Mercer Global Investment Forums 2020 - Melbourne | Mercer LLC | 16 March 2020 | Grand Hyatt Melbourne, 123 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

It’s a Matter of Time — Investing in a Brighter Future
After the previous year’s negative returns in most asset classes, 2019 brought welcome relief for investors around the globe. Authorities paused on monetary tightening in the face of falling economic growth in major markets and faltering global confidence. Looking forward, the risks for investors are many. Among those in the near term are: negative yields on a fifth of global bonds, stubbornly low inflation in the developed world, growing wealth inequality, high public debt, and the lack of growth-stimulating ammunition left for central banks.

But where there is risk, there is also opportunity — a spend-heavy, yet potentially stimulative, transition to a lower-carbon future is likely to produce both winners and losers. Investors who understand these changes and position their portfolios toward the future improve the probability of meeting their objectives. Mercer’s 2020 Vision: Themes and Opportunities highlights the actions investors can consider to better protect portfolios in adverse environments or to capitalize on emerging trends.

Our Global Investment Forums 2020 reflect on these themes in the context of the current economic environment and highlight where we think opportunities exist to help position portfolios for a brighter future. Investors need to be clear on their timeframe, be prepared for business as unusual and position for climate change.

2020 Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Tim Harford
Behavioral Economist, Financial Times Columnist and Author

GUEST SPEAKERS:

Mans Carlsson-Sweeney
Head of ESG Research, Ausbil Investment Management

Jasmine Fowdh
Management Consultant, Oliver Wyman

Akaash Sachdeva
Senior Responsible Investment Advisor, HESTA

Matt Turner
Head of Australia & New Zealand Senior Debt, ICG

Fiona Wild
Vide President Climate Change, BHP Ltd.

MERCER SPEAKERS:

Emily Barlow
Senior Investment Consultant

Nikki Brown
Institutional Investment Sales Leader

Alexis Cheang
Head of Responsible Investment, Pacific

Deb Clarke
Global Head of Investment Research

Simon Eagleton
Institutional Wealth Leader, Pacific

Lewis Garrad
People Science, Employee Experience Solutions, International

Rebecca Jacques
Senior Investment Consultant

Tim Jenkins
Senior Retirement Actuarial Consultant

Harry Liem
Director of Strategic Research and Head of Capital Markets, Pacific

Suzanne Lubbe
Asset Class Specialist, Equity Boutique

Doyle Mallett
Senior Investment Consultant

Ronan McCabe
Head of Portfolio Management

Gwion Moore
Head of Investment Strategy, Alternatives, Pacific

Bill Muysken
Global Chief Investment Officer, Alternatives

Elizabeth Paine
Investment Consultant

Emma Potocki
Institutional Wealth Analyst

Jillian Reid
Senior Responsible Investment Specialist

Shannon Reilly
Senior Investment Consultant

David Scobie
Senior Investment Consultant

Clayton Sills
Superannuation Client Segment Leader, Pacific

Timothy Stamp
Responsible Investment Specialist

Cameron Taylor
Senior Investment Consultant

Katrina Tran
Investment Consultant

Denis Walsh
Insurance Client Segment Leader, Pacific

Sue Wang
Senior Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income

Nick White
Global Strategic Research Director

Kylie Willment
Chief Investment Officer, Pacific