Consciousness and Our Evolving Relationship with AI

This interactive session takes the audience on an empowering journey through the mind and deep into our intelligence as we enter this new era of existence. How can new neuroscience knowledge help us achieve human centeredness? How do we better access and deploy the innate human brain power we already have? What role might brain machine interfaces play in our species progression? How do we ensure our relationship with AI and technology evolves successfully whilst playing to our species' innate brain strengths? Join award winning neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow for this interactive session exploring our species future.

Dr Hannah Critchlow

Dr Hannah Critchlow is an internationally-acclaimed neuroscientist, broadcaster, author and Fellow at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge. She has appeared on BBC, ABC and Korean TV and Radio, most recently on BBC Radio 4 The Life Scientific, and on BBC2 in Family Brain Games with Dara Ó Briain. She has published three books to date: Consciousness: A Ladybird Expert Guide (Penguin, 2018), The Science of Fate (Hodder, 2019) which made The Sunday Times Bestseller list and her latest book Joined up Thinking (Hodder, 2022). In 2022 she received an Honorary Doctorate from Brunel University for her work in neuroscience and communication. She also has a neuroscience research Doctorate from Cambridge University. In 2019 Hannah was named by Nature as a ‘Rising Stars in Life Sciences’. She was recognised as a ‘Top 100 UK scientist’ by the UK Science Council in 2014 and named as one of Cambridge University’s most ‘inspirational and successful women in science’. In 2026 she is scheduled to receive the Rosalind Franklin medal for her work in science communication.

Robeco Quantum Market Neutral Equities: Harnessing AI for Alpha

The Robeco Quantum Market Neutral Equities strategy presents a distinctive approach to absolute return investing by leveraging cutting-edge AI techniques and alternative data to capture short-term alpha signals.

Building on Robeco’s long-standing research and investment expertise, this long/short strategy goes beyond traditional factor premiums with the aim to deliver consistent, market-independent returns. With a proven track record in short-term signal harvesting and a low correlation to both equity market neutral strategies and hedge funds, find out how this strategy offers investors a compelling source of effective diversification and stable performance.

Wouter Tilgenkamp

Portfolio Manager

Wouter Tilgenkamp is a Portfolio Manager within the Quantitative Equities team. He joined Robeco in 2016 as a Data Scientist, with a specific focus on Equity Trading Research, automatisation of portfolio processes, portfolio construction, and optimal execution of strategies. He started his financial career in 2014 as a Derivative Trader at Optiver. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from the Technical University of Delft and a Master’s in Quantitative Finance.

Nick Keem

Head of UK Wholesale

Nick Keem is Head of the UK Wholesale business at Robeco. He joined Robeco in 2020 from Pinnacle Investment where he was Managing Director for EMEA Distribution. Prior to this he spent 8 years at J.P. Morgan Asset Management where he was most latterly the Head of Wealth Manager Sales for the UK. Nick started his career in the investment management industry in 1997. He holds a BSc in Sports Science and Business Management from De Montfort University and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.

E: n.keem@robeco.com
M: +44 (0)7827 316526

Stuart Smith

Sales Manager

Stuart Smith is a Sales Manager in the UK Wholesale team at Robeco and joined the company in October 2019. He joined Robeco from T. Rowe Price, where he worked as a Client Service executive in the London office. Stuart holds a Bachelor of Science Honours in Economics from the University of Southampton and is a CFA® Charterholder.

E: s.smith@robeco.com
M: +44 (0)7503 663316

The Art and Science of Selection: Building Global Equity Income from the Bottom Up

Despite a long-standing underweight to the US, this high-conviction global equity income strategy has consistently delivered attractive long-term alpha. At the heart of the approach lies disciplined, bottom-up stock selection - grounded in fundamental research and unconstrained by benchmarks. Rather than relying on regional or sector tilts, the portfolio focuses on identifying resilient, cash-generative businesses with the capacity to sustain and grow dividends over time. This session explores how a selective, research-driven investment philosophy can uncover differentiated sources of income and return, offering investors a compelling defensive equity/income solution in today’s global equity landscape.

Matt Burdett

Head of Equities and Managing Director

Matt Burdett is head of equities and a portfolio manager for Thornburg Investment Management. He rejoined the firm in 2015 and became portfolio manager in 2018, then head of equities in 2024. Matt spent several years as a senior vice president and portfolio manager at PIMCO, where he co-managed various dividend-oriented strategies. Prior to his time at PIMCO, Matt worked from 2010 to 2011 as an equity analyst at Thornburg. Earlier in his career, Matt was director of healthcare investment banking at CIBC World Markets/Oppenheimer and a medicinal chemist at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals.

Jon Dawson

Director of UK/EMEA Business Development and Head of UK Office

Jon Dawson is Director of UK/EMEA Business Development and Head of the UK office at Thornburg Investment Management, leading regional growth in investment distribution and institutional partnerships. He previously held senior roles at Fortem Capital, Putnam Investments, Lord Abbett, and Aberdeen Asset Management. A Cambridge graduate, Jon spent eight years as a professional rugby player, shaping his collaborative, performance-driven approach to business.

E: jdawson@thornburg.com

Jonathan Schuman

Head of International and Managing Director

Jonathan Schuman is head of international at Thornburg Investment Management, overseeing business strategy across the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. He previously spent 13 years at Matthews Asia as global head of distribution and business development, where he built its international franchise. Earlier roles include leadership positions at AIG/PineBridge in Asia and legal counsel in Japan and Korea. Jonathan holds degrees from Harvard Law, Tufts Fletcher School, and Williams College.

E: jschuman@thornburg.com

Systematic Investing with the Best of Man and Machine

Founded 25 years ago, the Systematic Equity team at Allianz Global Investors has turned academic research into a successful investment strategy. They have been an early adopter of Artificial Intelligence techniques in their approach, in order to deliver enhanced equity market returns. The result is a repeatable, risk-managed approach which aims to consistently provide added value to their clients. Hear more about how investment styles, like value or momentum, carry risk premia that can be harvested through a disciplined systematic approach, and how this can be done largely independent of the economic or the market environment.

Dr Michael Heldmann, CFA

CIO Systematic Equity

Dr Michael Heldmann is the Deputy CIO Equity and the CIO of the Systematic Equity team. Prior to being named CIO of the overall Systematic Equity platform, he was CIO Systematic Equity US and based in San Francisco. Previously, he also managed Best Styles Emerging Markets and Best Styles Europe Equity products. Before joining the Systematic Equity team, he worked for the international laboratory CERN, Geneva, Switzerland as a researcher in the field of particle physics. He obtained a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Mainz, Germany and a PhD from the University of Freiburg, Germany. He is a CFA charterholder.

Roland Bagnall

Business Developer

Roland Bagnall has served the UK wholesale market for eighteen years working with banks, wealth managers, fund of funds and family offices. Having previously worked at BNY Mellon, Aviva Investors and Carmignac, Roland joined AllianzGI in June 2023 focusing on London clients and is responsible for promoting public market equity and fixed income funds as well as private market funds.

M: +44 (0)7917 557687

Credit Alpha - Exploiting Mean Reversion in IG Credit with Zero Duration

Coolabah (est. 2011 with +10bn USD in AUM) are among the most active credit traders globally. Pacific launched their partnership with Coolabah in 2023 and today are managing over 1bn USD on behalf of a diverse range of global investors.

Coolabah invest within a tightly monitored universe of the highest quality bond issuers. Their sole focus is on generating alpha through capital appreciation, employing a highly active, quantitative approach to credit investing. Central to their philosophy is the mantra 'every basis point counts'. The team pursue this while seeking to minimise duration risk, illiquidity, and credit beta.

In July 2025 the Pacific Coolabah Credit Alpha Fund was launched. The Fund seeks to outperform SOFR +250bps leveraging Coolabah's proven trading process with duration risk hedged to zero. Pacific are excited to bring this Fund to NGF International at a time of record activity in cash bond markets.

Chris Joye

Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Coolabah Capital Investments

Chris Joye founded Coolabah Capital in 2011 and leads the portfolio management effort that has produced one of Australia’s top short-term fixed-interest capabilities. He is responsible for investment decisioning, portfolio management, research and asset pricing, and general business management, running a large team of portfolio managers and analysts. Chris is a Contributing Editor for The Australian Financial Review, a leading economist and policy advisor and previously worked at Goldman Sachs, the Reserve Bank of Australia, and founded Rismark International. He has advised both Australian and US governments and studied at the University of Sydney and Cambridge University.

Nick Lemis

Global Head of Wholesale

Nick Lemis is the Global Head of Wholesale, responsible for distributing PAM’s single manager range of funds. Nick joined from DCI where he was Senior Product Specialist with responsibility for distributing DCI’s product range and investment capabilities to a broad range of clients in Europe. Prior to joining DCI, Nick was Head of UK Wholesale Distribution at GAM covering Intermediaries, Advisers, Private banks and Investment managers across UK, Ireland, Africa and Greece. Nick began his career at Tradition Brokers.

E: nlemis@pacificam.co.uk
T: +44 (0)20 3970 2943

Chris King

Associate Director

Chris King is an Associate Director at Pacific and joined in April 2020. He is primarily focused on distribution of PAM’s single manager range of funds. Prior to this, Chris spent 4 years at Sabre Fund Management where he worked as a Business Development Analyst, covering investor relations and promotion of quantitative equity hedge funds.

E: cking@pacificam.co.uk
T: +44 (0)20 3970 2944

Finserve Global Security Fund – A Strategic Fund for Uncertain Times

Join Joakim Agerback for an in-depth overview of the Finserve Global Defence & Security Fund, a long-only, liquid UCITS designed to provide diversified access to structural return streams in today’s shifting geopolitical landscape. As equity markets are increasingly shaped by great power competition, the fund targets secular growth across Defence, Cyber-Security, and Space. This session will explore the fund’s fundamental strategy, combining top-down thematic analysis with regional screening. Led by a seasoned team and advised by Sweden’s former army chief, the fund emphasises value creation, robust risk management, and long-term return potential through disciplined, diversified portfolio construction.

Joakim Agerback

Portfolio Manager

Joakim Agerback is a seasoned portfolio manager with over 20 years of experience across equities, FX, interest rates, and commodities. He specialises in fundamental and systematic quantitative strategies that enhance traditional portfolios through diversification and thematic exposures. Joakim has founded and scaled investment firms and played a key role in building Finserve Nordic. He has held senior leadership roles as CEO, CFO, CRO, and CIO in finance and real estate. His published research in leading journals reflects expertise in systematic strategies, risk cycles, and alternative investments. He holds a BSc in Business & Economics and completed the Entrepreneurship Programme at Södertörn University.

Malcolm Arthur

Director

Malcolm Arthur is a Director, and a Founder of Spring Capital. He is responsible for day-to-day management of the business together with Justin Eede, focused on client service, operations and marketing. He also manages a number of key client relationships. Prior to starting Spring he worked at GT Management and Invesco where he was on the sales team, covering clients in the UK, Middle East and Africa.

E: malcolm.arthur@springcapitalpartners.com
T: +44 (0)20 3195 0078

Joanna Stephenson

UK Sales

Joanna Stephenson joined Spring Capital in 2008 as a member of the UK distribution team with responsibility for many of Spring’s key clients. She has worked in investment management sales for the majority of her career including a long spell at Morgan Grenfell (which subsequently became Deutsche Bank) and a few years at Walker Crips, a boutique asset management firm.

E: joanna.stephenson@springcapitalpartners.com
T: +44 (0)20 3195 0077

Beyond the Index: Why an active exposure to US Equities could benefit UK investors

UK investors should consider an actively managed US Large Cap Core Equity strategy to provide clients with growth, stability, and diversification. While passive strategies inherently underperform post fees, active management in the US market—dominant in global equities and historically delivering strong returns—offers the opportunity for consistent alpha generation. This strategy focuses on companies undergoing positive change (e.g., AI-driven transformations) and provides concentrated exposure to a portfolio of best ideas. With a proven record of outperforming in downturns, and given GBP weakness and a strong US outlook, actively allocating to this strategy can deliver superior outcomes over passive alternatives.

Erik Becker

Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager

Erik Becker is a Senior Portfolio Manager for Macquarie Asset Management’s (MAM’s) US Large Cap Core Equity Team, where he is responsible for making day-to-day investment decisions for the team’s strategy. Erik joined Ivy Investments as an Investment Analyst and was appointed Assistant Portfolio Manager in 2003 and Portfolio Manager in 2006. Erik earned a Bachelor of Science in finance, investments, and banking and a Master of Science in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Erik holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Joanne Rea

Senior Client Account Manager – Client Solutions Group

Joanne Rea is responsible for supporting and managing relationships with UK wholesale and institutional clients. In addition, Joanne supports the fundraising efforts for the Public Investments’ capabilities across the UK and Ireland. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a Team Assistant at Rogge Global Partners. She previously worked at Olympus Deutschland, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Lloyds Banking Group. Joanne received a Diploma in Business Administration from Chelmsford College. She holds the Investment Management Certificate.

E: joanne.rea@macquarie.com
M: +44 (0)7827 897436

US Short Duration High Yield: A Strategic Building Block for Asset Allocators

Following over three years of discussions, Impax completed the acquisition of the European assets of specialist credit manager Sky Harbor in March 2025, adding £1.1bn in assets and two UCITS funds focused on US and Global Short Duration High Yield. In this session, Co-Portfolio Manager, David Kinsley, will introduce the US Short Duration Responsible High Yield Fund, which seeks to provide income through a diversified portfolio of short-duration, US dollar-denominated high yield corporate bonds. While the high yield market is often associated with lower credit ratings, it has evolved to include higher-quality issuers. The strategy is designed to capture income while aiming to limit drawdown and reduce volatility, offering flexibility across portfolio objectives.

David Kinsley, CFA

Senior Portfolio Manager

David Kinsley joined Impax Asset Management in April 2025 as Co-Portfolio Manager of the US Short Duration Responsible High Yield, Global Short Maturity Responsible High Yield, and Global Responsible High Yield strategies. He began his career at Lehman Brothers and later held senior roles at AXA Investment Managers, including Co-Head of US Investing. In 2011, he co-founded SKY Harbor Capital Management, where he was Head of Investing, responsible for the firm’s investment process and was the principal Portfolio Manager for their sustainable strategies with over $2 billion in high yield AUM. David is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Society Stamford, and he earned a BA in Economics from Williams College.

Matt Carter

Head of UK Intermediary Distribution

Matt Carter leads the UK Intermediary Distribution team at Impax Asset Management, responsible for asset raising across the UK Wholesale channel. He joined Impax from Sarasin & Partners, where he was responsible for the distribution of thematic funds and outsourced investment solutions to financial intermediaries. He started his career at EY and spent the majority of his early years at UBS Asset Management. Matt studied BSc International Business at Loughborough University and holds the Investment Management Certificate and Sustainable Investing Certificate with the CFA institute.

E: m.carter@impaxam.com
T: +44 (0)7702 154917

Janneka Khurmi

UK Intermediary Distribution

Janneka Khurmi joined Impax in early 2022 and is responsible for developing business with Intermediary clients across the UK and CI. Previously, Janneka held a similar position at Brown Advisory building relationships Institutional and Intermediary clients in Europe and APAC. Janneka started her career in Investments and Relationship Management at RBC Wealth Management and was responsible for providing solutions to High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth clients, with a focus on services tailored to corporate executives and their families.

E: j.khurmi@impaxam.com
T: +44 (0)20 3912 3122

Physical AI and the Golden Age for Robotics

While Robots have been used in industry since the 1960s, their use-cases have remained extremely niche. Only with recent advances in technologies such as AI, robots are becoming smarter and useful beyond the factory floor, pushing into some very large market opportunities in healthcare, agriculture, industrial design and engineering, transport, and logistics. The golden era for robotics and automation is fast approaching.

In this session, Angus Muirhead will show how the UBS AI & Robotics Equity Fund, launched in 2016, and its "pure-play" approach gives clients high exposure to the theme and a clear bias in favour of innovative small to mid-cap companies.

Angus Muirhead, CFA

Head of Thematic Equities

Angus Muirhead is Head of Thematic Equities at UBS Asset Management and Lead Portfolio Manager of the Robotics Equity strategy. Angus joined CSAM in 2016, helping shape its thematic equity business through “pure-play” strategies and deep-dive research. Starting his career in 1997 in Japanese equities at Phillips & Drew, he later worked in Tokyo with UBS, Lehman Brothers, and UBS Investment Bank. From 2007 to 2016, he managed sector and thematic funds in Zurich and at a hedge fund. Angus holds a BA from Durham University, is a CFA Charterholder, and serves on the Wyss Foundation Zurich Evaluation Board.

Angus Duncan

Head Wholesale Client Coverage UK

Angus Duncan is Head of the UK GWM and Wholesale client coverage team, based in London. He and his team are responsible for the sales and relationship management of all Wholesale distribution partners and for UBS Global Wealth Management. Prior to his current role, Angus was responsible for the Global Financial Institutions team within UK Wholesale. Before joining UBS AM in 2019, he was a Client Advisor in the Global Strategic Relationships team at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

E: angus.duncan@ubs.com
M: +44 (0)20 7568 5312

Graeme Brown

Head of UK Strategic Partners & Regional Sales

Graeme Brown is Head of UK Strategic Partners and Regional Sales at UBS Asset Management. He is responsible for managing relationships with the largest distributors in the UK. Within his role, he manages the Regional Sales team across the UK. Graeme joined UBS Asset Management in 2019. He joined from Seven Investment Management and has held senior distribution roles at Old Mutual Global Investors and F&C Asset Management.

E: graeme.brown@ubs.com
T: +44 (0)20 7567 5850