Agenda as of 4/26/18
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7:45am – 8:15am
Registration and Breakfast
8:15am – 8:30am
Opening Remarks
Arlen Oransky, Senior Vice President, Chief Membership & Programs Officer, Money Management Institute
Co-Chairs:
Darryl Keeton, Head of Distribution, Homestead Funds
Robert Tynes, Managing Director, Gratry & Company
8:30am – 9:15am
Vision and Focus: Three Keys to Driving Success for Asset Managers
In this keynote address, Doug Dannemiller, Research Leader of Investment Management at Deloitte, will examine how – in the face of narrowing profit margins and stagnancy – some exceptional asset management firms will rise above the malaise of averageness and excel in this challenging environment. Winning firms will retool by focusing on three key areas: restructuring product portfolios, streamlining operations, and delivering technology-inspired customer experiences designed for the digital era. Their success will require an accurate vision of the future and a tenacious focus on near-term execution to turn aspiration into strategic advantage.
Doug Dannemiller, Research Leader, Investment Management, Deloitte
9:15am – 10:15am
Emerging Asset Manager Executive Spotlight
Lifecycle Stages: Navigating the Path to Success
All industries and product segments need to navigate a lifecycle. For some, it is linear; for others it is cyclical, meaning that the continuum through the stages of development, introduction, growth and maturity can be a one-way journey or a cyclical combination of the four. By all measures, the asset management industry – as a whole – is in the maturity stage. This begs the question of what lessons emerging asset managers can learn and leverage as they navigate their own individual paths. This panel will review the key lifecycle stages and provide real-life examples of how practitioners – including both asset management and distribution leadership – have achieved success dealing with stage-specific issues and opportunities.
Moderator:
Russell Parker, President, rpmAUM
Panelists:
Jack Hanna, IV, Director of Marketing, Flippin, Bruce & Porter
Michael Saliba, Director of Marketing, Baillie Gifford
Keith Sloane, Head of Third Party Distribution, USAA
10:15am – 10:30am
Networking & Refreshment Break
10:30am – 11:30am
FinTech’s Growing Influence in Asset and Wealth Management
The revolution in digital technology has disrupted one business sector after another – think bookstores, travel agents, and taxis, to name but a few. Closer to home, there is no doubt that FinTech is driving new competition, new products, and new business models in the asset and wealth management industries, forcing asset managers to rethink their strategy and approach as more rapid, more innovative customer engagement becomes the norm. This session will define FinTech in the context of the emerging asset manager, explore trends that are developing in the delivery of financial advice and investment solutions, and discuss how emerging asset managers, despite limited resources and expertise, can best leverage FinTech to create a digital strategy. We will also look to the banking and insurance channels for parallels and lessons that can be learned.
Moderator:
Julien Courbe, Partner, PwC
Panelists:
Randy Bullard, General Manager, Wealth Management, SigFig
Tom Gatto, Director, Artivest
Michael Smith, Founder, Executive Vice President, InvestCloud
11:30am – 12:30pm
The Big Data Quandary
“Big Data” is a term that describes the large volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. But it’s not the amount of data that’s important. It is what organizations do with the data that matters. Ideally, it can be analyzed for insights that lead to improved decision making and the formulation of sound business strategies. This panel will explore trends in Big Data as they pertain to the financial services/asset management industry. In particular, we will examine available tools and technology that offer emerging asset managers access to relevant information which can yield great efficiency in the areas of distribution and portfolio management. We will also debate the resource commitment necessary to embrace Big Data and, on the flip side, the risks of ignoring it.
Moderator:
Robert Tynes, Managing Director, Gratry & Company
Panelists:
Tim Gaumer, Director of Fundamental Research, Thomson Reuters
Bob Herrmann, President & CEO, Discovery Data
Scott Rompala, CEO, Managing Director, DataCatalyst
12:30pm – 1:45pm
Networking Lunch
1:45pm – 2:45pm
General Session – The Future of ESG – Is the Demand Real?
Assessing the ESG Opportunity
The demand for ESG or Sustainable Investing continues to gain momentum. The US SIF Foundation’s 2016 biennial Report on U.S. Sustainable, Responsible, and Impact Investing Trends published in November states that assets invested across ESG strategies in the United States rose to $8.7 trillion in 2016, an increase of 33% since 2014. Key reasons cited by asset managers for incorporating ESG factors include client demand (85%), mission (83%), risk (81%), returns (80%), social benefit (79%), and fiduciary duty (64%). This session will explore the ESG landscape and the opportunities – and associated challenges – for emerging asset managers in this burgeoning space.
Moderator:
Mamadou-Abou Sarr, Director of Product Development & Sustainable Investing, Northern Trust Asset Management
Panelists:
Luis Diez, Senior Vice President, Head of Fixed Income Manager Research, Northern Trust Asset Management
Amy Farrell, Senior Sustainable Investing Specialist, Sustainable and Impact Investing, UBS Asset Management
Joe Sinha, Chief Marketing Officer, Parnassus Investments
2:45pm – 3:00pm
Networking & Refreshment Break
3:00pm – 5:00pm
Platform Sponsor Roundtable
This highly interactive two-hour session was cited by previous Forum attendees as the highlight of the conference. The format provides an opportunity for asset managers and gatekeepers from different distribution channels to engage in direct dialogue. The roundtable will:
- put you face-to-face with knowledgeable executives from different intermediary channels,
- allow you to hear directly from key sponsor firms the best ways to engage with them and add value to their efforts, and
- provide a road map to navigate specific platform sponsors and create natural follow-up steps.
To provide maximum value and make efficient use of the available time, manager representatives will have the opportunity to submit questions to platform sponsors in advance of the Forum.
National/Regional Firm Channel:
Jim Peters, Managing Director, Head of Global Equity Due Diligence, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Bryan Luebbert, Principal, Investment Advisory, Edward Jones
Tom Thornton, Senior Vice President, Research Director, Asset Management Services, Raymond James Financial
Bank Trust/Bank Broker-Dealer Channel:
Luis Diez, Senior Vice President, Head of Fixed Income Manager Research, Northern Trust Asset Management
Ric Mayfield, Managing Director, Manager Research, Senior Vice President, SunTrust Advisory Services
Kevin Sullivan, Senior Research Director, Team Lead – Global Equities, Global Manager Research, Wells Fargo Investment Institute
TAMP/RIA Channel:
Michael Honer, Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Lockwood Advisors
Estee Jimerson, Managing Director, Head of Asset Manager Distribution & Engagement, Envestnet
5:00pm
Closing Remarks
Co-Chairs:
Darryl Keeton, Head of Distribution, Homestead Funds
Robert Tynes, Managing Director, Gratry & Company
