By Fiona Le Poidevin, Chief Executive of Guernsey Finance – You are invited to learn more about the BRICs and MINTs from the creator of the acronyms, Jim O’Neill, at the Guernsey Funds Forum in London this May.
Leading economist and creator of the ‘BRICs’ acronym, Jim O’Neill, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Guernsey Funds Forum in London.
The annual event, which this year takes place at the Grange St Paul’s Hotel on Thursday 1 May, will see the recently retired Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and best-selling author of The Growth Map share his views on the future of the financial markets with an expected audience of more than 400 delegates.
We are thrilled to be able to confirm Jim O’Neill as our keynote speaker for the final session at this year’s Guernsey Funds Forum. He is an internationally respected economist and one who is extremely forward-thinking in his outlook. His creation of the BRIC acronym in 2001 to describe the burgeoning economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, captured that moment in time perfectly and has gone on to become a mainstay of analysis relating to the global economy.
Mr O’Neill also recently coined the new acronym, MINT, to group the economies of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey, as he believes these four countries could be among the 10 largest economies in the next 30 years. This year’s Guernsey Funds Forum therefore presents a great opportunity to hear the reasons behind his confidence. The subject matter also ties in perfectly with the wider theme of our event – how to raise capital and how to spend it – that will include a focus on which markets are showing the greatest potential, whether that be the BRICs, the MINTs, or elsewhere.
The event will also, for the first time, feature two moderators: Sarah Montague, host of BBC Radio 4’s flagship Today programme; and ITV News Anchor, Alastair Stewart OBE. It will be the fifth successive year Mr Stewart has moderated the Guernsey Funds Forum.
Mr Stewart has worked in the media for nearly four decades, fronting programmes such as Police Camera Action! but is most commonly associated with being a presenter of the news on ITV. Ms Montague is one of the main anchors on BBC Radio 4's flagship Today programme and also presents HARDtalk for BBC World. She has presented Breakfast with Frost and Evening News bulletins, as well as being a key presenter on the News Channel.
The Guernsey Funds Forum continues to develop year on year and has become a must-attend event in the calendar of many key investment fund decision makers in London. Adding the influence and expertise of Sarah Montague as an additional moderator, alongside Alastair Stewart, also gives the event extra gravitas and will ensure that no question is left unanswered.
The event, titled ‘The pursuit of capital – art or science?’, is taking place from 1pm, starting with registration and lunch and concluding with a networking drinks reception at 5.30pm.
The main forum content will begin with the panel session, ‘How to raise it’, and examine today’s challenges in relation to investors’ pursuit of capital, the selection of fund managers and the impact of regulation on distribution lines. The second session, ‘How to spend it’, will look at the opportunities fund managers are seeing in relation to alternative asset classes, risk appetite and market geography.
As well as the conference, there will also be an exhibition of Guernsey service providers, including the Island’s leading fund administrators, custodians, multi-jurisdictional legal practices and global accountancy firms.
It is hosted by Guernsey Finance in conjunction with the Guernsey Investment Fund Association (GIFA). The event is supported by the Alternative Investment Management Association, the British Venture Capital Association, Global Custodian, HFM Week, Investment Europe and unquote”.
For more information about delegate, exhibition and sponsorship opportunities visit www.guernseyfundsforum.com or contact Fiona Murray by email [email protected] or telephone. +44 (0) 7781 123808. Latest news is available on Twitter from @GuernseyFinance and updates about the event specifically can be found using the hashtag #GFF2014.
