investment Officer at three companies, Alan has worked extensively on investment strategy and business development. All three companies operated globally and across both institutional and retail markets, and were active in all main asset classes.
Alan has wide ranging experience of Chairing and acting as a Director/Governor. He currently holds the following positions:
Wellcome Trust – Governor
Pool Re – Director
CDP – Chairman
Westway Trust – Chairman
Alan has a strong interest in ethics and corporate governance and has held the following positions:
IMA – Director
Takeover Panel – Alternate IMA member
CFA Advisory Board – Chairman
MSCI Barra Advisory Board – Member
CERGE-EI – Director (Previously Chairman and Treasurer)
Alan is a frequent speaker at international conferences. He was an early advocate of the need to reform the pensions annuity system in the UK. On behalf of Schroders he lobbied government extensively and worked with the media and Policy Exchange on this issue. He has always promoted thought leadership and continues to campaign for changes in best practice standards in the asset management industry.
Alan was awarded the Jan Masaryk Honorary Medal for services to Czech education.
`Yves Choueifaty Choueifaty
President TOBAM
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Yves Choueifaty Choueifaty
President TOBAM
Mr. Choueifaty built TOBAM in 2006, as Managing Director, Head of the Quantitative Asset Management business in Europe, and Head of Lehman Brothers Asset Management France.
Prior to joining Lehman Brothers, Mr. Choueifaty was CEO of Credit Lyonnais Asset Management (“CLAM”). He was CIO of CLAM from 2000 with direct responsibility for all aspects of the Investment Management process as well as Marketing and Sales. From 1998 to 2000 Mr. Choueifaty was Head of Financial Engineering and Quantitative Investment Management, having developed the structured products and financial engineering business units since 1992.
Mr. Choueifaty graduated in 1992 from ENSAE in Statistics, Actuarial studies, Finance, and Artificial Intelligence.
`Elizabeth Corley
Vice Chairman, Allianz Global Investors
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Elizabeth Corley
Vice Chairman, Allianz Global Investors
Ms. Corley, who began her career in the finance industry more than four decades ago, was CEO of Allianz Global Investors, initially for Europe then globally, from 2005 to 2016 and continues to act as a senior advisor to the firm. She was previously at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and Coopers & Lybrand. Elizabeth serves on three company boards as a non-executive director – Pearson plc, BAE Systems plc and Morgan Stanley Inc and is a trustee of the British Museum.
A long-time leader in the asset management industry, Ms. Corley was named by Financial News as the Most Influential Woman in Asset Management in 2009, CEO of the Year in 2011 and Most Influential Person in Asset Management in 2012. Ms. Corley was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to the financial sector.
`Lars Dijkstra
Chief Investment Officer, Kempen Capital Management
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Lars Dijkstra
Chief Investment Officer, Kempen Capital Management
Lars joined KCM in August 2005 as Chief Investment Officer. He holds a degree in Macro-Economics from the University of Groningen. He joined the Philips Pension Fund in 1991 as a macro-economist. Later he became Head of Investment Strategy responsible for strategic and tactical asset allocation. In 1998 he became Chief Investment Officer of the Philips Fund.
Within KCM he is responsible for the overall investment philosophy/process and investment results of all the Kempen Funds. Furthermore Lars Dijkstra is responsible for the asset allocation and selection of multi-managers for private as well as institutional portfolios.
`Zuhair Mohammed
Partner, Lane Clark & Peacock LLP
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Zuhair Mohammed
Partner, Lane Clark & Peacock LLP
Zuhair is a partner at Lane Clark & Peacock LLP.
Previously Zuhair headed up Aon Insurance Asset Solutions & Aon’s Corporate Investment Advisory team.
Zuhair has built a broad range of expertise across the investment industry, having held a number of senior management positions and is a qualified Actuary with over 20 years experience. This experience extends to a diverse cross section of institutional investors by asset size and geographic location.
Zuhair specialises in developing nimble and efficient asset strategies. Until 2012, he was Chief Executive of Aon Hewitt’s Delegated Consulting Business, having built that from a standing start in 2007. He regularly speaks at conferences and has written numerous articles on optimal asset governance models and investment strategies.
`Professor Amin Rajan
Chief Executive, CREATE
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Professor Amin Rajan
Chief Executive, CREATE
Amin Rajan is the CEO of CREATE–Research, a UK based think tank that specialises in future trends in global fund management. It works with prominent partners to publish acclaimed annual reports on prospective challenges and potential responses in the industry.
Amin also offers strategic advisory and coaching services to CEOs and CIOs in fund management as they grapple with unfolding industry dynamics. He has developed special expertise in emerging business models and their successful implementation. Since 2001, he has undertaken specialist advisory assignments for clients including Aviva Investors, Allianz Global Investors, Axa Investment Managers, BlackRock, Citigroup Asset Management, Credit Suisse Asset Management, Deutsche Asset Management, Invesco, JPMorgan Asset Management, M&G, Martin Currie Investment Management, Morgan Stanley Asset Management, Principal Global Investors, T. Rowe Price, and UBS Asset Management.
Amin has published numerous books and articles on leadership, business cultures, socio-economic forecasting, globalisation and new technologies.
He is a visiting professor at the Centre for Leadership Studies at Exeter University and a Fellow at Oxford University’s Said Business School. He is on the WHU Programme Advisory Board at Otto Beisheim School of Management in Koblenz, Germany.
`Jan Straatman
Global Chief Investment Officer, LOIM
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Jan Straatman
Global Chief Investment Officer, LOIM
Jan Straatman is the Global Chief Investment Officer of LOIM and a Limited Partner of Lombard Odier & Co Limited Partnership. He joined LOIM in March 2012.
Prior to joining LOIM, Jan was global chief investment officer at ING Investment Management, overseeing EUR 330 billion of client assets and 800 investment professionals across 30 locations. Previously, he was chief executive officer/chief investment officer at Pearl Group’s Axial Asset Management from 2006 to 2008. Before that, he was chief investment officer for capital markets at ABP Investments, one of the largest pension funds in the world. Prior to that, he was chief investment officer at Achmea Asset Management between 1997 and 2001, and integral to the merger with PVF Pensioenen, where he was chief investment officer before the merger. He began his career as director of research and portfolio management at GIM/GIM Capital Management in 1983.
Jan earned an MBA with specialization in finance and accountancy from the University of Hasselt in 1988. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College for Business Administration and Economics in Eindhoven.
`Robert Talbut
Former Chief Investment Officer, Royal London Asset Management
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Robert Talbut
Former Chief Investment Officer, Royal London Asset Management
Robert Talbut was CIO of Royal London Asset Management for ten years through to the end of 2014 and has worked in financial services for over 30. His experience covers portfolio management, business strategy, people management and remuneration. He had previous asset/business management roles at Threadneedle, ISIS/F&C and Chase Manhattan. He has provided strategic asset allocation advice to a range of institutional clients and has a strong interest in the accountability of management to shareholders and of institutions to their ultimate clients.
He now performs a range of consultancy and NED roles spanning asset management, insurance, pensions and charities.
`Roger Urwin
Global Head of Investment Content at Willis Towers Watson
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Roger Urwin
Global Head of Investment Content at Willis Towers Watson
Roger assumed the new post of Global Head of Investment Content at Willis Towers Watson in July 2008 after acting as the Global Head of the investment practice from 1995 to 2008. Roger joined Watson Wyatt in 1989 to start the firm’s investment consulting practice and under his leadership the practice grew to a global team of over 500. His prior career involved heading the Mercer investment practice and leading the business development and quantitative investment functions at Gartmore Investment Management. Roger’s current role includes work for some of the firm’s major investment clients both in the UK and internationally. He leads the firm’s work on transformational change and has conducted major strategic reviews at a number of global leading funds. He is also involved with the Towers Watson thought leadership group (Thinking Ahead Group). His investment innovations include three global firsts: the origination of the first target date DC funds (in 1988), the risk budget framework (in 1999) and the governance budget framework for assessing asset owner organisational effectiveness (in 2007). He is also the author of a number of papers on asset allocation policy, manager selection and governance and sustainability. He is on the Board of the CFA Institute and an Advisory Director to MSCI Inc.
Roger has a degree in Mathematics from Oxford University and a Masters in Applied Statistics also from Oxford. He qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in 1983.
`Mark Walker
Chief Investment Officer - Coal Pension Trustees Investment
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Mark Walker
Chief Investment Officer - Coal Pension Trustees Investment
Mark is Chief Investment Officer of Coal Pension Trustees Investment.
Previously Mark was Managing Director and Global Chief Investment Officer of the Univest Company, Unilever’s internal investment group. The Univest Company oversees the investments of Unilever’s pension plans in over 40 countries. Prior to joining Unilever, Mark was a Partner at Mercer and was head of the London Investment Consulting Unit.
Mark has over 20 years of experience in actuarial, pensions and investment work. Whilst at Mercer he was the lead consultant to Unilever in relation to the set up and ongoing advice to Unilever’s multi country asset pooling vehicles.
Mark has a degree in mathematics from Durham University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.
`Christopher Ailman
Chairman - North American Chapter, Chief Investment Officer of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)
Mr. Ailman has been the Chief Investment Officer of the $195+ billion CalSTRS, for 16 years. Mr. Ailman leads an investment staff of 155. He has over 31 years of institutional investment experience. Annually, he is listed as one of the top CIO’s in the U.S.A and globally, and he is Chair of the SASB Investor Advisory Group, helping promote integration of the standards in security analysis and portfolio construction. In 2016, he was part of the first cohort to achieve a Fundamental of Sustainable Accounting (FSA) credential.
He has served on several boards and advisory boards in the U.S. and U.K. He is the North American Chair of the “300” CIO Club and the Milken Global Capital Markets Committee. He has received numerous awards and recognitions over his career, from CIO of the Year in 2000 to being named the number #3 CIO in the world and Investment Innovator of the Year in 2013.
Mr. Ailman is a regular guest on the TV and radio and is frequently quoted in in major financial publications. He has a BA from UCSB, is married with three daughters, and is a committed Promise Keeper.
Ted Eliopoulos
Chief Investment Officer, CalPERS
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Ted Eliopoulos
Chief Investment Officer, CalPERS
Ted Eliopoulos assumed the role of CalPERS’ chief investment officer (CIO) in September 2014.
As CIO, Ted is responsible for managing an investment portfolio of approximately $300 billion and an office with nearly 400 professional staff. The CIO determines prudent, forward-thinking investment strategies in accordance with CalPERS’ fiduciary responsibilities, policies, and corporate governance standards, and advises the CalPERS Board of Administration accordingly.
Ted joined CalPERS in January 2007 and served as senior investment officer (SIO) for the Real Estate Division from 2007 to 2011.
In 2011 he was named SIO for the Real Assets Unit and assumed responsibility for investing in and managing all of CalPERS’ real asset investments, which included real estate, infrastructure, and forestland. He was appointed interim CIO in June 2014.
Prior to CalPERS, Ted served in the California State Treasurer’s Office as deputy treasurer and then chief deputy treasurer from 2002 to 2006. In this capacity he represented the treasurer on the boards of CalPERS, CalSTRS, and the California Earthquake Authority; oversaw the Investment, Cash Management, and Information Technology Divisions of the State Treasurer’s Office; and served as executive secretary of the local advisory investment board.
Before joining the State Treasurer’s Office, Ted held positions as president of Actium Development Corporation, special assistant in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management, and associate attorney in the real estate department of Latham & Watkins.
He currently serves on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s Investor Advisory Group. Other prior board affiliations include the U.S. Real Estate Roundtable and the Pension Real Estate Association, where he served as board chair for one term.
`Sam Masoudi
Chief Investment Officer of the Wyoming Retirement System
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Sam Masoudi
Chief Investment Officer of the Wyoming Retirement System
Sam became the Chief Investment Officer of the Wyoming Retirement System (WRS) in 2013. Prior to joining WRS, Sam was a Managing Director at the Tulane University Endowment for more than five years where he covered all asset classes including public and private equities and fixed income as well as alternatives. Prior to Tulane, Sam was the founder and portfolio manager of a long short hedge fund focused on U.S. equities. Sam was previously a Director at Veronis Suhler, a buyout fund focused on media and communications, for three years. Sam also spent four years in real estate investment banking at Kidder Peabody and PaineWebber. Sam received a BS in Finance from Babson College and is CFA and CAIA charter holder.
`Bob Maynard
Chief Investment Officer, Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho
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Bob Maynard
Chief Investment Officer, Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho
Bob is responsible for all investment activities for $11.5 billion Idaho state public employee retirement system portfolio with both defined benefit and defined contribution components.
Previously Bob was Deputy Executive Director, Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation and was responsible for investment and administrative activities of a then $13 billion sovereign wealth fund funded by the oil revenues of the State of Alaska.
`Ronald D. Schmitz
Chief Investment Officer of the Virginia Retirement System
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Ronald D. Schmitz
Chief Investment Officer of the Virginia Retirement System
As Chief Investment Officer for the Virginia Retirement System, Ron Schmitz manages and oversees the investment program for the $68 billion fund that serves approximately 650,000 active members, retirees and beneficiaries.
Before coming to VRS, Schmitz was responsible for the investment of all funds for the $52 billion Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund, the $3 billion State Accident Insurance Fund and the $12 billion cash management account for state and local governments.
In addition, Schmitz served for over four years as the Chief Investment Officer of the Illinois State Board of Investment. At Illinois, he was responsible for asset allocation, manager selection, performance evaluation as well as the management of an internal fixed income portfolio.
Before his public fund experience with Illinois, he worked for Illinois-based Blue Chips; Kraft Foods, where he got his start in fund management in 1982; Sears Roebuck & Co. where he served on the Chief Financial Officer’s staff as an industry expert on pension fund management activities as well as employee benefits and executive compensation; and at Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association where he was Managing Director for a decade.
Schmitz holds a Master of Business Administration in finance and marketing from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in finance from Western Illinois University.
`David Villa
Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of the Investment Committee
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David Villa
Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of the Investment Committee
David is responsible for implementing the investment policy and developing the architecture of the overall investment program at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board. He was previously chief investment officer for the Florida State Board of Administration. Prior to joining the Florida Board, David worked for UBS Global Asset Management/Brinson Partners in Chicago for more than 12 years, most recently serving as executive director, client relationship manager. He is a board member and the treasurer of the Marguerite Casey Foundation and a member of the board of Madison College Foundation David received the Institutional Investor U.S. Investment management Award for Large Public Fund in 2010. He was the recipient of the CIO Magazine innovation award for U.S. public defined benefit plan above $100 billion in 2016.
David obtained his B.A. in economics from Princeton University; M.A. in Latin American studies from Stanford University; and M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He has earned his Certified Public Accountant license and the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
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