MFA Ops: Treasury & Finance 2025 - Agenda
March 12, 2025
Conference
Citi Field
New York, NY
Register
Agenda
09:00am - 09:50am
Registration, Breakfast & Tour of the Stadium
Kickstart your morning with an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Mets stadium, offering a unique look at one of baseball’s iconic venues. This 30-minute experience begins at the Delta Club with a grab-and-go breakfast and concludes in the Auditorium, just in time for the General Session kickoff - an exciting way to start the day on time!
09:00am - 09:40am
Tax Breakfast Briefing
Navigating Increasing Tax Compliance and Reporting Requirements on Asset Managers
Join MFA, K1x experts, and industry peers for an essential update on the evolving tax and reporting landscape, along with key processes and solutions to ensure compliance. Hosted by MFA and K1X
This is an invite only event. If you are interested in attending, please email us at conferences@mfaalts.org
09:50am - 09:55am
Opening pitch from MFA
Speakers
Peter Donovan
,
Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer
,
MFA
Peter Donovan is MFA’s Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for MFA operations and finance, including accounting, budgeting, human resources and technology. He also leads and directs all efforts related to membership retention, development and growth. Mr. Donovan divides his time between MFA’s Washington D.C. and New York offices.
Mr. Donovan is a respected industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience. He joins MFA from Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he has served since 2004 in a variety of leadership roles in Fixed Income Prime Brokerage, sales and relationship management. He was previously co-head of U.S. prime brokerage sales at Morgan Stanley. Mr. Donovan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Lehigh University and a MBA from Fordham University.
09:55am - 10:20am
Stepping up to the plate:
Keynote interview
Keynote interview
Speakers
Scott Havens
,
President, Business Operations
,
NY Mets
- Since assuming the role of President of Business Operations for the New York Mets in November 2023, Havens provides strategic and operational leadership for the New York Mets, overseeing the Senior Leadership Team for all business-side Front Office functions.
- Havens is instrumental in shaping the future of the franchise, creating unique long-term growth opportunities, expanding our markets, driving financial success, and continuing to build on the Mets reputation as a beloved institution in New York.
- Prior to joining the Mets, Havens most recently served as CEO of Bloomberg Media, Bloomberg L.P.’s global multi-platform media organization.
- After joining Bloomberg in 2015, Havens played an integral role in the digital transformation and globalization of the Bloomberg Media brand. Under his leadership, the company saw record revenue and audience growth and expanded its global footprint through several impactful partnerships throughout the world.
- Prior to his time with Bloomberg, Havens was senior vice president of digital at Time Inc., where he managed operations and drove the strategic development of digital products within the news, business, sports, and entertainment publications.
- Havens was previously president of The Atlantic, playing a key role in the successful digital transformation of the magazine, including strategy and operational roles in the digital launches of The Atlantic Wire, Quartz and CityLab, which was acquired by Bloomberg Media in 2019.
- Havens served as executive director at Condé Nast Business Media and is a founder of the innovative business site Portfolio.com.
- Havens is a graduate of Hamilton College with a B.A. in Economics and received an MBA in finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Moderated by
Bryan Corbett
,
President and Chief Executive Officer
,
MFA
Bryan Corbett is MFA’s President and CEO. He is a veteran of Washington and Wall Street. For the past 12 years, he was a senior executive at The Carlyle Group, most recently as Managing Director in the Corporate Private Equity segment and Head of the firm’s OneCarlyle Global Investment Resources Group. In this role, Mr. Corbett and his team provided strategic and operational support to investment teams and portfolio companies across segments.
For the first half of his Carlyle tenure, Mr. Corbett managed U.S. government and regulatory issues affecting Carlyle, its investments and the industry. In this role, he developed legislative and regulatory strategies relating to all of Carlyle’s business segments, including private equity, credit and real estate. In addition to serving on the boards of several Carlyle portfolio companies, Mr. Corbett started the firm’s global corporate citizenship program focused on responsible investing, published Carlyle’s inaugural corporate citizenship report, and started the firm’s initiative to recruit and place diverse individuals on portfolio company boards in the U.S.
Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Corbett served in the George W. Bush Administration as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and as the Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt at the Treasury Department. He also served as Majority Counsel on the Senate Banking Committee.
Mr. Corbett earned his JD from George Washington University Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the George Washington Law Review, and earned his BA from University of Notre Dame.
10:20am - 10:50am
Playbook for success
Scaling and optimizing treasury operations – Key factors to consider
- How can treasury operations be effectively scaled across diverse asset classes?
- How can firms balance short-term operational needs with long-term strategic growth?
- What are the key considerations when deciding between building treasury technology in-house or outsourcing to third-party providers?
- What emerging technologies can be leveraged to enhance treasury operations and drive innovation?
- How can firms manage treasury headcount to ensure the team is appropriately resourced?
Speakers
Stuart Cogen
,
Treasurer
,
Point72
Bradley Walbridge
,
Chief Financial Officer
,
Holocene Advisors
Bradley Walbridge is the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of Holocene. Mr. Walbridge joined Holocene in 2016 from Tyrian Investments, LP, where he was a Partner and served as both the CFO & Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to joining Tyrian (2009-2012), Mr. Walbridge was an accounting manager at Blackstone Inc in their Alternative Asset Management division. His responsibilities included day-to-day management of the operations team, which oversaw approximately 200 fund-of-funds and customized accounts. He was instrumental in the launch of the firm’s first direct co-invest hedge fund in 2010 and helped to develop operational processes as well as overseeing the day-to-day activity related to the product. Prior to joining Blackstone Inc (2005-2009), Mr. Walbridge worked as a senior accountant at Rothstein, Kass & Co., where he performed financial services audits, which included financial statements, controls testing and tax work for hedge funds, fund of funds, and private equity funds. Mr. Walbridge holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Boston College and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Moderated by
Matt Kiraly
,
Global Head of Prime Finance Origination and Equity Finance Sales
,
HSBC
Matt Kiraly is Head of Platform Sales and Head of ESG sales for HSBC in the Americas.
Furthermore, Matt manages the Origination Team globally for HSBC’s Securities Financing business.
He has over 20 years’ experience focusing on clients across a number of major sell-side institutions.
10:50am - 11:10am
Fireside Chat: Criminal threats for finance and treasury
- Threat landscape overview
- Best practices for treasury and operations teams
- Collaboration with law enforcement
Speaker
Mitch Thompson
,
Supervisory Special Agent
,
FBI Cyber Division
Mitchell Thompson is a seasoned professional serving as a Supervisory Special Agent within the FBI Cyber Division. Presently, he assumes the role of managing FBI Cyber Operations in collaboration with the National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) located in New York City. With over eighteen years of dedicated experience in cyber investigations, Mr. Thompson has demonstrated expertise in probing computer intrusions, cybercrimes involving ransomware, cryptocurrency, Business Email Compromises (BECs), and various internet scams.
Before his current position, Mr. Thompson led the FBI Cyber Global Operations and Targeting Unit, where he orchestrated strategic initiatives to counter the global cyber menace. Notably, during his tenure at the FBI, he spearheaded the establishment of the FBI New York Cyber Task Force, a collaborative effort uniting investigators from the FBI, US Secret Service, NYPD, and other law enforcement agencies within the New York City vicinity. This task force played a pivotal role in investigating numerous high-profile cyber breaches and intrusions targeting the financial sector in New York City.
In addition to his distinguished law enforcement career, Mr. Thompson holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Prior to joining the FBI as a Special Agent, he earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license and gained valuable experience in public accounting with a leading global firm.
Moderated by
Ryan Castle
,
Former FBI Special Agent; Chief Executive Officer and Founder
,
Conduit Security
Ryan Castle is a cybersecurity expert with over 18 years of private sector and government experience. Ryan is currently Founder and CEO of Conduit Security, a software solution that provides businesses with security practices to keep electronic transfers secure. Conduit’s software has protected billions of dollars in payments and prevented millions of losses. Prior to Conduit, Ryan was an FBI Special Agent in New York City where he worked complex, criminal computer intrusion cases.
Before Palantir, Ryan was an FBI Special Agent in New York City where he worked complex, criminal computer intrusion cases. Ryan’s investigative work led to the dismantling of large criminal organizations, including one that infected 4 million computers across the world. His investigative work led to several successful convictions. As an agent, Ryan was responsible for source development, investigative activities, forensic examination of digital evidence, and development of tools used internally by agents and analysts to expedite investigative efforts.
Prior to the FBI, Ryan was a software developer and system administrator. He has both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Vanderbilt University.
11:10am - 11:35am
Morning Break & Networking
11:35am - 12:10pm
Breakout sessions:
Select one
Private Credit
1) Valuations in private markets – Art and science combined
- Addressing challenges in private market valuations
- How has technology and AI helped with the highly bespoke and nuanced valuation process?
- Is anyone using AI for valuation purposes?
- How is the process of valuation evolving as the line between public and private markets blurs?
1) Valuations in private markets – Art and science combined
Speakers
Thomas Hansen
,
Chief Financial Officer
,
Oak Hill Advisors
Thomas Hansen is a Managing Director & Chief Financial Officer at Oak Hill Advisors, a leading alternative investment firm with $71 billion of capital under management across performing and distressed credit investments in North America and Europe. He has primary responsibility for OHA’s management company and client accounting processes, including its control environment under Sarbanes Oxley 404, the tax, finance, valuation and business transformation functions, and the client onboarding process. Mr. Hansen serves on various firm committees including the compliance and valuation committees, while also serving as Co-Chair of the Risk Committee and Co-Chair of the New Business Activity Committee. Prior to OHA, he was a senior manager in the audit practice at KPMG, LLP for 10 years, serving various alternative investment managers. Additionally, Mr. Hansen served as a global and national instructor for the firm in the financial services practice. He earned an M.B.A and a B.B.A., magna cum laude, from Texas Wesleyan University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Amit Joshi
,
Chief Financial Officer
,
Bain Capital
Amit Joshi joined Bain Capital in 2023. He is a Senior Vice President on the Finance team for the Credit business and serves as Chief Financial Officer for Bain Capital Private Credit and Bain Capital Specialty Finance.
Prior to joining Bain Capital, Amit worked at Apollo Global Management as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer for Apollo Debt Solutions BDC. He was also a Chief Accounting Officer, Assistant Treasurer, and Vice President of Midcap Financial Investment Corporation (NASDAQ: MFIC), a registered business development company, and of some of the private funds including CLOs, private drawdown funds, and operating companies. Previously, Amit served as Senior Manager at Ernst & Young. Prior to that, he was an Audit Senior at a mid-size accounting firm in New York and in various international offices in roles with increasing responsibility.
Amit graduated with first-class honors from Calcutta University in India. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Chartered Accountant.
Moderated by
Josh Peary
,
Partner
,
Akin
Focuses on complex financing transactions, including direct lending and other private credit investments, private equity-related corporate finance, special situation financings and recapitalizations, and in-court and out-of-court restructurings.
Extensive experience advising both lenders and borrowers in a broad range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions across sectors including technology, health care and consumer products, including leveraged buyouts, syndicated loan financings, cash flow and asset-based lending transactions and liability management transactions.
Represents direct lenders, private credit investors and other private capital and alternative capital providers.
Josh concentrates on private capital transactions, including direct lending and private credit investments, special situation financings, rescue financings and other recapitalization transactions, and in-court and out-of-court restructurings. He has extensive experience advising on leveraged buyouts. Josh represents direct lenders, private credit investors and other private capital and alternative capital providers on a broad range of financing transactions.
Josh draws on a deep knowledge of private capital transactions and has experience across a variety of industry sectors. Clients benefit from his practical approach and strong understanding of market trends.
Prior to joining Akin, Josh was a partner at an international law firm.
Hedge Funds
2) Active treasury management – Driving alpha and enhancing liquidity
- How can treasury functions contribute to generating alpha and enhancing overall fund performance?
- What are the key processes through which treasury can optimize fund liquidity and operational efficiency?
- How can managing unencumbered cash serve as a source of treasury alpha while balancing risk and return?
2) Active treasury management – Driving alpha and enhancing liquidity
Speakers
Michael Berezecky
,
Director of Fund Operations
,
CenterBook Partners
Michael has over a decade of operations experience within the financial services sector. Prior to joining CenterBook Partners, Michael was a Vice President on the trade management team at AQR Capital Management, a global quantitative hedge fund, where he supported the trading desk and worked primarily within the middle office. Before joining AQR, Michael started his career at Interactive Brokers and worked within the security clearing and financial control departments. Michael graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in Economics and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Paul Gallant
,
Chief Product Officer
,
Hazeltree
As Chief Product Officer, Paul oversees all of Hazeltree’s products, including solutions for hedge funds, private markets, data insights, the liquidity platform, and cash and payments. He brings over 20 years of experience building transformational businesses, delivering technology innovation and implementing efficient solutions for the post-trade lifecycle across various asset classes and investment strategies. At BlackRock, he served as the Head of Post-Trade Product Management, where he and his team were responsible for defining, designing, and delivering solutions for the firm’s Middle Office, Accounting, Client Reporting, Regulatory Reporting, and Asset Servicing offerings.
His earlier experience includes senior leadership positions in product and operational roles at both asset servicers and fintech providers, including JPMorgan where he had roles as the Global Head of Alternative Investment Services Operations and Accounting as well the Head of Alternatives Investment Services Operations Product Management for the Americas.
Paul earned his master’s degree in Finance at Boston College after completing his undergraduate degree in Finance and Management Information Systems at Boston University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
John Spinney
,
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer
,
Bracebridge
Mr. Spinney joined Bracebridge as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer in 2007. Mr. Spinney is responsible forall aspects of back office operations including fund accounting, fund administration, fund tax reporting, management company accounting and tax reporting and information technology. Prior to joining Bracebridge, he was Senior Vice President and CFO of Investors Financial Services Corporation (IFIN), the holding company for Investors Bank & Trust Company (IBT). Prior to joining IFIN, Mr. Spinney was an audit partner at KPMG LLP where he focused on asset management and investment company clients. Mr. Spinney is a CPA and received his B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Moderated by
Norman Feckl
,
Head of EAC Treasury360
Norman Feckl brings over 35 years of leadership experience in the financial industry, serving in key roles such as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Counterparty Credit Officer, and Chief Investment Officer. He has a proven track record in infrastructure development, business growth, and managing strategic counterparty and banking relationships, with deep expertise in global treasury, funding, and portfolio finance. His career spans top organizations across investment banking, brokerage, and hedge funds, where he has led the development and design of portfolio finance platforms and technologies.
In his current role at EAC, Mr. Feckl serves as Senior Consultant providing outsourced COO services with a focus on Front Office Treasury, Portfolio Finance, and Counterparty Management services. He operates in an advisory and consultative capacity, helping financial firms implement strategic initiatives and enhance operational efficiencies.
Most recently, Mr. Feckl, served as Chief Counterparty Credit Officer & Managing Director at Paloma Partners Management Company (2016–2024), overseeing counterparty selection and counterparty credit risk reviews, trading and funding platforms, portfolio optimization, cash management, onboarding/offboarding, trading agreements, ODD investor relations counterparty credit and finance portion, and regulatory compliance (KYC/AML).
From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Feckl was the Chief Investment Officer, Treasurer & Finance Manager, Managing Member & Founder of Bolton LP, specializing in Delta One strategies. Before that, he spent a decade at HBK Capital Management, serving as CEO of HBK Global Securities and Global Head of Portfolio Finance (2001–2011).
During his tenure, he developed and centralized global funding operations, implementing state-of-the-art finance systems across stock loan, prime brokerage, repo, swaps, tri-party, and Delta One products. He successfully built and managed a global business with operations in New York, Dallas, London, and Hong Kong.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Feckl was the Managing Director and Founder of Citadel Investment Group LLC’s Portfolio Finance and Treasury Group, a ground-up initiative built from scratch. He also led global funding and securities lending at Maple Partners USA and BT Securities.
As Senior Executive Director at London Global Securities, a Paloma Partners subsidiary, he was instrumental in developing one of the first centralized funding businesses for a hedge fund, overseeing securities lending, repo, swaps, tri-party, and Delta One trading products. He successfully built and expanded each of these products across the U.S., U.K., and Hong Kong.
Mr. Feckl also held senior roles at Shearson Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley & Company, and E.F. Hutton & Company. While at Shearson Lehman in London, he built a Canadian funding operation, a first-of-its-kind US/Australian stock loan business, an international prime brokerage platform, and a global non-dollar repo division. At Morgan Stanley, he pioneered the creation of a Canadian cross-border stock loan and repo operation.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Hofstra University.
12:10pm - 12:45pm
Breakout sessions:
Select one
Private Credit
1) Can you scale funds and grow AUM without breaking the bank?
- What technologies and automation tools can optimize portfolio management, deal sourcing, and risk management processes?
- Which finance functions can private credit funds outsource to third-party providers to reduce operational costs and free up internal resources?
- What organizational structures and processes can be implemented to support growth?
- How to improve efficiency in SMA management and loan documentation?
1) Can you scale funds and grow AUM without breaking the bank?
Speakers
Matthew Gilmartin
,
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer
,
Diameter Capital Partners
Matthew Gilmartin is a Partner, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Diameter Capital Partners, where he joined in 2019. Mr. Gilmartin is a member of the Operating, Valuation, and Risk Committees as well as the CDO/CLO Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Diameter, Mr. Gilmartin was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at River Birch Capital, LLC, a credit-focused investment firm, where he managed all non-investment functions. Prior to joining River Birch, Mr. Gilmartin held a similar position at Ore Hill Partners, a global credit asset manager, from 2005 to 2011. Prior to joining Ore Hill, Mr. Gilmartin worked at Goldman Sachs in the Fund Administration Group from 2003 to 2004. Before joining Goldman Sachs, Mr. Gilmartin worked in the Financial Markets practices at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 2002 to 2003 and Arthur Anderson from 1999 to 2002.
Mr. Gilmartin graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from New York University’s Stern School of Business and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York.
Scot Pasquale
,
Chief Financial Officer
,
Marathon Asset Management
Scot Pasquale is the Chief Financial Officer at Marathon Asset Management. Based in New York, he joined the firm in 2008. Scot received a B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University. He previously worked at Lehman Brothers and EY.
Chris Wahl
,
Director of Operations
,
Silver Point Capital
Mr. Wahl joined Silver Point in 2010. He is the Director of Operations. Prior to Silver Point, Mr. Wahl worked as a Director at Lehman Brothers for 10 years, responsible for bank loan & real estate operations and spanning that time across their New York, Tokyo and London offices. Mr. Wahl received his MBA from London Business School and graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.S. in Accounting.
Moderated by
Peter Alpern
,
Global Debt Markets Sales
,
HSBC
Peter Alpern is responsible for sales of fixed income financing to Institutional Clients across HSBC’s Markets and Securities Services business. Peter started his career at Lehman Brothers in the Structured Credit Trading unit, ultimately rising to market maker and product manager. As the Global Financial Crisis set in, Peter transitioned to Deutsche Bank to sell prime brokerage to credit and multistrategy hedge funds. Now at HSBC, Peter covers several of the Bank’s largest hedge fund clients and is responsible for distribution of financing solutions including repo, TRS, and prime brokerage. Peter is a Chartered Financial Analyst, has a BS in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA in Finance from the University of Rochester.
Hedge Funds
2) Navigating the ODD landscape – How finance teams can elevate investor confidence
- How can finance leaders proactively engage in ODD processes to enhance investor perception and trust?
- What are the emerging trends and challenges in ODD that finance teams must address?
- How can finance teams leverage technology and data analytics to streamline ODD processes and improve efficiency?
- What are the latest developments in shadow accounting: To shadow or not?
2) Navigating the ODD landscape – How finance teams can elevate investor confidence
Speakers
William Allison
,
Deputy Head of External Alpha Operational Risk, Solutions
,
Man Group
William (Bill) Allison is a Director of External Alpha Operational Risk Analyst within Solutions and is based in New York. As a member of the Operational Risk team, he is responsible for assessing and monitoring the business, legal, financial and operational risks of investments in alternatives. Prior to joining Man in 2014, Bill worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. in the Controllers division supporting Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM). Here, he worked in the Valuation Oversight and Performance groups, ensuring that investments across the GSAM complex were priced appropriately. From 2005 to 2010, Bill was a Vice President in the Finance division at Merrill Lynch & Co, running a team of product controllers that supported the Foreign Exchange and Latin American trading desks. Bill holds a BS in Accounting from Fairfield University. He is a CFA charterholder.
Michelle McGurk
,
Deputy Chief Operating Officer
,
Millburn Ridgefield LLC
Ms. McGurk is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Millburn Ridgefield LLC, a quantitative alternative investment manager with roots dating back to 1971 and over $11 billion in assets under management. Prior to joining Millburn in 2024, she was the co-founder, COO, CFO & CCO of Strobus Capital LLC, a discretionary macro investment manager, where she oversaw all accounting, operations, legal/compliance, marketing, and investor relations functions for seven years. Prior to Strobus, Michelle worked at Metacapital Management L.P., a fixed income manager specialized in the mortgage and structured credit markets. Before that, she was at Protégé Partners, LLC, an asset manager focused on investments in small and emerging managers across various strategies. Michelle began her career at Ernst & Young providing audit and advisory services to various asset management clients. She graduated with distinction from The Pennsylvania State University, earning a B.S. in Accounting with a Finance focus and a Minor in International Business. She is a New York State licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Irina Ludkovski
,
Partner, Operational Due Diligence
,
Albourne America LLC
Irina Ludkovski, Partner, Operational Due Diligence, Albourne America LLC. Irina has over 20 years of alternative assets experience and is a senior member of the global ODD Group, leading and contributing to internal strategic initiatives. Irina is a member of the ILPA Diversity in Action Steering Committee. Prior to joining Albourne, Irina was Vice President, Operations at Resolute Funds Limited in Toronto. Irina holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charterholder.
Moderated by
Michael Saarinen
,
Partner and Co-Chair, Fund Formation and Structuring
,
Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Michael is a recognized leader in the investment management community, with over two decades of experience advising U.S. and global fund sponsors and principals on the structuring and formation of private investment funds and related advisory businesses. Michael’s practice focuses on the establishment and operation of funds across all major asset classes and strategies, including buyout, growth equity, venture capital, real estate, hedge, credit, distressed debt, special situations, and fund-of-funds. His representations also include specialized arrangements such as separately managed accounts, co-investment vehicles, single-asset funds, exchange funds, rated note feeder funds, hybrid funds, and other innovative products and services.
In addition, Michael counsels sponsors on key legal and business matters, including investment management M&A, lift-outs, spin-outs, seeding arrangements, strategic initiatives, and complex regulatory issues. He also advises clients on internal management company arrangements such as governance, compensation, talent acquisition, employment, separation, and succession planning.
Michael frequently works with or opposite the full spectrum of private fund investors, including family offices, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and public companies.
Michael received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Columbia University, and a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He is a member of the New York and U.S. Supreme Court bars, and an affiliate member of the Private Investment Funds Committee of the New York City Bar Association.
12:45pm – 01:40pm
Lunch & Networking
01:40pm - 02:15pm
Breakout Sessions
Select one
Talent & Compensation
1) Trends in compensation structures – Balancing performance incentives with firm-wide goals
- What are the emerging trends in compensation practices, and what innovative solutions exist for scaling portfolio manager compensation?
- How can firms structure portfolio manager payouts to effectively balance individual performance incentives with overarching financial objectives?
- Deferred compensation and discretionary compensation systems: Build or buy?
- What strategies are most effective for crafting compensation packages that attract and retain top talent?
1) Trends in compensation structures – Balancing performance incentives with firm-wide goals
Speakers
Tony Bihl
,
Chief Strategy Officer
,
Trexquant Investment LP
Mr. Bihl joined Trexquant in 2024 after a 17-year tenure at Morgan Stanley, where he held several key leadership roles within Prime Brokerage. Prior to joining Trexquant, he served as Co-Head of US Client Service, overseeing a team of over 80 professionals and managing relationships with more than 1,500 hedge funds with a combined multi-billion-dollar AUM and revenue. Previously, Mr. Bihl founded Morgan Stanley’s Client Service Team for Quantitative Hedge Funds and led Relationship Management across all client segments. He has spearheaded numerous initiatives in commercial growth, strategic branding, and advancements in both platform and talent development. Mr. Bihl earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Connecticut.
Brandy Morris
,
Chief Financial Officer
,
AB CarVal
Brandy Morris serves as Principal and Chief Financial Officer at AB CarVal, where she oversees the firm’s management company, financial control and investor accounting, and data initiatives and solutions functions. A vital member of the AB CarVal team, Brandy contributes significantly to the compensation team and is a key member of the Executive Committee and the Human Capital and Compensation Committee. With a tenure at AB CarVal beginning in 2009, Brandy previously led the firm’s global technology function, building out best-in-class capabilities and a strong financial operations (FinOps) mindset. Her career prior to AB CarVal includes roles at Deephaven Capital Management, AEW Capital Management, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Brandy holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Accounting from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Moderated by
Wells Miller
,
Partner
,
Akin
Wells represents funds, companies and executives on the structuring and implementation of effective and tax-efficient compensation and benefit plans in compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and other applicable regulations.
Wells advises fund clients on all matters relating to executive compensation, including designing, drafting, negotiating and implementing nonqualified deferred compensation plans, equity and equity-based incentive compensation arrangements (including compensatory partnership interests), severance, change in control and executive employment agreements and related advice concerning tax. He also counsels clients on compensation and benefits issues arising in the context of mergers and acquisitions and credit facilities.
Wells advises companies on equity plan design and implementation. He is highly experienced in equity compensation in partnerships, including profits interests, and advises on employee benefits matters, including issues arising under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.
On behalf of executives and high-net-worth individuals, Wells negotiates employment agreements, advises on health and retirement plans and assists on tax issues related to equity compensation.
Fund Admin & Counterparty Risk
2) Counterparty management - Building resiliency in volatile markets
- What are the leading practices for counterparty management tailored to dynamic needs?
- How to assess the operational and financial stability of counterparties, including prime brokers and clearing institutions?
- What steps can funds take to implement agile and robust counterparty frameworks?
- How useful are scorecards and other quantitative tools in selecting and monitoring counterparties for fund operations?
- As fund AUM scales, how can firms optimize counterparty management to prevent concentration risk?
2) Counterparty management - Building resiliency in volatile markets
Speakers
Eric Jacobs
,
Consultant & Outsourced Chief Risk Officer; Former Managing Director
,
King Street Capital Management
Eric Jacobs is a consultant working with investment managers to develop and enhance their risk management and finance functions. Additionally, he serves as an Outsourced Chief Risk Officer. Previously, Mr. Jacobs spent 17+ years at King Street Capital Management as Director of Finance and Director of Risk Management. In this role, he led the development of an institutional class risk management infrastructure and process, primarily utilizing technology developed in-house with King Street’s Technology team In addition to leading King Street’s Risk Committee, Mr. Jacobs also served on the Valuation Committee, New Products Committee, ESG Steering Committee, BCP Committee, Data Science Group, and Brokerage Committee. Before joining King Street, Eric worked at Goldman Sachs in various Product Control roles. Eric began his career at Price Waterhouse. He holds a BBA in Accounting and Finance from the University of Michigan and an MBA from New York University.
David Kigel
,
Treasurer
,
Sculptor Capital Management
David Kigel is a Managing Director and Treasurer for Sculptor Capital. In this role he oversees firm liquidity, cash management, counterparty risk management, financing, and funding strategy across Sculptor Capital’s multi-strategy, credit, and real estate funds. Mr. Kigel has been with the Firm since 2012.
Mr. Kigel holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Maryland.
David Zirin
,
Chief Operating Officer
,
Pentwater Capital Management
David joined Pentwater Capital Management in April 2007 as a founder and the Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Pentwater, he was a Director in the Prime Brokerage group at UBS Securities. Previously, David worked at Ritchie Capital Management and Citadel Investment Group. David has 36 years of investment industry experience. David graduated from the University of Michigan in 1987 with a B.A. in Decision Behavior Analysis and received a M.B.A. in Economics and Finance from the University of Chicago in 1995.
Moderated by
Boris Liberman
,
Partner and Co-Chair, Derivatives and Structured Products
,
Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Boris provides strategic advice to sophisticated investment management firms regarding all aspects of implementing their investment and trading strategy while remaining compliant with appropriate regulatory regimes. With years of experience advising funds and institutional investors on the trading of securities, commodities, derivatives, and other asset classes, Boris is also proficient in a multitude of agreements with varying complexity required by market participants globally.
Deeply knowledgeable about the wide range of both U.S. and non-U.S. laws and regulations that impact the trade of assets, Boris helps investment managers and investors optimize, and think more strategically about their trading strategy, treasury function, financing costs, and counterparty risk management. He also helps to implement these strategies through the creation of trading compliance manuals and effective best practices.
From his years of leading a team at a global investment management firm, as well as in private practice representing funds and private equity clients, Boris has developed a unique set of skills and acquired wide-ranging experience in dealing with all aspects of investment strategy implementation.
He has specialized knowledge of relevant rules and regulations impacting trading documentation globally, including in key emerging markets such as China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, and Russia. Boris provides counsel to investment managers and asset owners who wish to access these markets across various investment instruments. He helps asset owners optimize their due diligence process in evaluating investment managers, and he provides strategic advice as to how asset owners should think about investment managers and dealers, as well as various trading instruments.
As an active member of various buy-side industry groups, Boris has been involved in conversations dealing with most key regulatory developments impacting investment strategy implementation worldwide. Over the course of the last 12 years, he has negotiated thousands of agreements, spanning all asset classes including:
- Complex committed financing arrangements for hedge funds and managed accounts
• ISDA agreements
• Global master swaps confirmation agreements
• Futures agreements
• OTC clearing agreements
• Tri-party custody agreements
• Enhanced custody agreements
• Give-up agreements
• TBA agreements
• Repurchase agreements
• Main custody agreements
• Unique guarantee arrangements
Before joining the firm, Boris served as Senior Counsel at AQR Capital Management LLC, where he counseled members of the investor, trading, research, compliance, portfolio implementation, and business development teams.
Tax & Treasury Clearing
3) Repo clearing mandate: What you need to know
- What are the key priorities for fund managers as they prepare for these mandates?
- What are the essential steps to effectively implement and adapt to the new requirements?
- How will these mandates impact industry and reshape market structures?
3) Repo clearing mandate: What you need to know
Speakers:
Predrag Rogic
,
Managing Legal Counsel & Vice President
,
T. Rowe Price
Predrag Rogic is Managing Legal Counsel and Vice President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. At T. Rowe Price, he leads a group responsible for legal capital markets matters. Before joining T. Rowe Price, he practiced structured finance and derivatives law at Sidley Austin LLP in New York City and started his legal career at Coudert Brothers LLP also in New York. He has been a speaker at a number of industry conferences and seminars, including the SIFMA FIA Asset Management Derivatives Forum, ICI Global Trading and Market Structure Conference and the IAA Key Regulatory Issues for Advisers Trading Derivatives. His publications include “Position Limits for Commodity Derivatives Under Dodd-Frank,” Thomson Reuters Accelus, “Recent Regulatory Developments Affecting Private Fund Managers,” Futures & Derivatives Law Report, and “Sovereignty and International Criminal Justice”, Revista Colombiana de Derecho Internacional.
Predrag earned a J.D. cum laude from Boston University School of Law. He also earned a Bachelor of Music degree and a Graduate Performance Diploma in classical guitar from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.
Matthew Daigler
,
Vice President, Senior Counsel, Regulatory Affairs
,
MFA
Matthew Daigler is MFA’s Vice President, Senior Counsel, Regulatory Affairs.
In this role, Matthew analyzes the impact of legislative and regulatory developments on MFA members, works with MFA members in developing Association policy, drafts comments to regulators, oversees outside counsel/consultants, and engages directly with policymakers and regulators.
Prior to joining the MFA, Mr. Daigler was Vice President and Senior Counsel in the Office of Innovation Policy and Regulation at the American Bankers Association (ABA), where he worked with banks and policymakers to ensure that the legal and regulatory landscape supports financial innovation. Prior to working at the ABA, Mr. Daigler served as Senior Counsel in the Chairman’s Office at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), where he advised on domestic and international policy and legal matters relating to cryptocurrencies and the OTC derivatives and futures markets. He also previously worked as a Senior Associate at Allen & Overy LLP in Washington, D.C., where he advised financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory matters. He also worked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for nearly 10 years, most recently serving as Senior Special Counsel in the Office of Derivatives Policy, where he worked on the implementation of Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act and derivatives regulation more generally.
Matthew has degrees from the University of Chicago (J.D.); Boston College (Ph.D.); and the University of Toronto (B.A.).
Robert Taylor
,
Senior Director, Clearing Policy & Market Structure
,
CME Group
Robert Taylor serves as the Senior Director, Clearing Policy & Market Structure at CME Group. He has guided CME Group efforts to navigate changes in fixed income markets, impacts of banking capital requirements on derivatives, and currently serves as the head of the CME Clearing regulatory reporting team. Mr. Taylor has also led the successful regulatory approval efforts for major CME Clearing initiatives, including the CME-FICC Enhanced Cross-Margining program, approved and launched in January 2024. Mr. Taylor has enjoyed a 20-year history in capital markets, working initially across fixed income and securitization markets at Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Bank, and presently in derivatives markets at CME Group.
Speakers:
Michele (Miki) Navazio
,
Partner
,
Seward & Kissel LLP
Michele (Miki) Navazio is a partner in Seward & Kissel’s Corporate Finance group, and chair of Seward’s Derivatives and Trading Practice Group. Miki advises buy-side clients in connection with complex derivatives and structured products, as well as regulatory issues and developments that affect derivatives market participants. His clients include a number of the world’s largest hedge funds and asset managers, as well as private equity firms, mutual funds, institutional investors and corporate end-users.
Miki regularly assists clients in structuring, documenting and negotiating an array of over-the-counter derivative instruments, structured products and repo facilities. These include complex derivatives such as credit default swaps and total return swaps that provide synthetic or leveraged exposure to underlying assets of all types, that provide regulatory capital relief to swap dealers and financial institutions (including VAR or liquidity coverage ratio trades), that serve as credit enhancement or other support for structured finance programs, or that otherwise constitute an alternative to direct investments in the securities, loans, commodities or other assets referenced in such derivatives. His experience in this area encompasses credit and equity derivatives, total return swaps (TRS) and TRS facilities, repurchase agreements (MRA/GMRA) and repo facilities, variance and volatility swaps, exotic OTC options, interest rate swaps, FX and commodity swaps (including those referencing digital currencies). Miki also advises buy-side market participants in negotiating ISDA master agreements and collateral arrangements, tri-party custody arrangements, prime brokerage, futures and swap clearing agreements, derivatives/PB intermediation, margin lock-up agreements, ABS forward transaction agreements (MSFTA) and securities lending agreements (MSLA/GMSLA).
Miki’s derivatives practice encompasses the Dodd-Frank Act and regulations related to both systemic and counterparty risk, swap margin, central clearing and execution of OTC derivatives, collateral segregation, reporting and compliance. He is currently advising clients on the SEC’s clearing mandate for US Treasury repo transactions, including the rules of the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation and related access issues and documentation. Miki continues to assist clients with the initial margin rules for uncleared swaps, addressing issues including documentation and negotiation of the 2018 Credit Support Annex for Initial Margin, SIMM and initial margin determinations, and collateral and custodial arrangements. Miki is a frequent speaker on derivatives regulation and documentation, and has been a featured panelist for a number of ISDA conferences addressing the swap initial margin regime and related documentation and negotiation concerns. Miki was also outside counsel to SIFMA’s Asset Management Group in connection with SIFMA AMG’s discussions with the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England relating to the bank resolution stay regime and its participation in the buy-side working group for the ISDA Resolution Stay Protocols.
Miki is currently advising the Alternative Investment Management Association working group on the SEC clearing mandate for US Treasury repo transactions. He is also a member of Seward & Kissel’s Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Group, advising clients on derivatives, trading, margin and custody issues related to digital assets.
02:15pm - 02:50pm
Breakout sessions:
Select one
Talent & Compensation
1) Building agile finance teams: The role of ‘General athletes’ and ensuring strong senior leadership
- How can organizations expand the skill sets of finance team members to take on broader roles and responsibilities?
- What approaches work best for developing a strong 'backbone' of senior leadership within the organization?
- What are effective strategies for motivating and retaining talent in a post-WFH environment?
- How can organizations navigate a multigenerational workforce and prepare for the rise of Gen Z?
1) Building agile finance teams: The role of ‘General athletes’ and ensuring strong senior leadership
Speakers
Ellen Conti
,
Executive Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer
,
Sculptor Capital Management
Ellen Conti is an Executive Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer for Sculptor Capital. She is also a member of the Firm’s Partner Management Committee. In this role, Ms. Conti oversees all aspects of Accounting, Operations, Corporate Strategy, Tax, and Treasury at Sculptor Capital.
Prior to joining the Firm in 2021, Ms. Conti was Head of Corporate Strategy and Finance for Assured Investment Management, formerly BlueMountain Capital Management. She also held roles as Deputy Chief Financial Officer and within strategy and business development. Prior to Assured Investment Management, she worked at Credit Suisse within global strategy and business development for the Asset Management business.
Ms. Conti holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting with a minor in Politics from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.
Hannah Ellis
,
Managing Principal, Chief Financial Officer
,
Monarch Alternative Capital LP
Hannah is a Managing Principal and Chief Financial Officer for Monarch. Prior to joining Monarch in 2021, Hannah was the Head of Finance for Blackstone Alternative Asset Management, where she oversaw all finance functions for the teams focused on hedge funds, direct investing, and other alternative products. Prior to her role at Blackstone, she spent ten years at Ernst & Young LLP where she was most recently a Senior Manager in the Asset Management practice. Hannah currently serves on the boards of various entities related to investments in U.S. real estate. Hannah graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.S. in Business and a M.S. in Accountancy.
Moderated by
Roark Stahler
,
Managing Director, US Head of Strategic Consulting
,
Barclays
Mr. Stahler is the US Head of Strategic Consulting at Barclays. Mr. Stahler joined Barclays in 2008 as a member of the Strategy team working on various projects across the Investment Bank. Prior to joining Barclays, he worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company, advising Asset Managers and other financial institutions as well as several other client types.
Mr. Stahler holds an MBA as well as a BA from the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Fund Admin & Counterparty Risk
2) Selecting the ideal fund administrator - A deep dive
- How can you assess the range of services offered, including accounting, tax preparation, investor relations, and risk management?
- What are the best ways to evaluate the administrator's technological capabilities and their ability to adapt to evolving industry standards and regulations?
- How can you foster a transparent and collaborative relationship with your fund administrator?
- What insights can help balance cost, efficiency, quality, and utility in the selection process?
- Evaluating the benefits and trade-offs of standalone fund admins versus bank/prime-linked administrators
2) Selecting the ideal fund administrator - A deep dive
Speakers
Rob Finneran
,
Chief Financial Officer
,
Whale Rock Capital Management LLC
Rob is the Chief Financial Officer and joined Whale Rock in 2019. Rob spent over seven years as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at Garelick Capital Partners in Boston and five years as the Vice President of Finance and Operations at North Bay Capital Management. Previously, Rob spent 11 years at Deloitte and PwC. Rob graduated from Ithaca College with a BS in Accounting.
Anthony Gonzalez
,
Managing Director, Interim Chief Financial Officer
,
Davidson Kempner
Anthony Gonzalez is a Managing Director and Interim Chief Financial Officer at Davidson Kempner. He joined the Firm in 2009 and is based in the New York office.
Before joining Davidson Kempner, Mr. Gonzalez was a Senior Associate in the Alternative Investments Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Gonzalez received a B.S. from Fordham University. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Moderated by
Eileen Overbaugh
,
Partner
,
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Advises hedge funds, venture capital funds and other pooled investment vehicles on all matters related to private funds, including formation, structuring, investor negotiation and ongoing operations.
Eileen negotiates seed and strategic investments, funds-of-one, managed account arrangements and other alternative investment relationships, and also advises asset managers and institutional investors with respect to co-investments and single-asset funds.
She focuses particularly on the business arrangements between the principals of asset management firms, including governance of the investment manager and general partner entities. In addition, Eileen structures employee compensation and employee separation arrangements for both asset managers and their most senior employees and partners.
Eileen is recognized as a leading investment funds lawyer for her work in the hedge funds space by Chambers USA, with clients stating that “she is highly strategic and can turn around issues quickly.”
Distinctions
• Chambers Global
• Chambers USA
• The Hedge Fund Journal ̶ “50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds,” 2022
• The Legal 500 US
Prior Experience
• Lowenstein Sandler
Practices
• Executive and Management Team Representation
• Financial Institutions
• Hedge Funds
• Investment Management
• Investor Representation
• Private Equity
• Upper Tier Strategic Advisory and Compensation Strategies
• Venture Capital and Growth Equity
Bar Admissions
• New York
• New Jersey
Education
• Seton Hall University School of Law, JD,
• summa cum laude
• Drew University, BA,
• summa cum laude
Tax & Treasury Clearing
3) Aligning tax technology with modern compliance and audit needs
- Leveraging technology for state and federal tax compliance
- Integrating tax tools to streamline audits and litigation responses
- Key considerations for outsourcing the tax function
- What tools and technologies are available to manage carried interest more efficiently?
- Addressing challenges with manual and Excel-based processes
3) Aligning tax technology with modern compliance and audit needs
Speakers
Val Amarjit
,
US Head of Tax
,
Marshall Wace
Val Amarjit is the Head of US Tax at Marshall Wace, overseeing all US aspects of tax strategy, structuring, operational risk, and compliance. Prior to joining Marshall Wace, he held roles at Hudson Bay Capital and Anchorage Capital.
Geralyn Hurd
,
President and Co-founder
,
K1X
In 2009, Geralyn Hurd was honored with the ICPAS Woman to Watch Award and she’s been a woman to watch ever since. With 35 years (32 in public accounting), Geralyn didn’t follow the traditional path followed by most CPAs. Rather Geralyn focused on transforming the industry by developing unique technology solutions – first as Tax Transformation and Technology Leader of her firm and now as President & Co-Founder of K1x, Inc.
Geralyn has multiple patents and patent applications published in her name both for tax preparation software for tax exempts, AI-powered K-1 extraction technologies, a digital K-1 and K-1 Exchange. She advanced to key senior leadership roles at her firm but even more rare, carved out a technology business from her firm and created an independent technology start-up. Today, software co-developed by Geralyn is being used by most of the largest accounting firms in the country.
Geralyn has had many leadership roles within the CPA profession and served on Illinois and AICPA committees, IRS Technical Resource Panels and the Illinois CPA Society Board of Directors. As a thought leader, inventor and entrepreneur, Geralyn has been a role model and mentor to hundreds of people in the profession.
Moderated by
Joseph Schwartz
,
Vice President and Senior Counsel, Regulatory Affairs
,
MFA
Joseph Schwartz is MFA’s Vice President & Senior Counsel, Regulatory Affairs.
In his position, Joseph advocates on and shapes legislative, regulatory, and administrative policies affecting the alternative investment industry, including, principally, U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. tax policy.
Prior to joining MFA, Joseph was a Senior Associate in the Tax practice of a “Big 4” public accounting firm, where he advised clients on tax planning, compliance, and controversy, including multistate taxation.
Joseph received his B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation, magna cum laude, from The University of Alabama School of Law. Joseph is a member of the Georgia and D.C. bars.
02:50pm - 03:15pm
Seventh Inning Stretch:
Coffee Break & Networking
03:10pm - 03:15pm
Welcome from iConnections
Speaker
Ron Biscardi
,
CEO & Co-Founder
,
iConnections
Ron Biscardi is the CEO and Co-Founder of iConnections. Ron has over 25 years of experience in the alternative investment industry, and has closed over 20 seed deals and deployed over $600 million in capital. His achievements include building the world’s largest capital introduction conference which takes place annually in Miami Beach. In April 2020, he founded iConnections, a software-powered community connecting the investment management industry. iConnections’ platform and app allows managers to securely share company information with allocators, who can seamlessly evaluate and engage with relevant managers. The scalable technology powering iConnections can be used for all types of bespoke investor events and is already the technology of choice of the largest industry events including SALT, AIMA and 100 Women in Finances’ FundWomen Week. iConnections’ annual philanthropic events, which started with Funds4Food, and followed by Funds4Minds and Funds4Ukraine have raised over $2.5million for charities.
03:15pm - 03:45pm
Home Run Strategies:
Expense management and benchmarking - Tackling challenges of cost optimization
- What are the best practices in expense management and driving ROI?
Expense management and benchmarking - Tackling challenges of cost optimization
Speakers
Erik Addington
,
Chief Financial Officer
,
ExodusPoint
Erik Addington joined ExodusPoint in 2018 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining ExodusPoint, Erik spent 10 years at Nomura and held senior finance roles including Chief Financial Officer, Americas and Head of Treasury, Americas based in New York and Chief Financial Officer, Asia ex-Japan while based in Hong Kong. At Nomura, he served on the Americas Executive Committee and Global Finance Operating Committee and was responsible for financial controls and operational infrastructure. Before joining Nomura, Erik worked at Lehman Brothers from 1998 – 2008 in various roles in New York and Tokyo including Head of Asia-Pacific Product Control. Erik began his career at Andersen Consulting. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Bonaventure University and a master’s degree in business administration from Fordham University, and he is a US CPA (inactive).
Eric Sannella
,
Head of Accounting
,
Viking Global Investors
Eric Sannella is Head of Accounting responsible for overseeing fund and management company financial and tax operations, controls, and reporting. Prior to joining Viking in 2018, Eric was Controller at Tudor Investment Corporation and Manager in the Assurance and Business Advisory Services Group at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Eric received an MBA in professional accounting from the Rutgers Business School and a B.A. in economics from Rutgers University.
John Spinney
,
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer
,
Bracebridge
Mr. Spinney joined Bracebridge as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer in 2007. Mr. Spinney is responsible forall aspects of back office operations including fund accounting, fund administration, fund tax reporting, management company accounting and tax reporting and information technology. Prior to joining Bracebridge, he was Senior Vice President and CFO of Investors Financial Services Corporation (IFIN), the holding company for Investors Bank & Trust Company (IBT). Prior to joining IFIN, Mr. Spinney was an audit partner at KPMG LLP where he focused on asset management and investment company clients. Mr. Spinney is a CPA and received his B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Moderated by
Orville Thomas
,
Executive Director
,
UBS AG
Orville Thomas is an Executive Director in the UBS Business Consulting team based in New York. Orville has almost 15 years of experience in prime brokerage/financing where he has advised hedge funds in various capacities including legal, business consulting and capital introductions. Prior to joining UBS, Orville was a member of the Capital Introductions team and BofA Securities in New York having previously worked at Credit Suisse in Hong Kong, and Morgan Stanley in both London and Hong Kong. Orville began his career as a lawyer in London and received a B.A. in political science from Boston College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.
03:45pm - 04:10pm
In the batter's box:
The evolving alternatives market ecosystem: From tariffs to industry-specific policies and regulations
- Gain exclusive insights from experts on the rulemaking and policies expected under the new administration, and their potential impact on alternative asset management and the broader economy.
The evolving alternatives market ecosystem: From tariffs to industry-specific policies and regulations
Speakers
Aditya Bhave
,
Managing Director and Senior US Economist
,
Bank of America
Aditya Bhave is a Managing Director and Senior US Economist. He focuses on the US consumer and contributes to the widely-read BofA on USA report, as well as other thematic research. Bhave also helps the Global Research US economic team formulate views on inflation, growth and monetary policy. Previously, he was a US economist and rates strategist at Deutsche Bank. Bhave has a Ph.D in economics from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from Amherst College. He is based in New York.
Jillien Flores
,
Chief Advocacy Officer
,
MFA
Jillien Flores serves as Chief Advocacy Officer at MFA.
In this role, she develops and executes MFA’s advocacy strategies to advance the ability of alternative asset managers to raise capital, invest, and generate returns for their beneficiaries. Flores also oversees efforts to connect MFA’s advocacy with member growth and engagement. Her deep understanding of the industry, strong relationships with policymakers, and keen political instincts have delivered positive results for the industry and its investors, including pensions, foundations, and endowments.
Since joining MFA in 2021, Flores has created a more favorable public policy environment for alternative asset managers in the U.S., U.K., and E.U. In the U.S., Flores informs policymakers and their staff about the industry’s significant contributions to local communities and the global economy and push back against proposals that would harm managers, investors, and everyday Americans. Abroad, she spearheaded MFA’s expansion in Brussels to push back against harmful EU rules and in London to shape the future of the U.K.’s capital markets post-Brexit.
Flores joined MFA after six years at Vanguard, one of the world’s leading asset managers. There, she advocated on a range of issues related to US capital markets, tax, and retirement policy.
Prior to joining Vanguard, Flores represented clients before Congress and federal financial regulators as a Director of Government Relations at Porterfield, Lowenthal, Fettig & Sears. She was involved in the legislative and rule-writing process for several financial services laws and regulations, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act.
Moderated by
Joseph Schwartz
,
Vice President and Senior Counsel, Regulatory Affairs
,
MFA
Joseph Schwartz is MFA’s Vice President & Senior Counsel, Regulatory Affairs.
In his position, Joseph advocates on and shapes legislative, regulatory, and administrative policies affecting the alternative investment industry, including, principally, U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. tax policy.
Prior to joining MFA, Joseph was a Senior Associate in the Tax practice of a “Big 4” public accounting firm, where he advised clients on tax planning, compliance, and controversy, including multistate taxation.
Joseph received his B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation, magna cum laude, from The University of Alabama School of Law. Joseph is a member of the Georgia and D.C. bars.
04:10pm - 04:40pm
Double play:
Building stronger bridges - How banks and fund managers can align for growth
- How have the dynamics between banks and fund managers shifted in recent years?
-
What strategies can banks adopt to become more responsive to the evolving needs of funds?
- How have fund managers navigated banking relationships in the post-SVB era?
- What are the key challenges and opportunities posed by evolving global banking regulations for market participants?
- What are the key criteria for funds when choosing a banking partner in today’s environment?
Building stronger bridges - How banks and fund managers can align for growth
Speakers
Norman Bickford
,
Treasurer
,
Renaissance Technologies
Norman Bickford joined Renaissance in 2007. On a day-to-day basis, Mr. Bickford primarily oversees capital management of loss reserves, margin control, and Treasury operations. Treasury’s purpose is to meet the cash and collateral requirements of Renaissance and its related funds, maximize the protection and liquidity of reserved assets, and operate within the investment and credit guidelines set by the Head of Risk Control. Before joining Renaissance, Mr. Bickford was a risk manager in the prime brokerage division of Deutsche Bank. He has spent over 31 years working in the capital markets industry including Deutsche Bank, Bankers Trust, and Salomon Brothers. His main areas of focus have been hedge fund risk management, equity derivative Middle Office, and financial analysis. Mr. Bickford holds a MS in Financial Engineering from Polytechnic University and a MS in Information Management from Stevens Institute of Technology.
Jennifer Grenside
,
Managing Director, Head of Financial Resource Group
,
Bank of America Securities
Jen has 22 years industry experience in secured financing across Fixed Income & Equities, both buy side and sell side. She joined Bank of America Securities in November 2019 to lead the Financial Resource Group based in New York. The team is focused on resource optimisation, client pricing & profitability and analytics for Prime Financing. Previously she was at Citigroup, based in London for 11 years leading the Equity Financial Resource Management covering all Equities businesses outside America. The team was focused on resource optimisation, equity finance trading, Prime Finance analytics, and client pricing & profitability across synthetic and cash financing. Prior to joining Citigroup, Jen was leading the portfolio finance group at European Credit Management a fixed income, active asset manager, now owned by Wells Fargo Asset Management. Jen holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and received her MBA from Edinburgh Business School.
Jeff Parker
,
Treasurer
,
AMG
Jeff Parker is Treasurer and manages AMG’s treasury, capital management, and financial planning & analysis areas. Prior to joining AMG in 2012, Mr. Parker served as Senior Financial Analyst at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. He received an M.S. from Brandeis University and a B.S. from Springfield College. Mr. Parker is a CFA® charterholder.
Moderated by
Nora Richardson
,
Vice President, Membership & Investor Services
,
MFA
Prior to joining MFA, Nora was at Bank of America Securities as a Director in the Prime Brokerage Business Consulting team. Prior to that, Nora worked in both the U.S. and London offices of Bank of America as a prime brokerage account manager. She has more than thirteen years of experience serving equity, multi-strategy, and quantitative hedge funds of various sizes from new launches and emerging managers to institutionalized funds.
Nora graduated with honors from Fairfield University with a B.S. in mathematics and economics.
04:40pm - 04:40pm
Closing pitch from MFA
Speakers
Nora Richardson
,
Vice President, Membership & Investor Services
,
MFA
Prior to joining MFA, Nora was at Bank of America Securities as a Director in the Prime Brokerage Business Consulting team. Prior to that, Nora worked in both the U.S. and London offices of Bank of America as a prime brokerage account manager. She has more than thirteen years of experience serving equity, multi-strategy, and quantitative hedge funds of various sizes from new launches and emerging managers to institutionalized funds.
Nora graduated with honors from Fairfield University with a B.S. in mathematics and economics.
04:40pm - 06:40pm
Networking Reception & Batting Cage Experience
Step up to the plate and experience the thrill of batting like a pro in our exclusive batting cage at the Mets stadium, complete with skilled pitchers, helmets, bats, and balls.
While you wait your turn in the Visitors Clubhouse, enjoy soft seating, cold beer, classic hot dogs, and fresh popcorn!
