DETAILED OUTLINE
8.30am
REGISTRATION OPEN
Cargo Hall, South Wharf
9.00am
WELCOME
Tim Townsend
Partner & Private Wealth Adviser, Townsend Cobain Partners
9.15am
BUILDING RESILIENCE — PORTFOLIOS FOR A STRUCTURALLY UNCERTAIN WORLD
How institutional portfolio design is evolving — and what it means for advisers
In an environment shaped by geopolitical fragmentation, structural inflation pressures and lower expected returns from traditional asset classes, forward-thinking institutional investors such as the Future Fund have begun reshaping how portfolios are constructed. Emphasising total portfolio thinking, dynamic asset allocation and resilience across economic regimes, their approach reflects a deliberate response to persistent uncertainty.
Rather than relying solely on traditional asset class diversification, these investors are re-examining risk budgeting, liquidity management, defensive real assets and active tilts around long-term reference portfolios.
This opening session explores what genuinely builds resilience in a structurally uncertain world and considers which elements of institutional portfolio design can meaningfully translate into adviser-led portfolios, and where practical constraints differ.
Key Issues:
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Total Portfolio Thinking – How leading institutions are reshaping asset allocation through
reference portfolios and active tilts. -
Resilience Across Regimes – Preparing portfolios for structural inflation, geopolitical
fragmentation and shifting growth dynamics. -
Diversification Reconsidered – Where traditional asset class models may fall short in a lower-return world.
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Practical Translation – Which institutional principles can realistically be adopted within
wealth portfolios.​​​
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IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Which elements of forward-thinking institutional portfolio frameworks are most relevant to adviser portfolios?
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How do you define and measure resilience within your own portfolio design?
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What structural risks or regime shifts are most likely to challenge traditional asset allocation models over the coming decade?
10.15am
MORNING TEA
10.35am
MARKET STRUCTURE — IS CONCENTRATION A PROBLEM FOR INVESTORS?
Leadership, benchmarks and the implications for active portfolios
Global markets are increasingly shaped by structural forces beyond earnings growth alone. Capital intensity, scale advantages and passive flows have reinforced concentration at the index level, while dispersion beneath the surface may be widening.
Is this consolidation of economic power a durable feature of the modern economy, or a source of fragility? And what does it mean for active investors navigating benchmark design, diversification and risk?
This session explores how evolving market structure is reshaping competitive dynamics and the opportunity set for global equity portfolios. The focus is on investor implications, not short-term narratives, and whether concentration represents risk to manage, reality to accept or opportunity to exploit.
Key Issues:
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Structural Dominance – Is rising concentration a rational outcome of scale economics and capital intensity, or a distortion amplified by flows and sentiment ?
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Benchmark Reality – When indices themselves are narrow, what does genuine
diversification actually mean? -
Alpha Dynamics – Is today’s market structure increasing the value of stock selection, or
reducing the margin for error for active managers? -
Portfolio Consequences – How should evolving market structure influence risk budgeting, exposure limits and manager selection?
THOUGHT LEADERS:
Hollie Briggs
Head of Global Product Management, Loomis, Sayles & Company
(Represented by Natixis Investment Managers)
Doug Tynan
Co-Founder & Chief Investment Officer, GCQ Funds Management
IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Does current market structure strengthen or weaken the long-term case for active
management? -
If concentration persists, how would that influence your portfolio construction assumptions?
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How are current conditions shaping your thinking on investment style and manager selection?
11.40am
PRIVATE CREDIT — THE ALLOCATION QUESTIONS THAT MATTER NOW
Where to play, how value is created and what it means for portfolios
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Private credit has grown rapidly as banks retrenched and investors sought income. As the asset class matures, however, competition is increasing and the opportunity set is fragmenting.
From sponsor-backed direct lending to asset-backed finance and special situations, across domestic and global markets, each segment offers distinct risk-return dynamics. Higher rates and tighter liquidity are also testing underwriting discipline and increasing dispersion.
In this environment, the question is not only how much to allocate, but where to play and how returns are generated. What differentiates genuine alpha from commoditised yield? How do managers build sourcing advantages and protect capital? And how should advisers structure private credit exposure within diversified portfolios?
Key Issues:
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Segments & Strategy – How different forms of private credit vary in risk and return.
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Alpha vs Beta – What truly drives excess returns in private credit.
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Competitive Advantage – How managers source, underwrite and structure deals to protect downside.
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Portfolio Role – How to size and position private credit as dispersion increases.
THOUGHT LEADERS:
Frank Danieli
Managing Director & Group Executive, Head of Global Credit Solutions, MA Financial Group
Millwood Hobbs Jr
Oaktree Capital Management (Represented by Brookfield)
IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Where do you see the most attractive segments within private credit today?
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How do you distinguish genuine alpha from commoditised yield?
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How are you determining appropriate exposure and risk budgets for private credit in
portfolios?
12.40pm
LUNCH
1.45pm
BEYOND THE LEADERS — WHERE IS GROWTH BEING UNDER APPRECIATED?
Emerging global opportunities and the portfolio case for broadening exposure
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While the longer-term performance of large-cap indices has been compelling, looking beneath the surface reveals a broader universe of companies evolving that are strengthening competitive positions, improving margins and entering new growth phases without yet commanding widespread attention.
For advisers managing diversified portfolios, the question is not whether to own established leaders, but how and when to allocate to emerging sources of growth. Where may expectations be too low? How should these opportunities complement existing exposures? And what level of conviction is required before adjusting portfolio weights?
This session explores whether the current market environment creates a compelling case to broaden focus beyond established leaders, and considers the practical implications for portfolio construction and allocation decisions.
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Key Issues:
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Underappreciated Growth – Where are fundamentals strengthening without yet being fully
reflected in market expectations? -
Quality of Growth – How can advisers distinguish durable improvement in earnings and
returns on capital from cyclical rebound or narrative-driven optimism? -
Allocation Discipline – How should emerging growth opportunities complement established
large-cap exposures within diversified portfolios? -
Risk & Conviction – What level of evidence is required before increasing exposure, and how
should position sizing reflect both upside potential and downside risk?
THOUGHT LEADERS:
Speaker TBC
ClariVest Asset Management
(Represented by Warakirri Asset Management)
Ned Bell
Chief Investment Officer, Bell Asset Management
IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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How are current market conditions influencing your approach to portfolio breadth and manager selection? Which areas of the AI value chain offer compelling, undercrowded opportunities?
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Where do you see the most compelling areas of emerging growth that merit increased allocation?
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In an environment of greater volatility and dispersion, how are you managing portfolio weights and risk budgets?
2.50pm
3.55pm
FROM INSIGHT TO IMPLEMENTATION — REFINING PORTFOLIOS IN PRACTICE
Testing asset allocation convictions in a changing market environment
As markets evolve and opportunity sets expand, even well-constructed portfolios warrant re-examination.
This session invites delegates to step into an investment committee mindset and workshop their current view of the world. How have recent shifts in market structure, liquidity, growth dynamics and private markets influenced positioning? Where does conviction sit today — and where has it shifted?
The focus is on refining core allocation views, ensuring portfolios reflect deliberate positioning rather than inherited assumptions.
Workshop Focus:
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Core Assumption – What structural view anchors your current allocation?
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Conviction vs Exposure – Does portfolio exposure align with your highest conviction ideas?
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Capital Decision – If you redeployed 5% today, where would it move, and why?
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AFTERNOON TEA
4.15pm
THE ADVISER OF THE FUTURE
Technology, platforms & the evolving client proposition
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Advice businesses are being reshaped by rapid technological change — from AI-powered research and automation tools to tokenisation, platform innovation, and shifting client expectations. This session explores how advisers can evolve their value proposition, embrace problem-finding, and deliver a more personalised and efficient client experience.
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Key Issues:
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Problem-Finding – Moving from reactive problem-solving to proactive discovery of client needs.
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Tech Enablement – Using AI, automation, and data tools to enhance portfolio design and engagement.
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Tokenisation Shift – How tokenised assets and new platform structures may change access and liquidity.
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Client Proposition – What tomorrow’s clients will expect and how advisers can stay ahead.
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THOUGHT LEADER:
Jason Esntwistle
Director Strategic Development, HUB24
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IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Which parts of your value proposition will need to evolve most in the next 3–5 years?
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How do you see AI improving — or complicating — research and portfolio processes?
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What opportunities could new platform capabilities open for your business and client offering?