Speakers / Presentations
Speakers
Coordinators
Christopoulos Dion
Head of Balance Sheet Solutions, Private Debt, Investment Management. Zurich Insurance Group
Dion Christopoulos is Head of Balance Sheet Solutions for Private Debt at Investment Management of Zurich Insurance Group (ZIG), based in Zurich. In his role, he is overseeing a portfolio of $12bn of the Group’s balance sheet investments in alternative credit which spans across different sectors including corporate loans, infrastructure debt and commercial mortgages as well as private infrastructure equity. Prior to that, Dion was a Senior Investment Analyst for Private Debt, leading asset manager due diligence projects. Before focusing on alternative investments, Dion served in various positions at the Strategy Development team of Investment Management at ZIG, covering market risk, asset liability management and strategic asset allocation across asset classes of the Group. Dion joined ZIG from Morgan Stanley, where he served as a Senior Associate based in London. In 2019, he was voted as the winner of the “Best Use of Private Debt” award for the DACH region by the Alternative Investments Institute and in 2018 he was recognized with the “Influencer of the Year” award for the DACH region by the Institutional Investor Institute.He holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Athens, an MSc in Financial Mathematics from the Warwick Business School and he is a CFA charterholder.
Building an Infrastructure Equity program
In recent years institutional investors have increasingly embraced Infrastructure as an asset class. Zurich Insurance Group, having been investing in Infrastructure debt since 2015, in 2022 started a private infrastructure equity program. The session will outline Zurich’s motivation behind investing in Infrastructure Equity as well as the strategy and the implementation approach selected. Furthermore, it will summarize key challenges faced during the process and how Zurich Group Investment Management was able to address them.
Goudinakos Stratos
Business and Finance consultant
Stratos Goudinakos is an experienced C - level executive in business strategy forsustainable development in the banking and insurance sector as well as a paragon investment
manager aiming at robust results considering issues of governance, social footprint and
environmental protection.
Started his career in London’s International Derivatives Exchange (LIFFE) - a veteran open
outcry floor trader – trading inter-intra cross market volatility portfolios.
Upon his return to Greece, worked at the National Bank Group (NBG) as a Management Consultant;
in the Treasury department as Head of Derivatives and Proprietary Trading, in Diethniki Mutual
Funds as Chief Investment Officer.
At ATE Insurance - ERGO, as Chief Risk Officer, undertook the organization for the transition and
compliance of the company to the new regulatory framework, Solvency II. He was also appointed
Chairman ALCO and Investment Manager of the largest Occupational Pension Fund in Greece.
In the last 20 years he has served as a member of boards of directors of investment, banking and
insurance groups in Greece and abroad with responsibilities as Chairman of Risk Management and
Audit Committees.
In recent years, he has been a consultant in businesses with a wide range of topics from natural gas
to Geospatial industry.
Stratos has got a BSc and an MSc in Chemical Engineering, Patras University as well as a
DBA, Cardiff Business School, a Master's in Business Administration, City University, a Business
Analytics Diploma using real-time data, Cambridge Judge Business School.
He has full accreditations from Technical Chamber of Greece, and Capital Market Commission of
Greece (Δ).
Coordinator
Juscsak George
Executive Director, Senior Sales Executive CEE, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
George Juscsak is an Executive Director and the Senior Sales Executive for J.P. Morgan. He has 17 years of experience working in the financial markets and in the banking industry in the United States and Internationally. In his current role he is responsible for- and oversees the sales activities for J.P. Morgan Asset Management in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. He is based in Vienna, Austria.Prior to joining the European operations he worked on Wall Street as part of the J.P. Morgan Investment Bank. In his role as Vice President he was a member of the Portfolio Strategies Group on the Fixed Income and Rates Products desk, working with various US and international institutional investors. Before J.P. Morgan he worked for Bear Stearns in New York in a similar role, and in the Capital Markets Department of AmTrust Bank in Cleveland, Ohio.
George earned his MBA at the Case Western University, holds a CPA, Series 7 and 63 degrees and pursuing his CFA and PhD degrees. He is a Honorary Professor at SZIE, and member of the MSc in Finance Advisory Committee of the Central European University.
Global Macro Outlook
2022 was a difficult year. The war in Ukraine and central banks’ battle against inflation have been the main sources of bond and equity markets’ struggles. However, the final quarter of the year has at least brought some relief.
In our 2023 investment outlook ‘A bad year for the economy, a better year for markets’, we argued that a moderate recession is likely next year but it had already been largely priced in by equity markets in 2022.
So, despite some relief in the fourth quarter, 2022 will mainly be remembered as a year when markets priced in the unpleasant consequences of higher inflation and interest rates, which are likely to hit the global economy in 2023. On the plus side, with a recession now widely expected and markets already starting to anticipate a decline in inflation and a peak in interest rates, 2023 could be a better year for both bonds and stocks.
In our 2023 investment outlook ‘A bad year for the economy, a better year for markets’, we argued that a moderate recession is likely next year but it had already been largely priced in by equity markets in 2022.
So, despite some relief in the fourth quarter, 2022 will mainly be remembered as a year when markets priced in the unpleasant consequences of higher inflation and interest rates, which are likely to hit the global economy in 2023. On the plus side, with a recession now widely expected and markets already starting to anticipate a decline in inflation and a peak in interest rates, 2023 could be a better year for both bonds and stocks.
Koletta Maria
Assistant General Manager, Head of Sales, Eurobank Asset Management MFMC
Ms. Koletta is Assistant General Manager, Head of Sales of Eurobank Asset Management MFMC. She is in charge for the sales strategy and distribution of products and services to all networks, captive and non-captive, as well as to Institutional clientele. She is a member of Company’s Executive Committee and BoD Member of Eurobank Fund Management Company (LUX). Before this, she was Deputy Head of Sales, in charge for the distribution of both Greek and Luxembourg based Funds that the Company manages and for all operational activities to ensure high level of quality & customer satisfaction. Prior this position she was Chief Operations Officer in Piraeus Asset Management MFMC, being responsible for Clients Service Department, Networks and Third-Party Funds Distribution. She has also worked as Head of Foreign Markets Transactions Settlement in the Custody Division of Piraeus Bank SA., as well as in the Custody Division of Eurobank EFG SA. Ms. Koletta holds a Master of Science in Finance from Leicester University and a Bachelor in Banking and Finance from Piraeus University. Coordinator
Dr. Lazarakou Vassiliki
Chair of the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission, Member of the Management Board of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), Member of the Bureau of the OECD Corporate Governance Committee
Dr. Vassiliki Lazarakou is an Attorney at Law, admitted both at the Athens and New York Bar Association and specialized in capital markets, banking and finance law, M&As, privatizations as well as corporate law. She is the Founding Partner of L & L Law Firm working extensively on MIFID II/ MIFIR, AML, and other capital markets issues as well as on all the aforementioned matters. She was the First Vice-Chair of the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission (HCMC) since September 2012 and thus member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. She was chairing the Working Group and represented the Council in relation to the adoption of the Regulation and Directive on "Markets in Financial Instruments (MiFID II/ MiFIR)" and managed to reach the political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council. For this reason, she was also chairing until recently the committee for the implementation of MIFID II into Greek law, which was appointed by the Ministry of Finance. She was also the Chair of the Working Group for the Council in relation to the Regulation on "European Long Term Investment Funds (ELTIFs)" during the Hellenic Presidency when a general approach was achieved at the Council.
She was a partner of two leading law firms in Greece. Until September 2017, she was a Head Partner of KLC Law Firm and in charge of the Financial Law Group of the Firm, while, before joining the HCMC, she was a Senior Partner with Zepos & Yannopoulos law firm in Athens, Greece and the Head of the relevant Banking, Capital Markets and Finance Group of such firm for several years as well as the co-Head of Real Estate Group. In 2000 and for one year she worked at the legal department of the Athens Stock Exchange. Before that, she had worked with Zepos & Zepos law firm and earlier in the Legal Department of a pharmaceutical company, Sterling Winthorp Inc., New York, USA.
She has a Doctorate in Law (JSD) from New York University School of Law, New York, U.S.A. and her Doctoral thesis was on "Greek privatizations in International Perspective". She also has an LLM in International Legal Studies from New York University School of Law and Bachelor in Law from the Athens University, School of Law.
She teaches often in seminars about different capital markets issues and she is the author of a large number of articles in the newspapers and co- author of several legal publications.
Opening Remarks and presentation of “The latest and upcoming regulatory changes in Greece and in Europe
Dr.Lekkos Ilias
Group Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy, Piraeus Bank
Dr. Ilias Lekkos is the Group Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy with Piraeus Bank, one of the largest banks in Greece. He is also Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Hellenic Statistical System, a member of the Board of Directors of European Reliance Asset Management and of the Foundation of Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE). He is also a member of the Council of Economic Advisors of the Hellenic Bank Association. As Chief Economist with Piraeus Bank, he leads the division which reports on developments in the Greek economy and the Greek banking system. He also monitors macroeconomic developments at the G7 economies and is responsible for devising the investment strategy and asset allocation policy of Piraeus Bank Group. Before joining Piraeus Bank he was a Senior Economist at Eurobank-EFG and prior to that he has worked at the Bank of England, HBOS-Treasury Services and Standard and Poor’s. Dr. Lekkos holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Athens University of Economics and Business, an MSc in Economics and Finance from Warwick University and a PhD in Finance from Lancaster University. His research has been published in a number of academic journals. Greek Macros Outlook
Pafili Agathi
Head of Europe Government Relations, Capital Group
Agathi Pafili is head of Europe government relations at Capital Group. She has 19years of policy and industry experience and has been with Capital Group for more
than 3 years. Prior to joining Capital, Agathi was a senior policy advisor at the
European Funds and Asset Management Association. Before that, she worked in
the European Parliament as a cabinet member of the Chair of the Culture and
Educations Affairs Committee and a policy advisor to a member of the Economic
and Monetary Affairs Committee. She holds a master's degree in international
and European law and a bachelor's degree in law, both from the Law School of
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is a member of the Athens
Bar Association. Agathi is based in Brussels.
Trends and regulatory challenges in the current ESG market
What are the implications and opportunities for asset managers with the entry into force as of 1 January 2023 of the SFDR requirements, which include disclosure of sustainable investment commitments, EU Taxonomy alignment and principal adverse impact indicators at a fund level.
Petiton Natasha
Head of Product Strategy, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Natasha Petiton, Executive Director, is Head of Product Strategy EMEA. She is responsible for leading ateam of strategists who shape J.P. Morgan’s product platform and messaging by collaborating across
investment and distribution teams. She and her team deliver in-depth competitive analysis and industry
intelligence to uncover opportunities across asset classes and inform the firm’s strategic agenda.
Natasha is a member of the EMEA Product Steering Committee, International ETF Steering Committee,
ESG Steering Committee, European Swing Initiative Committee, Investment Strategy Review Group,
Women on the Move and the EMEA DE&I Working Group.
Natasha has been a member of Global Product Strategy and Development since 2010 when she joined
J.P. Morgan, working on the team in New York prior to moving to London in 2015.
She holds a dual B.A. in Psychology and Communications from the University of Pennsylvania and an
M.B.A. in Finance and Entrepreneurship from New York University.
ESG Approach and Capabilities
The landscape for sustainable products has changed significantly in Europe over the last few years with increased regulation. EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), EU Taxonomy Regulation, and EU MiFID II have all introduced new rules for asset managers and distributors, which has driven great uncertainty regarding the future of sustainable investing.
Despite this increased uncertainty, assets continue to flow into sustainable funds in EMEA. As of year-end 2022, more than 50% of the EMEA funds industry AUM was in EU SFDR Article 8 or Article 9 funds. J.P. Morgan Asset Management has been prudent in their approach to the recent regulatory changes and have built their fund range accordingly.
Natasha, will provide an overview of the SI landscape for 2023 and how distributors can build stronger, and more sustainable, portfolios in the current market environment.
Despite this increased uncertainty, assets continue to flow into sustainable funds in EMEA. As of year-end 2022, more than 50% of the EMEA funds industry AUM was in EU SFDR Article 8 or Article 9 funds. J.P. Morgan Asset Management has been prudent in their approach to the recent regulatory changes and have built their fund range accordingly.
Natasha, will provide an overview of the SI landscape for 2023 and how distributors can build stronger, and more sustainable, portfolios in the current market environment.
Dr.Siokos Stavros
co-Founder, Managing Partner, Astarte Capital Partners LLP
Dr. Stavros Siokos is the Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Member of the Investment Committee of Astarte Capital Partners, an asset management firm based in London and presence in Athens, Sydney Australia and Toronto Canada. Astarte is focusing on sustainable real assets and acts as a strategic partner to institutional investors from around the world developing more value accretive frameworks of investing in private markets. Its main investment strategy is to act as anchor capital and strategic partner to emerging managers in specialist areas of sustainable real assets.
Stavros has 30 years of experience in building and managing businesses in various areas of Capital Markets, Asset Management and Alternative Investments. For more than a decade he was Managing Director at Citigroup where he was global head of alternative executions, portfolio trading strategies and pension fund solutions.
Holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering Diploma from the University of Patras, Greece, a MSc in the same field and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the University of Massachusetts.
Natural Capital Investments and their role towards a Net-Zero Economy
As governments, corporations and the investment community are setting targets and time frames towards a net zero economy, very few investment strategies and products (with potential for attractive returns) really contribute in a meaningful way towards this target.
Investments focusing on natural capital (e.g. timber, agriculture, aqua farming, etc) can play a significant role towards achieving these goals. They can also deliver great returns, where and at the same time have a real impact to the environment, the society, and the world overall.
Forests remain the best proven technology for carbon capturing, as well as, for providing the basic material that can replace products that are based on fossil fuels. Timber investments can achieve great returns by having a real impact to the transition towards a net zero economy.
Investments focusing on natural capital (e.g. timber, agriculture, aqua farming, etc) can play a significant role towards achieving these goals. They can also deliver great returns, where and at the same time have a real impact to the environment, the society, and the world overall.
Forests remain the best proven technology for carbon capturing, as well as, for providing the basic material that can replace products that are based on fossil fuels. Timber investments can achieve great returns by having a real impact to the transition towards a net zero economy.
