Manager skill continues to take centre stage in these volatile times according to GAIM conference director Victoria Chatterton (pictured). With that in mind, this year’s event focuses on four big picture themes:
- Evolving investor opinions on manager selection and asset allocation
- Making money in volatile times
- Business strategies for a low return & high regulation era
- Hedge fund regulation & the way forward for hedge fund distribution
“Risk management is now so much more integral to the hedge fund and the investment process. As a result we have extended our thinking on this and have included two new panels – one on due diligence and one on risk,” says Chatterton. She adds that for the first time this year’s event also features a regulatory clinic to give attendees the chance to question the experts on pending changes.
There are a number of big draw tickets for GAIM 2012: “We’ve got Professor Niall Ferguson of Harvard University and Jamil Baz, the Chief Investment Strategist at GLG Partners offering a historical and financial perspective on the limits of macroeconomic policy. Secondly, we have a special entrepreneurial address from Peter Thiel, the founder of Paypal. Thirdly, we have Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Principal of Universal Investments and renowned author of ‘The Black Swan’.
“I am very excited by the speaker line up this year. I enjoy seeing how much business is done at the conference – it is mind-boggling to think about how many business cards are exchanged!”
