SG Agenda

SG Agenda

Singapore agenda

09:0009:10

Chairperson’s opening remarks

09:00 - 09:10

09:1009:50

Overview of trends within ETF & indexing markets

09:00 - 09:30

  • How can ETF & indexing products offset risks in the current market environment?
  • What are the trends developing around ETF & indexing products in 2023?
  • Have due diligence processes evolved for the better?
  • Which ETFs do you think will see the most flow in H2 2023?
Rana Bhattacharjee

Portfolio manager

Alpha Quest

Rana Bhattacharjee is the Director and Senior Client Advisor at Alpha Quest Pte. Ltd., a licensed fund management company, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, providing wealth and portfolio management services to its clients.

Rana has an extensive experience of over 20 years in the wealth management industry and worked for Private Banks including Fortis, Standard Chartered Private Bank and CIC Banque Privee before setting up Alpha Quest with his partners. He focuses on allocation across all traditional and alternative asset classes to achieve the portfolio goals for his clients.

He is a CAIA, CFP, CMT and CFTe charterholder and has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

Christopher Crea

Associate director, ETFs & indexed strategies, APAC

Invesco

Chris is responsible for promoting the global Invesco ETF range to clients across Asia-Pacific. Chris previously worked for BlackRock as part of the APAC Portfolio Consulting team where he would construct multi-asset portfolios using a risk lens to meet client investment outcomes, predominantly using ETFs. Prior to this, Chris was part of the iShares ETF and Indexing product team based in Australia where he would develop and launch new, and maintain existing, ETFs. Chris holds a B.Sc. in Physics and a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Statistics, both from Macquarie University, Sydney.

Kevin Gin

Principal

Alpha Capital

Kevin focuses on valuation anomalies and believes in detailed research and analysis and works with a group of like minded professionals within his investment ecosystem that lead up to investment decisions. Kevin was a volunteer with CFAS - UIRC, an advisor to CFA Institute China-India strategy team and was a Board Member of CFA Singapore and Secretary. Kevin has spoken for CFAI across the region (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, HCMC, Hanoi) and has conducted lectures in Beijing Normal University, Zhongshan University-Lingnan College, National University of Singapore, HKUSpace and the Wealth Management Institute. Kevin is also a member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore - Commercial Affairs Department Panel of Experts on Securities Offenses and also serves as a senior advisor to GoDigitalediaGroup (a leading media company focused on intellectual property rights management. GDMG is transforming how music networks and brands, senior advisor to AlteredVerse (a Geo spatial spinoff building digital twins in the Metaverse), CIO to Smobler Labs (an Animoca and The Facebook investee company, focused on the Metaverse - builds, GameFi and Phygital), and founder of Being Human Capital.

Kevin brings with him more than 30 years of investment experience and was the Head of Greater China Property Research with Yuanta Securities (Hong Kong) with responsibilities ranging from research coverage and analysis, marketing, assisting in primary and secondary equity issues, PE and funds. Prior to Yuanta, Kevin was the SVP with Pacific Star Financial (a subsidiary of Pacific Star Group) and was engaged in fund creation, structuring, documentation, marketing, fund raising and investment. Kevin was also the Chief Operating Officer of CITIC Securities (formerly known as CITIC Frontier China Research), Managing Director of Matrix Venture Capital, Director of Matrix Venture Catalyst, Director of Kleinwort Benson Securities Asia, Head of Regional Property and Singapore Country research. Prior to his senior management appointments, Kevin was a regional special situations analyst with Barclays de Zoette Wedd, a quantitative analyst with BZW Australia (both part of Credit Suisse), Assistant Manager (FX) with Chase Manhattan Bank Singapore and a Japanese equity salesman with Nikko Merchant Bank Singapore.

Kevin graduated with an MBA from New York Stern School of Business/Australian Graduate School of Management in 1992 and a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil, Hon's) from the University of Melbourne in 1986. Kevin was awarded the Australian Post Graduate Scholarship Award and an AGSM scholarship and was conferred the Chartered Financial Analyst charter in 1992.

Robin Zhang

Chief operating officer

Winfield

09:5010:30

The role of ESG ETFs in creating socially responsible portfolios

09:00 - 09:20

  • How have the ESG ETFs markets evolved since its inception?
  • Creating partnership between asset owners and ETF issuers to make impact
  • New products that provide wide array of options within the ESG space
  • Looking ahead to the role carbon credit trading ETF markets will play
Faith Liu

Wealth management consultant

PromiseLand Independent Pte Ltd

Ken Sze

Director, head of investments Asia

Barclays Private Bank Singapore

Ken is the Head of Investments Asia for Barclays Private Bank based in Singapore. As a member of the global investment management team, he is responsible for the oversight and development of the wider investments offering including platform and proposition development, product strategy, investment distribution and governance for the Asia region. In this role, Ken aims to bring all Barclays solutions and capabilities across public and private markets to Family Office and Institutional Investor clients.  Ken has particular interest in portfolio structuring for multi-generational wealth and advising on establishing or amending investment policies for clients across asset classes.

Ken is able to draw on prior experiences as the Head of the Funds and ETFs business globally for Barclays Private Bank to help develop and evaluate robust investment systems, asset allocation frameworks and identify sustainable competitive advantages for clients benchmarked to best practices at leading institutions.  Prior to Barclays, Ken worked in a number of Investments roles in London and Hong Kong for HSBC covering Investment Advisory, Collective Investments, and Corporate Strategy. Ken is a CFA Charterholder and holds a BA (Hons) in Economics and Management from the University of Oxford.

10:3011:00

The opportunities of fixed-income ETFs in the current market conditions

09:00 - 09:10

  • What has been seen within new fixed-income ETFs since 2022?
  • Considering different factors of fixed-income ETFs and assessing quality
  • Which bonds are bringing greater returns in a growing crowded market?
  • The value of fixed-income ETFs as interest rates and inflation continue to rise
Roger Zhu

Chief executive officer

Winfield Global Capital Pte Ltd

Nirman Chhabra

Portfolio manager

Abiman Asset Management

Nirman is in-charge of financial portfolio management at Abiman Asset Management, a single family office located in Singapore. His responsibilities include asset allocation, security selection and risk management. He invests into single bonds, equities and commodities in a multi-asset context. His work is influenced by factor based investing and systematic approach to asset allocation and risk management. Prior to Abiman, he worked at Taurus Family office, a multi-family office. At Taurus, he advised and managed portfolios for high net-worth families in a multi-asset context. He also successfully managed an Emerging market credit fund which ranked in top 1% globally in terms of performance, among emerging market credit funds. Prior to Taurus, Nirman worked for Citi wealth management, within the fixed income department, advising clients on their fixed income investments. Nirman has graduated from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (Masters in Business) and University of Mumbai (Computer Sc. Engineering).

11:0011:30

Networking break

16:00 - 16:30

11:3011:55

China chat: The outlook of China-linked products in uncertain times

09:00 - 09:10

  • New trends and challenges with investments into China 
  • Opportunities to find high yield in China as it is opening up 
  • The outlook of China-linked products in the next 6 months 
Keeve Tan

Managing director, Greater China and North Asia

Bank of Singapore

Keeve has been with OCBC since 2018 and is currently the Managing Director, Greater China and North Asia at Bank of Singapore.

Prior to his appointment at Bank of Singapore - the Private Banking arm of OCBC group, Keeve was Head of Futures, FX & CFD for OCBC Securities. There he looked after about 40 people over the three business lines, where he oversaw the growth and development of the cleared Futures, OTC FX and Contract for Differences (CFD) businesses.

Prior to joining OCBC, he was the Director of Sales at UOB Global Markets, looking after the global Business Development of listed derivatives and OTC clearing for UOB. Keeve was before that, a trader in proprietary trading firms, heading market-making desks and algorithmic trading desks. His buy-side experience coupled with his current role in the sell-side gives him a wholesome view of the industry and its developments.

Keeve is married and has a daughter. He holds a BSc with honors from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and graduated with an MBA on the Dean's List from the Singapore Management University (SMU). He has completed his Executive Education at INSEAD and most recently obtained a MSc of Wealth Management (Dean’s List) from the Singapore Management University (SMU).

11:5512:25

CIO perspective: Building a robust portfolio strategy with ETFs & indexing products

09:00 - 09:12

  • What sectors draw the greatest interest when looking at ETFs?
  • The approach of indexing products within portfolio construction strategies
  • Will digital asset products be a viable option in the coming years?
  • What are the missing products within the ETF & indexing markets?
David Chua

Chief investment officer

Income

Stephen Fisher

Chief investment officer

First Degree Global Asset Management

Gareth Nicholson

Chief investment officer and head of discretionary portfolio management for international wealth management

Nomura

Gareth Nicholson joined Nomura in July 2021 as Chief Investment Officer and Head of Discretionary Portfolio Management for International Wealth Management. He is based in Singapore.

Gareth works closely with Nomura’s Global Markets and Investment Banking businesses to expand the firm’s product offerings and spearhead a streamlined, solutions-driven coverage effort for high-net-worth clients, external asset managers and family offices. With a strong institutional investment background, he creates and manages DPM strategies for fixed income, equity and multi-asset portfolios, while providing risk management support.

Gareth has over 16 years of experience in financial markets. Prior to Nomura, he was Head of Fixed Income DPM at Bank of Singapore, where he was also a member of its investment committee. Before that, he was with Aberdeen Standard Investments for almost 10 years as a fixed income trader and an Asian credit portfolio manager. He began working in finance in 2004 as a derivatives specialist with Deutsche Asset Management after an early career as a mathematics teacher.

Gareth holds a BSc in Financial Mathematics from the University of Johannesburg. He was born and raised in East London, South Africa.

Trevor Persaud

Group head of investment strategy and solutions

AIA

12:2513:25

Lunch break

12:00 - 13:00