Name: Payments in a Blockchain World
Start: 2017-03-14T11:00:00Z
End: 2017-03-14T12:00:03.000Z
Location: BrightTALK

ESG investors mean well. It is an opportunity for them to invest in their values and put their money where their heart is. Unfortunately, without the right data, their money may be going to companies that only APPEAR to be socially and environmentally conscious. This is why transparency in ESG investing has never been more important. ESG investors are not one-size-fits-all. Some are single-issue investors, while others have a long list of environmental and social needs on their checklist. Thus, it’s not only important to find the common values investors and companies share, but to also be aware of any differences they may find objectionable. For example, a company that ticks the right green boxes may have a history of questionable social practices. Investors deserve to know as much as they can about the companies, they choose to do business with this includes how firms transition into greener pastures. Data is the solution, but it needs to be accessible in an organized and intuitive way such as impact scores and/or rankings that highlight both the good and the potentially bad.

Join Eddy Soffer, ESG manager at Interactive Brokers, for an insightful discussion on:

* ESG disinformation
* The need for ESG transparency
* How technology is now providing clear, essential data to investors to ensure they are making the biggest impact with their investments.

The G in ESG is NOT for Greenwashing! Bringing Transparency to ESG Investing

Join Jeff Cline, CEO of SVN | SFR Capital Management, and Marc Romito, VP of Elevation Energy Solutions, for a presentation that will discuss:

• An overview of evolved ESG fundamentals targeting an executive audience.
• What’s the best way to integrate an ESG program in your business?
• How the ESG programs are being implemented in the SFR/BFR rental home industry.
• What is the “low hanging fruit” for data collection?
• How to dig deeper – what ESG data is harder to get and how to get it.
• How to transform environmental data into information that is relevant and strategic.
• How to demonstrate that a company is committed and what investors should look for.
• A preview of what to expect next – is ESG here to stay?

ESG 2.0: Honest Conversation: Commitment-Based, Data-Driven Strategy

There has been an intense debate over the last couple of months on the effectiveness of “Shorting” to  achieve certain outcomes in Sustainable Investing - especially in Climate related strategies. The discus sion culminated in a series of research papers, a couple of “Letters” in the Financial Times and even  tweets on Twitter between MAN Group, AQR, CFM and MSCI. 

This webinar is about:  

…the importance of defining the objectives in Sustainable Investing 
• as Mauboussin´s “Everything is a DCF model” is valid in ESG as well 

…the potential drivers of return and risk  
• in ESG and Low Carbon investments 

…utilizing and combining multiple data sources and state of the art risk models 
• to build ESG and Low Carbon strategies with low levels of ”unintended risks” 

…perspectives on the question if “Shorting raises the cost of capital” 
• and if there´s more economic impact than simple valuation expansion

ESG, Shorting and the Cost of Capital –  a journey into data, risk and economics

ESG data is getting better all the time. We have more data available, and much of it is higher quality than ever before.
But when does this data help investors make decisions, and when does it not? Sam provides some framing for data decisions, and real world examples from the portfolio management trenches.

-How ESG has expanded in the last five years.
-What we can do with new datasets, and what we can’t.
-When relying on ESG can get us into trouble.
-Which types of data to avoid, or limit, using.

Does Better Data Lead to Better Decisions?

For many ESG investors, the “social” factor in ESG focuses on workplace diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). This includes a more diverse workforce that encompasses and increases gender & racial/minority hiring and pay equality. The idea is that building a diverse workforce will result in a more inclusive workplace. But is that really happening and how can investors be sure? As it stands, data on a company’s hiring practices are typically available to investors. Building a truly inclusive workforce goes beyond the data. Is the company doing more than just hiring to promote inclusivity? Are these employees happy? Are they satisfied?

Join Eddy Soffer, ESG manager at Interactive Brokers, for a thoughtful discussion on:

* Why the “S” in ESG needs to also focus on labor and employee relations specifically taking into account how we treat one another in the workplace.
* The importance of building an inclusive environment of respect, mentorship and collaboration where we can help each other succeed and advance our careers.
* How developing a truly inclusive workplace will also go a long way to promote diversity, recruit the best talent and create brand loyalty, which will potentially attract more ESG-focused investors.

Take This Job and Love It! Emphasizing Labor and Employee Relations in ESG

The recent decade has seen a dramatic increase in sustainable investing. Does this trend influence company valuations and thus their cost of capital, and by implication, returns investors can expect? When seeking answers to such questions investors are best served by learning what economic theory and empirical findings from academic research have to say rather than relying on opinions. In this presentation you will learn what economic theory has to say about expected returns and risks of sustainable investment strategies as well as what the empirical evidence has found. You will also learn how sustainable investors are impacting the behavior of corporations in favorable ways, making the world a better place for all.

The Risks and Rewards of Sustainable Investing

The startup scene keeps growing year after year. It brings more and more interest from traditional investors. However, investing in startups is highly risky and can bring down the entire portfolio if not managed properly. The correct due-diligence process can shine the light and help you identify the potential winners. During this presentation, Alexey will share the insights he and his team gained after managing hundreds of startup product development projects and how to use it during the pre-investment due-diligence process. This approach is used in various startup investment groups Alexey is associated with.

Using Portfolio Construction to Build Resilient Real Asset Portfolios

With Bloomberg predicting thematic ETFs could reach $300 billion in 5 years[1], the outlook for ETFs is positive. Asset managers, banks and insurance companies are looking at ETFs as a serious strategic opportunity that will enable them to grow and meet the needs of modern investors. 

We’ll be joined by Hector McNeil, an ETF veteran and Co-CEO of Europe’s first white-label ETF provider, to discuss the growth of ETFs and what investors can expect to see in the near future. 

We will also be joined by North American asset managers from the cloud computing, healthcare innovation, online retail, digital infrastructure and medical cannabis sectors to discuss the growing adoption of ETFs and the outlook for their respective sectors. 

In this webinar we will explore:
- The growth of ETFs in Europe 
- ETF liquidity 
- Thematic ETFs 
- Outlook 

Speakers: 
Hector McNeil, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of HANetf
Anthony Ginsberg, Managing Director, GinsGlobal Investment Management
Chris Versace, Chief Investment Officer, Tematica Research 
Greg Taylor, Portfolio Manager, Purpose Investments 
Jane Edmondson, Co-Founder & Principal, EQM Indexes

Hindsight is good, foresight is better: The Outlook for ETFs in 2021

End of Covid-19 crisis is in sight, equities are up, earnings forecasts exuberant. What could possibly go wrong? Soenke examines the regional differences in the recovery, fiscal policies and monetary policies. 

The divergences in the world are increasing. Who are the winners, who are the losers? Should this not be reflected in market prices? He will also take a close look at the threat of inflation – in the short term as well as the long-term – and the likely reactions of central banks. 

Finally the implications for strategic and tactical asset allocation – how do high valuations, inflation and regional disparities during the Covid-19 crisis as well as the market recovery impact our choices? Does current market volatility yield opportunity?

Rising Equities, rising Inflation – how should you allocate your portfolio?

While the worst of the global pandemic is behind us, a lot of uncertainty remains. As we head into the new year, the prospect of creating a forward-looking investment strategy is more complicated than ever.    Still, as we continue to develop our understanding of how the ‘new normal’ will look, new opportunities for investment will continue to arise. In the era of the digital revolution, the winners will be those who can apprehend macro trends, adapt to changing investor demands and deliver positive returns while effectively managing risk.      

In this session, join senior decision-makers from across the investment management space as they share their views on the top macro trends for 2022.     

Topics for discussion include:     
-Drawing lessons from crisis: what have professional investors learnt from Covid-19? 
-Investment management in the face of generational wealth transfer - finance and the millennial investor  
-Asset allocation and risk management strategies to thrive in 2022  
-And more..    

Moderator: Asha Mehta, Managing Partner & CIO at Global Delta Capital  

Panelists:  
Alexey Semeney, Founder / CEO at DevTeam.Space  
Igor Tsukerman, CEO & CIO at Eureka Wealth Solutions 
Donato Settanni, Managing Partner at DXE Properties

Macro Outlook: Gearing up for 2022

The growing importance of ESG in investment management, stewardship and engagement has become a crucial element of investment strategy. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is the owner of the UK’s Stewardship Code which sets best-practice principles for asset managers, asset owners and investment service providers in this important area. Join us as we discuss what’s changed and what’s changing in investment stewardship as we look towards a new year.

Presenters:
Claudia Chapman, Head of Stewardship at FRC
Lindsey Stewart, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at FRC
Cindy Rose, Head of Responsible Capitalism at Majedie Asset Management
Victoria Barron, Head of Sustainable Investment at BT Pension Scheme

Investment stewardship – What’s new in 2022?

Global emerging markets continue to offer lucrative investment opportunities going into 2022. This presentation will review the trends impacting global emerging markets and discuss investment strategies, along with specific economic and financial tools, that can be used to capitalize on these trends. How the use of alternative asset classes and individual alternative assets can substantially increase portfolio returns, while reducing portfolio risk in any markets, will be illustrated. The newer trend of using equity crowdfunding platforms to build multi-asset portfolios will be explored. The use of economic and financial modeling tools for successfully investing in global emerging markets will be demonstrated.  Here are some of the topics which will be discussed:

• Generation of Cash Flow 
• Preservation of Capital 
• Asset Appreciation 
• Portfolio Diversification
• Achieving Potential Tax Benefits 
• High Overall Returns
• Correlations with Other Asset Classes – Low Correlation, Non-correlated, Negative Correlation
• Convertible Securities
• Equity Crowdfunding Platforms
• Artificial Intelligence
• Crowdfunding Platforms and the Three Types of Crowdfunding
• Reg CF – Registered Crowdfunding
• Morningstar and Other GEM Research
• Economic and Financial Tools and Modeling
• Intrinsic Value Wealth Creation Pyramid
• Global Economic Assessment

GEM Investment Strategies, Tools, and Outlook

Agility is a pioneer in emerging markets and one of the largest private owners and developers of warehousing and light industrial parks in the Middle East and Africa region and owns and operates over 21 million m2 of logistics parks around the world.

Agility warehouses provide an international standard infrastructure platform that supports companies doing business in Africa, enabling them to access the burgeoning African market faster and more efficiently, and to operate in Africa without having to fund or develop their own infrastructure.

Agility warehouse parks in Africa deliver ready built quality warehouses that create a platform that supports imports, exports and local production. Customers can sign a lease and move in immediately.

All warehouses are secure within a site perimeter wall with consistent power and IT connectivity, creating an enabling environment where our tenants can focus on their business whilst we manage the operational infrastructure.

Agility warehouse parks offer bonded and non-bonded warehouse spaces, racked units, warehouse showrooms and open yards. Agility warehouses are leased for storage, distribution, packaging, processing, ecommerce and light manufacturing.

Warehouses for lease start from 1,000 m2 upwards, and flexible, so units can be expanded and added to or reduced dependent on customers requirements.
 
Agility also funds and develops built-to-suit bespoke buildings to meet specific customer demands for cold stores, data centres, life science and other requirements.

https://www.agility.com/en/logistics-parks/

Agility is Funding and Developing Warehouse Parks for Lease Across Africa

The world is always changing. As investment professionals, history is not just a rich resource of facts about the past, but also a medium through which we should examine why previous investment strategies, approaches and perspectives worked. Or didn’t. As part of BrightTALK’s series on ‘Thinking Back, looking forward’, Chris Marshall Head of Investment Strategy at Dragon Investment Managers talks about how the historical setting and environment brought about many of today’s modern theories of portfolio construction, and why these may not remain optimal in the world that we’re heading into. Also key to this discussion in the progression of ESG into portfolio construction and how this sits in a historical setting.

Thinking Back: Looking Ahead At The Future Of Portfolio Construction

Public and Private market Climate-focused ESG investment strategies have been outperforming traditional strategies during the COVID19 pandemic. The percentage of ESG integrated Assets Under Management (AUM) also continues to increase in the equity and fixed income markets. 

Join Paul Ellis, Host of The Sustainable Finance Podcast (SFP) at BrightTALK.com, and the panel of ESG Investment experts to learn:

-Why ESG investment strategies are outperforming 
-How asset managers are adapting to the increasing flow of ESG AUM
-Where investors and advisors can learn more about ESG investment 

Panelists:
Aisha Williams – Founder and CEO at ImpactVest, Certified Expert in Sustainable Finance, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council  
Jeffrey Gitterman - Co-Founding Partner and creator of Sustainable, Impact, and ESG Investing Services at Gitterman Wealth Management, LLC.
Diana Glassman - Director-Engagement, EOS at Federated Hermes

Climate Change Investment and Corporate Engagement Grow the New Energy Economy

During this webcast, we will provide an overall macro outlook for the economy and markets as we head out of 2021 and into 2022. 

Will interest rates move higher? 
Will the economy continue to expand?
What growth opportunities remain for stock investors? 
Where can investors find potential sources of income in this challenging yield environment?

The Path Ahead:  Investment Opportunities for 2022

The payments industry has come under the microscope again as a means to apply blockchain technology. From tracking welfare payments by the government, to banks improving their payments products, to cross-border remittances becoming cheaper and easier, there is no stopping the impact the technology continues to have.

This panel will open up the debate and discuss the following and more:

-What is the effect of a distributed ledger solution on costly payment processing infrastructure?
-Can blockchain technology make payments more secure?
-Industry experts' experiences and applications
-Future opportunities and risks involved

Payments in a Blockchain World

blockchain

fintech

payments

finance

cross-border

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Payments in a Blockchain World

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