Disruption: The New Reality in Investment Management

CFA Institute, the global association of investment management professionals, has announced speakers for its flagship event, the 72nd CFA Institute Annual Conference, which will take place in London for the first time.

The event will be held at ExCel London and will welcome some 2,000 delegates from investment management and related professions worldwide. More than 30 speakers—including successful investment practitioners, noted economists, leading researchers and best-selling authors—will take part.

Headline speakers include Mohamed A. El-Erian, Chief Economic Adviser at Allianz and Chairman of Barack Obama’s Global Development Council. El-Erian will address delegates on the opportunities and risks circling the global markets, including: 

• The changing nature of global growth
• Liquidity regime changes and central banks
• Baseline and balance of economic and financial risks
• Active investors regaining the upper hand
• The added complexity of risk mitigation

Across the three conference days, speakers will share their insights around the theme: Disruption: The New Reality in Investment Management, and ask how investment professionals can harness the latest technologies, business innovations and demographic shifts to drive a positive future for investors and the investment industry. Delegates can also attend specialist conference tracks on fintech, sustainable investing, private wealth management, emerging markets and career management.

“Technology and societal needs are rapidly changing the broader environment, demanding fresh thinking from our profession”, said Gary Baker, CFA, Managing Director for EMEA and Industry and Policy Research at CFA Institute. “Whilst the traditional competencies required for a career in investment remain vital, agility and confidence with disruption are also important skills in today’s investment careers. Our intent for our first Annual Conference in London is that delegates feel disrupted, challenged, and ultimately invigorated in their service of investors. I look forward to welcoming delegates from around the world, and sharing a conference experience that will set the conversation for the year ahead.”

Other headlining speakers include:

• Jessica Alsford, CFA, Managing Director and Head of Global Sustainability Research, Morgan Stanley, on How ESG Factors Impact Corporate Valuations: Trends and Analysis
• Rumman Chowdhury, Global Lead for Responsible AI at Accenture Applied Intelligence, on AI and the Future: Developments, Ethics and Financial Transformation
• Roger G Ibbotson, Professor in Practice Emeritus of Finance at Yale School of Management and Chairman of Zebra Capital Management, LLC and Ronald N. Kahn, Managing Director and Global Head of Systemic Equity Research, BlackRock, in The Research Foundation Workshop for the Practitioner
• Daniel Levitin, Award-winning scientist, musician, writer and record producer, on The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
• Daniel Pink, best-selling author on work, business and behavior and former speechwriter for Vice President, Al Gore, on The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing
• Anne Richards, Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity International, on The Investing Outlook in a Changing World: Redefining Risk and Opportunities
• Michala Marcussen, CFA, Group Chief Economist and Head of Economic and Sector Research, Risk Division, Société Générale, on Life after Brexit - Implications, Opportunities, and Known Unknowns
• Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation, Oxford Internet Institute on Reinventing Capitalism in the Age of Big Data
• Amanda Young, Head of Global ESG Investment Research, Aberdeen Standard Investments on ESG Investment: From Process to Product
• Peter Zeihan, President and Founder, Zeihan on Geopolitics, on The New World (Dis)Order

Please visit the 72nd CFA Institute Annual Conference microsite for the full list of conference sessions and speakers confirmed to date.

Complimentary conference registration is available to editorial staff and assigned freelancers of qualifying print, online and broadcast media outlets. To request your complimentary media pass and for details of services available to attending media, please visit the conference Media Centre.