AGENDA
Investment Perspectives Forum 2026 | Brisbane
08:30
REGISTRATION & LIGHT BREAKFAST
The Calile Hotel
SPEAKERS
INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVES FORUM 2026 BRISBANE
Andrew Wielandt
Director
DP Wealth Advisory
Andrew has been a financial advisor for 27 years working for Nevitts, Macquarie Bank (as an Associate Director) and more recently as a director for his business DP Wealth Advisory in Toowoomba, Queensland. His area of speciality & interest is Exchange Traded Funds. He is a regular contributor in the media include Ausbiz. Livewire Markets and ABC Local Radio. He is active in the local Toowoomba community including being Past President of the Chamber of Commerce, Former Deputy Chair of the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation and currently serves as Chair of the Empire Theatre, the largest performing arts complex in regional Australia.
09:20
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE ILLIQUID | WHERE DOES YOUR NEXT DOLLAR GO?
What did you actually buy last quarter, and why? Was this a considered view or the path of least resistance?
This session puts adviser convictions alongside actual platform data and asks the awkward question, where is the incremental dollar really going and can anyone defend it? Is private credit still a premium or is it paying for someone else’s exit? Are defensive assets defensive, or just slow? Do alternatives deliver diversification or expensive correlation nobody stress tested?
We work through allocations in our current regime and try to separate genuine conviction from inertia.
SPEAKER:
James Edmonds, Chief Operating Officer, Praemium
10:20
FINANCING THE FLOW | RETHINKING GLOBAL CREDIT
Is your private credit allocation overly reliant on mid-market borrowers and local property cycles?
As domestic credit becomes crowded, global Trade Finance offers a distinctly different risk profile. This session explores how financing the global supply chain through top-tier bank counterparties and mission-critical industries provides genuine diversification. We dissect the mechanics of these asset-backed structures, revealing how short-duration, self-liquidating loans deliver superior liquidity and highly defensive yield without the consumer exposure of traditional private debt.
SPEAKER:
Kaz Rahman, Portfolio Manager | Senior Investment Analyst, Federated Hermes
SPEAKERS
INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVES FORUM 2026 BRISBANE
Kaz Rahman
Portfolio Manager | Senior Investment Analyst
Federated Hermes
Kazaur is responsible for the management and research of investments in the area of global fixed income.
Kazaur joined Federated Hermes in 2019 and has more than 19 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Federated Hermes, Kazaur worked in Emerging Market Private Credit at Deutsche Bank and VTB Capital. He also worked in Credit Risk at Bank of America and in the Debt Advisory Group at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Kazaur earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of London, UK. He is an ACA ICAEW-qualified Chartered Accountant.
11:20
LUNCH
12:20
THE PLATFORM PLAY | OWNING ATTENTION
While many investors focus on picking winners within a sector, a different strategy involves acquiring the sector itself. The evolution of private equity is moving toward the ownership of entire ecosystems, sporting leagues, entertainment rights, and global media platforms.
This session explores the mega cap playbook where acquiring unique, monopolistic assets where scarcity is the ultimate moat. Our speaker discusses the operational reality of commercialising passion of how to apply rigorous operational levers to heritage rights-holders and global leagues to unlock value that public markets cannot access. A deep dive into why owning the platform beats owning the participant.
SPEAKER:
Richard Blackburn, Partner and Head of CVC Australia, CVC
SPEAKERS
INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVES FORUM 2026 BRISBANE
Richard Blackburn
Partner and Head of CVC Australia
CVC
Richard is a Partner at CVC, having joined the firm in 2007. He is based in Sydney, where he leads CVC’s Australia business. Prior to joining CVC, Richard worked in Morgan Stanley’s M&A department. He holds a BA from the University of Oxford
13:20
THE YIELD ILLUSION | PRICING RISK IN A HIGH-RATE REGIME
Are you being adequately compensated for the liquidity risks hidden inside your credit allocation?
Income demands are surging as inflation persists. Yet as rates move higher, traditional bonds can offer limited capital defence, while some parts of the private lending market face a rising risk of impairments.
This session challenges the assumption that higher returns require locking up capital in pure private credit. Our speaker will explore how a diversified approach across Australia’s ~$2 trillion public and private credit markets can help actively manage downside risk and deliver attractive yields through continuing market volatility.
SPEAKER:
Phil Strano, Head of Australian Credit Research, Yarra Capital Management
SPEAKERS
INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVES FORUM 2026 BRISBANE
Phil Strano
Head of Australian Credit Research
Yarra Capital Management
Phil has over 20 years of experience in analysing financial markets and securities, along with a decade dedicated to managing portfolios. He is a leading figure in the Australian credit industry and possesses deep expertise across all major credit segments, including listed and unlisted securities, rated and unrated assets, as well as investment and sub-investment grade bonds, loans, and derivative instruments. Phil’s extensive knowledge and strategic approach enable him to navigate complex market environments and deliver strong outcomes for investors. He manages the Yarra Higher Income Strategy and the RMBS strategy and is the Deputy Portfolio Manager for Yarra’s Enhanced Income Fund and LBO strategy.
14:20
AFTERNOON TEA
15:00
THE REPLACEMENT REALITY | PRICING REAL ASSETS IN A SQUEEZED MARKET
How do you capture real returns when soaring build costs and high rates have choked global property supply?
The traditional real estate playbook is being tested with inflation remaining sticky and the consumer heavily challenged, passive rent collection is no longer enough. This session explores how structural supply deficits are creating massive opportunities for existing real assets. Discover how thematic, operational property allocations can exploit these dislocations providing a robust inflation shield while lowering overall portfolio volatility.
SPEAKER:
Julian Biggins, Joint Chief Executive Officer | Executive Director, MA Financial Group
SPEAKERS
INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVES FORUM 2026 BRISBANE
Julian Biggins
Joint Chief Executive Officer | Executive Director
MA Financial Group
Julian was one of the founders of MA Financial in 2009. He has nearly 20 years of experience providing M&A and capital markets advice to real estate and funds management companies.
Julian was previously a senior member of JP Morgan’s Asia Pacific real estate investment banking team, and prior to that was a member of UBS’ Australian real estate research team.
Julian has a Bachelor of Business (Property) and a Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) from the University of South Australia.
16:00
MAD MAX MEETS THE MATRIX | THE WEAPONISATION OF TECH AND TERRITORY
What was the point of the war in Iran? And how is AI rewriting global security?
Are we prepared for a world where both territory and technology are actively weaponised? We analyse the harsh realities of the Iran conflict, exploring exactly why it was triggered, the underlying strategic objectives, and its lasting implications for global stability. Alongside this kinetic warfare, we examine the rapid weaponisation of AI, detailing how this digital arms race is fundamentally dictating global supremacy.
SPEAKER:
Rebecca Shrimpton, Senior Advisor, The Asia Group
SPEAKERS
INVESTMENT PERSPECTIVES FORUM 2026 BRISBANE
Rebecca Shrimpton
Senior Advisor
The Asia Group
Rebecca (Bec) is tasked with expanding TAG’s industry-leading Australia practice to help global and Australian corporations develop business strategies to unlock opportunities and overcome market access challenges. Based in Melbourne, Bec brings deep expertise on defense, foreign relations, trade, and investment to support clients across Australia’s most dynamic sectors and the broader Indo-Pacific.
Bec is a recognized expert on terrorism, insurgency, cyber, space policy, missile defense, nuclear and strategic deterrence, and advanced dual-use technologies within national security. Prior to joining TAG, Bec served as Director of Defense Strategy and National Security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), and convened the inaugural in-person Sydney Dialogue in 2023 – Australia’s premier policy summit focused on critical, emerging, cyber, and space technologies.
Bec brings over 25 years of government experience, including senior positions at the Australian Department of Defense, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). At Austrade Bec led Australian trade and investment engagements and priorities for the defence, space and infrastructure sectors globally. Bec served as Counsellor for Defense Strategic Policy at the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C. from 2015 to 2017 and later as Senior Adviser for Major Powers to the Australian Foreign Minister from 2019 to 2020 where she provided high-level policy advice on Australia’s relationships with key partners, including the United States, China, Five Eyes nations, and on emerging technologies, cyber and space.
A distinguished alumna and Fellow of the Australian War College, Bec completed the 2013 Defense and Strategic Studies Course. She holds a Master of Strategic Studies with Honors from the Australian National University and a Master of Strategic Studies from Deakin University
17:00
FORUM TO CONCLUDE
17:15
SUNSET SOIRÉE
The Villa by MAYA