Download the schedule (PDF) and reception information (PDF)
Opening Speaker
This year's conference will begin with a special presentation on Sunday evening, 16 May
5:00 p.m.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Dan Ariely
Author of Predictably Irrational
James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics
Duke University
- How expectations, emotions, social norms, and other seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities
- How we really think about money, why we’ve fallen for the fallacy of supply and demand, and how the financial crisis magnified the role of irrational behavior in the economy
- How large bonus compensation affects behavior, and why incentives can backfire
Plenary Sessions
Plenary sessions each morning feature prominent leaders in our profession. Speakers address key topics facing institutional and private wealth managers today, providing lessons learned and ideas for future investment opportunities.
Monday, 17 May Plenary Sessions
9:15 a.m.
Understanding Financial Crises
Kenneth Rogoff
Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy
Harvard University
- Why do crises occur frequently, and how can they be anticipated?
- What is the typical depth and duration of the downturn after a crisis?
- What are the risks to growth, inflation, and stability that are caused by post-crisis public debt buildups?
10:15 a.m.
Why African Markets Are More Profitable Than You Thought
Dambisa Moyo
Author of Dead Aid
- Why an aid-free approach to development, rooted in the movement of capital and competition, is the only way forward for the world’s poorest countries
- How China’s growing influence and investment in Africa will benefit both regions
- How African companies are performing, and what efforts are under way to develop more robust local bond and stock markets
11:45 a.m.
Bailouts, Ballyhoo, and New Betas: Managing Portfolio Risks and Rewards
Clifford S. Asness
Managing and Founding Principal
AQR Capital Management LLC
- How to position portfolios, manage risks, and alter expectations as deleveraging works through the system
- Why knowing your betas can be good for your portfolio’s health
- What a few basic ideas can do to prevent systemic risks in the future
Tuesday, 18 May Plenary Sessions
9:15 a.m.
The U.S. SEC’s Investor-Focused Agenda
Mary L. Schapiro
Chairman
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
10:15 a.m.
Opportunities for Patient Investors
Seth A. Klarman
Author of Margin of Safety
President
The Baupost Group, LLC
- How should a modern-day investor view and use the advice of Graham and Dodd?
- What happened last year, and what is to come?
- How can investors apply tried-and-true value principles in equity and debt markets around the world?
11:45 a.m.
The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War between States and Corporations?
Ian Bremmer
President
Eurasia Group
- How governments are driving local economies, and why this trend threatens the conduct of free markets everywhere
- How sovereign wealth funds and state-owned/supported firms are reshaping international politics and the global economy
- How the battle for competing economic models has replaced the rival political ideologies of the past, and why an entirely different set of global winners and losers is emerging
Wednesday, 19 May Plenary Sessions
9:15 a.m.
Animal Spirits and the Economy
George A. Akerlof
2001 Nobel Laureate in Economics
Daniel E. Koshland Sr. Distinguished Professor of Economics
University of California, Berkeley
- The importance of noneconomic motives (such as fairness, confidence, and trust) that are not part of conventional economic theories
- The case for a more robust, behaviorally informed Keynesianism, and why animal spirits necessitate a governmental role in stabilizing markets
- The recovery from a crisis of confidence, and why investor fears linger longer than is rational
10:15 a.m.
The Way Forward: Rebuilding the Financial Services Industry
John C. Bogle
Founder
The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Christopher C. Davis
Chairman and Portfolio Manager
Davis Advisors
- Understanding the financial practices that encouraged excessive risk taking, exaggerated returns, and contributed to a failure of professional security and risk analysis
- Restoring faith in the markets, and achieving the reforms needed to fix the system
- Addressing our profession’s lack of leadership and conflicts in its ownership structure
11:45 a.m.
History in the Making: Lessons and Legacies of the Financial Crisis
Niall Ferguson
William Ziegler Professor of Business Administration
Harvard Business School
- The fragility of the American Empire, and the global shift in economic power
- The myth of “too big to fail” in a free market system
- The crisis of excessive indebtedness—moving beyond the Age of Leverage
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent sessions each afternoon provide perspectives from highly respected industry leaders. Learn more about topics of particular interest, including equity analysis, fixed-income analysis, portfolio management, private wealth management, alternative investments, ethics, and firm management.
Monday, 17 May Concurrent Sessions
2:30 p.m.
Risk Management Revisited
Richard Bookstaber
Author of A Demon of Our Own Design
Senior Policy Adviser
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Re-evaluating risk management practices post-crisis: Risk models, fat tails, the myth of noncorrelation, and more
- Understanding dynamics that lead to unexpected linkages between markets: Can complexity, leverage, and tight coupling give us early warning to a crisis
- Navigating the liquidity crisis cycle: The role of regulators in mitigating systemic risk by “mapping the market genome”
The Future of Securitization
Tom Hourican
Managing Director and Head of ABS Securitization Risk Management
Société Générale
Jeffrey T. Prince, CFA
Managing Director
Babson Capital Management LLC
Jennifer Quisenberry, CFA
Asset Class Specialist
General Re–New England Asset Management, Inc.
Sean Sheerin
Co-Head, ABS/CMBS Group
DA Capital
- What can investors expect in the new issue and secondary markets? Are the headlines telling the real story?
- Can the viability of securitization be restored, and what conditions must exist to make securitization without government support feasible?
- Is restored credibility of structured ratings necessary for the market to recover, and will changes in ratings criteria and the regulatory approach toward rating agencies be enough?
Investment Management Leadership: Creating a Culture of Excellence
Scott F. Powers
President and CEO
State Street Global Advisors
- Recognizing the greatest challenges facing the asset management industry and identifying possible solutions
- Creating a culture, an organizational structure, and incentives that effectively leverage skills and abilities
- Building trust internally and externally through commitment and competency
Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks and Fraud in Financial Reports
Howard M. Schilit
Founder and CEO
Financial Shenanigans Detection Group, LLC
- Common tricks companies use to hide operational problems, including earnings manipulation and operating cash flow distortions
- The dangers behind company-created metrics and why they may signal problems ahead
- Environments that breed deceit, and quantitative and qualitative screens to help detect bad actors
The Art and Science of Hedge Fund Manager Selection
Ted Seides, CFA
Senior Managing Director
Protégé Partners, LLC
- Understanding the manager selection process
- Analyzing the people, strategies, and GP/LP relationship
- Preparing for the possibility of malfeasance
Monday, 17 May Concurrent Sessions
4:00 p.m.
Inputs to Monetary Policy Decisions
Marlene Amstad
Head of Financial Market Analysis
Swiss National Bank
- The strengths and weaknesses of the models used in making monetary policy decisions, and how the financial crisis has changed the way data and models are used
- Unconventional policy measures, such as quantitative and credit easing, and how they affect a central bank balance sheet
- The key risks facing policymakers as the global economy works through the deleveraging process, including inflation vs. deflation, tight credit, and lack of demand
The Questions That Keep Bond Managers Up at Night
Daniel J. Fuss, CFA
Vice Chairman
Loomis, Sayles & Company
John V. Malvey, CFA
Global Capital Markets Consultant
William L. Nemerever, CFA
Partner
GMO
Marc P. Seidner, CFA
Executive Vice President, Portfolio Management
PIMCO
- Does the U.S. Federal Reserve have an exit strategy, and what are the lasting implications of the federal government’s involvement in many fixed-income markets?
- What lessons on risk management and portfolio construction did we learn from the financial crisis?
- Where are the compelling return opportunities in global fixed-income markets?
Adding Value through Corporate Governance
Robert A.G. Monks
Founder
The Corporate Library
- The role of owners
- The role of government as owner
- The role of reform through presidential decree
Trends in Family Offices
Laird P. Pendleton
Co-Founder, Chairman
CCC Alliance
- The current landscape and future trends for single-family offices, multi-family offices, and those institutions that serve them
- Why single-family offices are different from the rest
- How the financial crisis affected family offices, and why some thrived in the economic downturn and others did not
The Half-Global Crisis: Long Term Investment Opportunities in Emerging Markets
Antoine W. van Agtmael
Chairman and Chief Investment Officer
Emerging Markets Management, LLC
- Examining why many emerging economies were more resilient to the financial crisis than developed nations were, and whether these characteristics will continue to make them attractive investments
- Understanding key trends for emerging market growth: One billion new consumers and investors, improved transportation and infrastructure, and outsourcing of manufacturing, IT, and research
- Evaluating the major risks in emerging markets, and determining the countries and regions that are particularly compelling
Tuesday, 18 May Concurrent Sessions
2:30 p.m.
The Hidden Costs of Asset Owner/Asset Manager Relationships
Mark J.P. Anson, CFA
Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer
Oak Hill Investments
- Why delegating investment decisions to asset managers can create agency costs and what asset owners can do to control them
- Particular challenges in alternative assets, and why hedge fund and private equity incentives often lead to unexpected risk profiles
- Four asymmetries that may misalign interests of asset owners and asset managers: Liquidity, incentives, skills, and risks
Understanding the Inflation/Deflation Debate
Van R. Hoisington
President and Senior Investment Officer
Hoisington Investment Management Company
- The Irving Fisher/Milton Friedman conflict
- Monetary and fiscal policy shortcomings
- Structural economic impediments in a deflationary world
Lessons from Japan: Fighting a Balance Sheet Recession
Richard C. Koo
Chief Economist
Nomura Research Institute
- The four kinds of banking crises, their different solutions, and what makes a balance sheet recession unique
- An unorthodox prescription for fixing the global economy when conventional tools — such as monetary policy — are ineffective
- The benefits of deficit spending, and the temptation to end stimulus efforts prematurely and trigger a second (worse) collapse
International Wealth Planning for Families
Philip Marcovici
CEO
LawinContext Pte. Ltd
- Why virtually every wealth-owning family is international
- Development of an international wealth-planning mandate that includes both tax and nontax issues
- Reflections on how the global acceleration of transparency affects the needs of the wealth-owning family
Carbon Exposure and Strategic Opportunities in Energy Markets
John E. Parsons
Executive Director
Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- An overview of existing markets for emissions, what we’ve learned from the European cap-and-trade system, and what may be coming down the road
- The impact of emissions limits on the power industry, energy-intensive industries, and agribusiness
- The competitive landscape for energy innovations
Tuesday, 18 May Concurrent Sessions
4:00 p.m.
Managing Investments through Turbulent Times
Seth Alexander, CFA
President
MIT Investment Management Company
- Staying the course: Why a significant allocation to less-liquid alternative strategies is still compelling for long-term investors
- Surviving the short term: Understanding your true liabilities and meeting liquidity needs
- Balancing it all: Diversification, rebalancing, and dynamic correlations
The Power of Negative Thinking: A Short Seller’s Perspective
James S. Chanos
Founder and President
Kynikos Associates
- Understanding what makes a short seller’s approach to research and valuation different
- Identifying the potholes — declining business models, fantasy accounting, counterparty risks, faulty cost structures, and more
- Incorporating a macro view in bottom-up analysis — the cost of government intervention, re-regulation, and increasing taxation to markets and securities
The Daily Grind: An Examination of Our World Economy
Speaker TBD
- The systemic problems across all sectors, and how world economies came to panic in 2008
- Investment and policy implications
- Future growth through innovation
Techniques for Managing Your Clients’ Behavioral Biases
Richard L. Peterson
Managing Partner
MarketPsych LLC
- Understand how investor emotions underlie mental biases, alter financial behavior, and predict market turning points
- Strengthen client relationships, increase client trust, and prevent biased behaviors using the conversational tool IDEAS (Inquire, Describe, Empathize, Add another perspective, and Suggest solutions)
- Via a case study, learn how to deepen your understanding of client motivations while simultaneously helping clients make better decisions
Next Generation Asset Management: Competition, Compensation, and Consolidation
Donald H. Putnam
Managing Partner
Grail Partners LLC
- How can asset managers strengthen their competitive position — what are the defining characteristics of a successful firm going forward, and what are the new products under development that will provide an edge?
- How might the fee structure for investment firms evolve?
- Will the asset management industry consolidate further in coming years, and what will be the driving forces?
Corporate Breakfast Presentations
Corporate presentations begin the educational content of the day with relevant information about current market trends, industry sectors, and best practices, plus strategies and tactics for successful investment management and financial analysis. Read more about the 18 corporate presentations offered this year.
CFA Institute Initiatives Sessions
Monday, 17 May
12:45 p.m.
Using Social Media Tools to Enhance Your Membership Experience
Len Costa
Director, Social Media, CFA Institute
Heidi Herrington
Director, Strategic Marketing, CFA Institute
The rapid development of social media and its movement into the mainstream have changed the way we communicate, network, and learn online. Join us for a preview of social media features and functionality that CFA Institute is exploring as additions to the new interactive member website. CFA Institute managers responsible for social media strategy will share ideas and solicit your input to help shape the development of new interactive tools designed to help you connect with fellow members and find the online educational and career resources that are most relevant to you.
Topics will include:
- Ratings and recommendations to help you filter educational content
- Potential uses of member-only forums, messaging, and peer networking applications
- Strategies for extending and enhancing social networking within CFA Societies
- New ways to stay connected with CFA Institute activities through the social media sites that you may already be frequenting
Developing Future Investment Professionals
Bob McLean, CFA
Head, University Relations, CFA Institute
Rhonda Reid
Manager, Global Investment Research Challenge, CFA Institute
Learn how CFA Institute is working with universities around the world to attract future investment professionals and teach them more about our profession. Hear about the Global Investment Research Challenge, a competition now in its fourth year in which students evaluate a public company in a real-world exercise and present their sell-side research report to a panel of charterholders. This year there are nearly 2,000 students on more than 400 teams vying for the title of Global Investment Research Challenge champion, and approximately 1,000 volunteers supporting the effort. The session will also discuss ways many universities are incorporating CFA program material into their curriculum.
Topics will include:
- Volunteer opportunities with the Global Investment Research Challenge: Mentoring, judging, and more
- The opportunity to view a research team in action
- Overview of the growth of the CFA Program Partners Initiative
Tuesday, 18 May
12:45 p.m.
The CFA and CIPM Exams: An Overview and Future Directions
Bobby Lamy, CFA
Head, CFA Program Content, CFA Institute
Philip Lawton, CFA, CIPM
Head, CIPM Program, CFA Institute
Peter Mackey, CFA
Head, CFA Examinations, CFA Institute
Learn firsthand about today’s CFA Program, now in its 48th year, and the newer Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) program, now in its 5th year. This session will provide details of the CFA Program’s rigorous structure and the developments under way to ensure that it remains current and relevant for the investment management industry. Meanwhile, the CIPM program continues to attract candidates as a specialized credentialing program that develops the performance evaluation and presentation expertise of investment professionals. CFA Institute leaders responsible for all aspects of these examination programs will describe the processes that maintain and enhance their high standards.
Topics will include:
- Candidate profiles and growth around the world
- The practice analysis and curriculum development processes
- The introduction of an electronic curriculum that members can also access
- The examination development process
- Examination administration, grading, and standard setting
The Investor Legislative Agenda: How’s It Working for Us?
James C. Allen, CFA
Head, Capital Markets Policy, CFA Institute
Charles Cronin, CFA
Head, Standards and Financial Market Integrity, EMEA, CFA Institute
Now, more than a year after the financial market meltdown lost its steam, legislators on both sides of the Atlantic continue to ponder how to respond. In Europe, the response has been to launch a directive aimed at alternative investment funds, a move to regulate credit rating agencies, and the creation of a new pan-European supervisory structure. In the United States, efforts to fix critical failures in the oversight of systemic risk and over-the-counter derivatives are entangled with proposals to reform the marketing of financial products to consumers, making ultimate passage of any bill uncertain. We will discuss the status of financial market reform legislation and how those reforms — or lack, thereof — will affect investors in the years ahead.
- How reforms in Europe compare with those being pursued in North America
- How legislative reforms could have been worse
- What CFA Institute members now think of policymakers’ crisis-time decisions