Leading asset owners share their insights on the economic, monetary and regulatory environment and the strategies they are undertaking to protect and grow their expanding capital base. How are risk approaches changing? With the interest rate outlook uncertain, to what extent are allocations favouring stable cash flow over high yields? Are asset classes like real estate and infrastructure gaining favour because of their fixed income-like returns? Will the exposure to hedge funds and private equity continue to increase or will they remain a small part of overall portfolios? Are innovative index-linked solutions making further advances in institutional mandates in the face of equity market volatility? What regions and asset classes are taking the lion’s share of capital and what is the outlook over the next three to five years? Are developed economies becoming more attractive than emerging markets?

Deborah Orida, Senior Portfolio Manager, Public Investments, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Jeff Schutes, Senior Partner, Investment Business Leader, Growth Markets, Mercer Investments
Denis Tse, Head of Private Investments, Asia, Lockheed Martin Investment Management

Moderator:
Chris Newlands, Editor, FTfm

Top asset managers discuss their strategies for growth in an Asian market that continues to show a steady expansion of investible capital by institutions and individuals, but at the same time, economic and monetary uncertainty, a varied landscape of regulatory regimes, a range of institutional investors with widely differing approaches to yield and cash, and a retail universe notorious for distributor churn and investors’ inability to retain a fund for more than a year.

What are the most effective solutions in such a highly competitive environment? Are the large, well-known players set to dominate the industry for years to come or will demand increase for smaller, boutique firms with specialised knowledge? Are there specific asset classes that are undersold in Asia and present big opportunities for growth? Among regions, is Southeast Asia a major growth area ahead of the planned single-market Economic Community in 2015?

Guy Strapp, Chief Executive, Eastspring Investments
Xiaofeng Zhong, CEO, North Asia, Amundi Hong Kong
Abhi Shroff, Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Greenwich Associates

Moderator:
Chris Newlands, Editor, FTfm

Asset managers are gearing up for a dramatic transformation in mutual fund distribution in Asia with three separate groups of countries – Australia, South Korea, New Zealand and Singapore; Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand; and Hong Kong and China – engaged in negotiations on cross-border sales of mutual funds, or fund passporting. Asset managers are set to expand their offerings to intermediaries looking for packaged, multi-class solutions that will sell in several fast-growing retail markets. How important is this development for business growth across Asia? What are the implications for regulatory regimes? To what extent will the products created from Asia fund passporting compete with multi-jurisdictional Ucits funds?

Stewart Aldcroft, CEO, CitiTrust Asia Pacific
Paul Khoury, Senior Vice President and Head of Asset Manager Sector Solutions, Asia Pacific, State Street
Marie-Anne Kong, Partner, Asset Management Industry Group Leader, PwC
William Rosensweig, Partner for Investor Services, Brown Brothers Harriman

Moderator:
Rita Raagas De Ramos, Managing Editor, Ignites Asia

As institutional investors continue to diversify their portfolios in order to achieve a balance between growth and stability, asset allocation strategies are becoming increasingly varied. Some asset owners are boosting their exposure to hedge funds and private equity, while others are looking at the longer term and raising allocations in infrastructure and real estate. Among more traditional asset classes, equities may be regaining favour over fixed income amid uncertain monetary conditions, with smart beta solutions based on innovative index products continuing to gain popularity. What are the most effective investment approaches in the current environment? What is the optimum portfolio mix and how are managers packaging these solutions for their institutional clients?

Russell Chaplin, Chief Investment Officer, Property, Aberdeen Asset Management
Konrad Sippel, Executive Director and Head of Business Development, STOXX
Mark Speciale, Head of Institutional Distribution, Asia Pacific, BNY Mellon Investment Management

Moderator:
Toby Garrod, Editor, MandateWire Asia

China’s investment management environment continues to evolve rapidly, with the retail market opening up to insurance companies, securities firms and foreign bank distributors; a sharp increase in quotas for foreign institutional investors; the expansion of renminbi-denominated products to more institutions and more overseas centres; and the promise of sweeping capital market reforms. What impact will these moves have on the asset management business in China and the flow of institutional capital in and out of the country? To what extent is activity being affected by China’s slowdown? Is China experiencing a profound economic shift? How should investors position themselves for further deregulation and renminbi internationalisation amid this economic uncertainty? And how will these changes affect Hong Kong’s position as an investor gateway to China?

Mandy Chan, Investment Director and Head of Chinese Equities, HSBC Global Asset Management
Ding Chen, CEO, CSOP Asset Management
Alexa Lam, Deputy CEO, Securities and Futures Commission, Hong Kong
Wan Wenjun, Chief Investment Officer, Zhongrong Life Insurance

Moderator:
Jennifer Hughes, Asia Financial Correspondent, Financial Times