Hedge funds take centre stage for UBP dual events

UBP’s Asset Management division has been growing since 2010 to become a key player with recognised flagship strategies in many segments including alternatives.

In early June, institutional and private clients along with hedge fund professionals were invited by UBP’s Alternative Investment Solutions (AIS) team for an opportunity of networking and discussing about alternative investments. The Geneva event, attended by 80 guests, was held at the Mandarin Oriental hotel while 110 were welcomed to London’s Dorchester the next day.

Alongside the events we held a dedicated press conference. The London media, of which eight attended, including Bloomberg and Reuters, praised UBP for being the sole player to organise such a press conference devoted to hedge funds on the record. They were grateful to have access to leading experts in the field both from UBP and from our partners. In Geneva, Kier Boley gave Allnews an exclusive interview underlining the positive outlook for alternative strategies, which was published on 11 June.

The conference was opened with an introductory speech – in Geneva by Nicolas Faller, Co-CEO of Asset Management, and in London by Board Member Anne de Picciotto. This was followed by remarks by the two AIS Co-Heads, Kier Boley and John Argi, on their team’s investment philosophy, market performances, and the outlook for the alternatives market.

The first panel discussion was moderated by Susanna Wallis, Senior Investment Manager AIS. The guest speakers, Brian Hessel from Global Credit Advisers LLC, Steven A. Bleier form Brigade Capital Management, and Brad Golding from CRC Bond Opportunity Trading Fund, shared their views on default rates and the possible opportunities in credit alternative market strategies.

During the second panel discussion, moderated by Senior Investment Manager AIS Tommaso Sanzin, the two guest speakers, Grace Lo from Campbell & Company and Jonathan Brenner from Walleye Capital, gave insights on the role alternative investments may play in the future of financial markets. They also touched on topics like artificial intelligence, the importance of track records, and risk management.

For the last segment, the audience had lunch while listening to David Einhorn, Co-Founder, President, and Portfolio Manager of Greenlight Capital, a value-oriented investment advisor with a long–short equity strategy. Mr Einhorn insisted on the importance of resilience for hedge fund managers and gave his view on equity markets, explaining his strategy when it comes to equity selection.

With USD 17 billion invested in alternatives, a team of 26, and a commitment to hedge funds since they first appeared in the 1970s, today UBP is well positioned to take advantage of the hedge fund bull market and the AIS team was delighted to share insights with industry leaders and clients.