The outlook for raising funds in the post-Brexit environment is the focus of a Guernsey funds masterclass to be held in London next year.
The event, which takes place at etc.venues in St Pauls on 8 February, will feature a panel debate among leading figures from the funds industry and a keynote speech from public affairs consultant Louise Harvey OBE MVO, who spent 13 years as a British diplomat working on EU issues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Harvey’s presentation will focus on the process of triggering and implementing Brexit, the negotiations that will entail and the political view from the continent following the decision.
Guernsey Finance chief executive Dominic Wheatley (pictured) says the UK’s vote to leave the European Union had posed many questions for the funds industry.
“Since June we’ve had many theories put forward by commentators on what the short, medium and long-term impact of Brexit will be on the markets. Since the initial uncertainty over the summer, a degree of normality has returned with investors and managers continuing to do business, but there are still many questions as to how this will play out further down the line,” says Wheatley.
“As our keynote, Louise will be able to provide a really interesting insight into some of the mood music in Brussels and where she sees Brexit negotiations going. She is an expert in European politics as a former British diplomat and has a real credibility on the subject. Likewise, our panel will then be able to take what Louise has shared and discuss with the audience what this means for the funds industry, particularly in the private equity asset class.”
Harvey, who is now senior managing director at FTI Consulting in Brussels, is a former president – and the first female president – of the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium. She was awarded an OBE for services to British business in Belgium in 2004.
The panel session to follow Harvey will include Tim Hames, director general, British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association; Emma Bailey, director of the investment supervision and policy, Guernsey Financial Services Commission; Phil Bartram, partner, Travers Smith; and Steven Lowry, partner, Basalt Infrastructure Partners.