DETAILED OUTLINE
8.30am
REGISTRATION OPEN
Heritage Ballroom, The Fullerton Hotel, Sydney
9.00am
WELCOME
Tim Townsend
Partner & Private Wealth Adviser, Townsend Cobain Partners
9.15am
FAULT LINES AND FRONTLINES
Leading in a Fractured World
As geopolitical tensions rise and alliances realign, understanding the forces shaping global policy and trade has never been more critical. In this session, former Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne unpacks the shifts driving market volatility—from escalating trade frictions and strategic competition to the growing complexity of global leadership.
At the national level, with the Labor Party now firmly established in power, we’ll examine how Australia’s political landscape may influence economic policy, regulatory settings, and broader investor confidence.
As global risks and domestic shifts collide, investors face a complex new landscape. This session will explore the implications for asset allocation, policy-sensitive sectors, and long-term strategy—blending geopolitical awareness with practical investment thinking.
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Key Issues:
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Global power shifts: How are evolving alliances and rivalries—especially in the Indo-Pacific—redefining economic and security priorities?
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Trade under pressure: What do intensifying trade tensions mean for markets, and how can businesses adapt to a fracturing global supply chain?
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Post-election Australia: How might the new government’s policies influence Australia’s economic trajectory and its role on the world stage?
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Leadership in crisis: What strategies can leaders deploy to navigate uncertainty and seize opportunities in a volatile geopolitical climate?
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THOUGHT LEADER:
Hon. Christopher Pyne
Former Australian Defence Minister
Fireside chat discussion to be directly followed by open Q&A​
10.15am
MORNING TEA
10.35am
ALL-IN OR SPREAD YOUR BETS?
Building Exceptional Portfolios, With or Without the US
Disruptive tariff policies, expansive fiscal spending, and rising bond yields are putting pressure on the long-running narrative of US market dominance. While recent policy moves have soothed some short-term concerns, deeper structural risks—from entrenched protectionism to unsustainable debt levels—are becoming harder to ignore.
At the same time, rapid advances in artificial intelligence are fuelling a powerful new wave of optimism. US-led innovation continues to attract capital and reshape expectations for productivity, profitability, and long-term growth—raising the prospect of a structural bull market driven by technological disruption.
Against this backdrop, investors face a critical portfolio decision: should the US remain the anchor of global allocations, or is it time to diversify exposure and seek new sources of return? This session explores where opportunities remain within the US—particularly around innovation-led growth, while also identifying global alternatives that could drive portfolio returns in a shifting investment landscape.
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Key Issues:
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US Exceptionalism: How structural vulnerabilities such as debt, protectionism, and valuations will shape future performance.
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AI-Led Growth: Can innovation and productivity gains from AI meaningfully extend US leadership — or is the optimism overdone?
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Emerging Markets: Why attractive valuations and demographic tailwinds are strengthening the case for a higher allocation in portfolios.
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Global Small Caps: Are smaller companies offering a contrarian source of diversification and growth in a mega-cap dominated market?
THOUGHT LEADERS:
Alex Pollak
Chief Investment Officer, Loftus Peak
Ross Cameron
Portfolio Manager - Emerging Markets, Northcape Capital
(Represented by Warakirri Asset Management)
Qiao Ma
Partner & Portfolio Manager, Munro Partners
(Represented by GSFM)
IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Positioning for Change: What changes are you considering to position your portfolio for structural shifts and trends in the global economy?
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US vs AI-Led Growth: If AI delivers a structural US-led bull market, does that strengthen the case for keeping portfolios US-heavy — or is it still time to diversify exposure abroad?
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Emerging Market Allocation: With attractive valuations and long-term demographic tailwinds, what would increase your conviction to allocate more to emerging markets?
11.40am
FINDING RESILIENCE BEYOND EQUITIES
Balancing Growth Opportunities with Diversifiers
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With equity markets elevated and leadership increasingly concentrated, investors face mounting pressure to rethink their growth allocations. Over the past year, an equity-heavy stance has been rewarded — but listed valuations now sit above historical averages, and market gains are dominated by a handful of companies. These conditions leave portfolios increasingly exposed to unexpected shocks.
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This session explores how advisers can strengthen portfolio resilience by allocating to asset classes with proven return and diversification characteristics — yet which remain underrepresented in most portfolios today.
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Key Issues:
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Diversifying beyond equities: The role of diversifiers in broadening return drivers, strengthening asset allocation, and improving portfolio resilience across a wider range of market outcomes.
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Early-cycle opportunities: How market dislocations and more attractive pricing are creating opportunities in real estate markets.
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Real Estate Recovery: How the current rebound compares with past cycles, and whether valuations now mark an attractive entry point.
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Covered call strategies: How advisers can use them to generate income, manage downside risk, and add differentiated sources of return.
THOUGHT LEADERS:
Shawn Lese
CIO & Head of Funds Management - Americas, Nuveen Global
Chad Hitzeman
Head of Institutional, Global X ETFs
IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Real Estate Recovery: Do you see current conditions as an attractive entry point for real estate, and how are you thinking about its role in portfolio resilience?
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Income-Focused Equity Strategies: Given current market valuations, would you tilt more of your equity allocation towards income-focused strategies? Why or why not?
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Diversifiers in Growth Allocation: Within your growth allocation, what diversifiers beyond equities are you finding most relevant today?
12.40pm
LUNCH
1.45pm
THE EDGE OF ACTIVE
Evolving Strategies for a Changing Market
Active equity investing is at a crossroads. The rise of passive strategies, fee compression, and institutional demand for scale have put pressure on traditional approaches. Yet at the same time, structural shifts in market dynamics, technology, and capital flows are creating new opportunities for skilled managers to reassert their edge.
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For advisers, the ability to blend strategies, tilt between styles, and access smaller or less liquid segments of the market has never been more valuable. But to make the most of this flexibility, it’s essential to understand how active management is evolving—and where it still works best.
In this session, our speakers will examine how these trends are creating opportunities in equity markets, and how advances in data and AI-driven analysis are reshaping systematic investment strategies.
Key Issues:
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Structural Changes in Markets: How investor behaviour, mega-cap crowding, and ETF adoption are reshaping where and how active managers can generate alpha.
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Implications for Small Caps: Why reduced broker coverage and shifting market dynamics have altered the opportunity set, and what this means for active investors in smaller companies.
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The Democratisation of Data: How broader access to information is reshaping research and changing the competitive dynamics of investing.
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AI and the Investment Process: How advances in AI are transforming research, portfolio construction, and decision-making.
THOUGHT LEADERS:
Ned Bell
CIO & Portfolio Manager, Bell Asset Management
Steve Malin
Portfolio Manager, Vinva Investment Management
(Represented by Magellan Group)
IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Alpha Opportunities: In today’s market, where do you see the strongest opportunities for active managers to add value?
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AI’s Impact: Is AI a threat to active managers — or a tool that can enhance their edge?
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Manager Selection: How are these changes influencing the way you select managers and build equity allocations in client portfolios?
2.50pm
CONSTRUCTING WITH CONVICTION
Rethinking Portfolio Design for a More Demanding World
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In an environment defined by shifting regimes, rising inflation, more frequent drawdowns, and increasingly complex client goals, portfolio construction is under pressure. The traditional frameworks—like the 60/40 model—were designed for a different time: a time of stable correlations, low inflation, and abundant central bank support.
That world has changed.
This session explores how advisers and investment leaders can move beyond static models to construct portfolios that are more dynamic, more resilient, and more aligned to both the market realities and investor behaviours of today. It’s not just about finding new asset classes—it’s about building with purpose, managing risk differently, and embracing the flexibility needed to construct with conviction.
Key Issues:
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What Still Works?: Which elements of traditional asset allocation remain effective—and which need rethinking?
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Diversifying Differently: The growing role of alternatives, private markets, and thematic exposures in building true diversification.
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Risk, Redefined: Managing risk in a world where volatility, liquidity, and regime shifts can’t be smoothed away by historical models.
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The Adviser Advantage: How flexibility, customisation, and hands-on portfolio oversight allow advisers to construct with greater clarity, purpose, and impact.
THOUGHT LEADER:
David Boyle
Partner - Consulting, Ascalon Capital
Tim Farrelly
Principal, Co-CIO, Delta Portfolios
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IDEA EXCHANGE - Table Discussion
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Rethinking the Model: What elements of traditional asset allocation (like 60/40) still have a place in portfolios — and what needs to change in today’s environment?
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Diversifying Differently: What changes are you considering to strengthen diversification beyond traditional equities and bonds?
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Preparing for the Next Bear: If you knew markets would face a major bear market within the next seven years, what would you do differently in portfolio construction today?
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3.55pm
AFTERNOON TEA
4.15pm
SCALING UP & STANDING OUT
Using Technology to Take Your Advice Practice to the Next Level
In a fast-changing landscape, advice firms are under pressure to deliver more—more value, more personalisation, more efficiency—while managing growing complexity and client expectations. Technology has become a critical enabler, not just for streamlining back-office operations, but for enhancing the way advice is delivered, experienced, and scaled.
Whether you're looking to grow your firm, improve client engagement, or create a more modern and systemised service model, rethinking your tech stack can be a game-changer.
This session explores how leading advice practices are integrating technology to improve consistency, client experience, and business performance—while freeing up time to focus on what matters most.
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Key Issues:
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Systemising for Scale: Streamlining processes and automating workflows to improve efficiency and reduce friction.
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Elevating the Client Experience: Using technology to deliver advice more clearly, consistently, and meaningfully.
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Reassessing the Tech Stack: Identifying gaps and opportunities in your existing systems—from CRM to client communication.
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Building a Future-Ready Practice: Creating a scalable foundation that supports growth, succession, and evolving client needs.
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THOUGHT LEADER:
Jess Bulafkin
General Manager, Fin365
Sandra Whitear
Customer Success Manager, Plutosoft
Peter Truong
General Manager, Watershed Group
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Panel Discussion to be directly followed by open Q&A