AGENDA
Wholesale Forum 2025
08:30
REGISTRATION
Smith Rooms Capella Hotel, Sydney
SPEAKERS
Wholesale Forum 2025
Charlie Viola
Chairperson
Charlie Viola is the Executive Chair, Adviser and Founding Partner at Viola Private Wealth, with over 24 years of experience in investment management. He specialises in advising high-net-worth individuals, family offices and institutional investors, as well as managing significant portfolios with a focus on delivering tailored and high-touch services. Prior to founding Viola Private Wealth, Charlie was a Partner and Managing Director at Pitcher Partners Sydney Wealth Management, where he was instrumental in growing the business from less than $50 million in AUM in 2001 to over $3.5 billion by 2022, personally managing over $2 billion in AUM.
At Viola Private Wealth, he ensures clients benefit from exclusive investment opportunities and strategic, long-term wealth planning. His client-centric approach emphasises education and trust, key elements in achieving exceptional outcomes.
Recognised as a leader in the industry, Charlie is consistently ranked on Barron’s Top 100 Australian advisers list. Under Charlie’s leadership, Viola Private Wealth sets the standard for excellence in servicing high-net-worth clients and families.
09:15
PLAYING THE LONG GAME I SEPARATING SHIFTS FROM SHAKES
Amidst ever-evolving market trends, how do you discern what truly represents a fundamental shift versus fleeting volatility?
This candid session brings together a panel of Australia’s best allocators to discuss how they distinguish genuine market signals from the noise, and the major ideas set to have the largest impact on portfolios. A session that provides insight on tactical shifts to long-term structural opportunities and everything in between.
SPEAKERS:
Bridget Leckie, Chief Economist | Partner, Koda Capital
Arun Abey, Chairman | Co-founder, Walsh Bay Partners
Tracey McNaughton, Chairperson
Timoty Rocks, Chief Investment Officer | Research, Evans and Partners
SPEAKERS
Wholesale Forum 2025
Tracey McNaughton
Chairperson
Tracey has 30 years investment, funds management and financial markets experience. Tracey’s executive role is Chief Investment Officer at Escala Partners, a leading wealth management business for ultra-high net worth individuals and not-for-profit institutions, where she oversees a team that manages over $7 billion in financial assets. In 2022 she was appointed non-executive director of the Winston Churchill Trust where she also sits on the Investment Audit and Risk Committee. In 2024 she was appointed a Board Director of the CFA Society Australia where she also sits on the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee. She is a CFA charter holder and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
10:15
GLOBAL CREDIT PULSE I NAVIGATING DISRUPTION IN TRADE & ASSET FINANCE
As trade routes shift and banks recede, where are critical financing opportunities? In volatile markets, our speakers in this session explore how disruption enhances the appeal of defensive, asset-focused strategies offering relatively strong returns compared to history.
This session provides dual perspectives: exploring significant gaps in global trade finance created by market instability, and the expanding role of asset-based lending as traditional financiers retrench. Gain insights into capitalising on change and market disruption in global credit markets.
SPEAKERS:
Maarten Offeringa, Vice President, Federated Hermes
Chia-Wen Teoh, Head of Alternative Sales, Asia, PIMCO
SPEAKERS
Wholesale Forum 2025
Chia-Wen Teoh
Head of Alternative Sales
Asia, PIMCO
Chia-Wen (CW) Teoh is a Senior Vice President, based in the Hong Kong office. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2022, CW was senior vice president and real estate product specialist at Macquarie Asset Management, responsible for development and distribution of private markets real estate products to Asia-based clients. Previously, he was an executive director in UBS Investment Bank’s real estate, lodging, and leisure team, and vice-president in Macquarie Capital’s real estate investment banking team, focusing on corporate client advisory in Asia. He has 18 years of investment and financial services experience and holds undergraduate degrees in economics and chemical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.
11:05
MORNING TEA
11:30
ALPHA IN A COMPLEX WORLD I GLOBAL EQUITY STRATEGIES FOR RESILIENCE
When thinking about allocating to global equities in today’s volatile environment, how do you balance capital appreciation and managing risk and potentially generating income while base rates are high?
Our speaker delves into strategies designed to enhance returns and manage risk in a complex market. We will examine how investors can utilise sophisticated techniques within their equity allocation to generate more consistent income streams and optimize portfolio construction. A session to discuss how the potential for smoother returns compares to traditional equity investments.
SPEAKER:
Justin Tay, Head of Global Equitiess, JANA Investment Advisers
12:30
CREDIT UNDER PRESSURE? RISK AND OPPORTUNITY IN AUSTRALIA
With the proliferation of private credit in Australia, are you building portfolios that have appropriate credit diversity with the right managers? How do you think about risk-adjusted returns and diversification for your clients’ portfolios?
Our expert speakers will provide their views on their specific sectors, with insights into both corporate lending and the commercial real estate market in Australia. Is corporate lending challenged by Trump’s trade war, and is the housing crisis creating a credit crisis for CRE lending?
A session covering insights from specialist managers, active management within subsectors, how to mitigate concentration risk and build well-rounded portfolios to achieve superior riskadjusted returns.
SPEAKERS:
Wayne Lasky, Executive Chairman and Founder, Maxcap
Joe Millward, Founding Partner, Epsilon Direct Lending
GUEST MODERATOR:
James Gouldson, Head of Managed Portfolios & Partner, Koda Capital
SPEAKERS
Wholesale Forum 2025
James Gouldson
Head of Managed Portfolios & Partner
Koda Capital
James has delivered investment solutions for high net worth individuals for over 16 years.
He is responsible for the ongoing management of Koda’s PDS-orientated solution including manager selection, as well the oversight of one of the firm’s direct Australian equity portfolios. In addition, James works closely with the Chief Investment Officer and Head of Core & Opportunistic Portfolios in the management of the Koda’s suite of private market investments.
Prior to joining Koda Capital, James led Perth-based Redwood Wealth’s investment function as the Head of Investment Management. In this role he conducted detailed investment analysis on both direct and managed opportunities across a diverse range of asset classes and geographies. His advice also included asset allocation and other portfolio construction activities.
James holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Corporate Finance & Investment Finance) from the University of Western Australia. He is a CFA® Charterholder and a member of the CFA Society Australia.
13:25
LUNCH
Smith Rooms Lounge
14:25
DEATH & DENTON (BUT DEFINITELY NOT TAXES) | IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDREW DENTON
We all know the saying ‘there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes’. Fortunately, award winning television presenter and producer, Andrew Denton, is not here to talk to you about taxes. Join Andrew and Charlie Viola for an unexpectedly life-affirming conversation about the one inevitability we can’t dodge, minimise, or put in a trust.
SPEAKER:
Andrew Denton, Founder, Go Gentle Australia
GUEST MODERATOR:
Jacqui Fernley, Founding Partner, arcpoint OCIO
15:30
BEYOND VOLATILITY I REAL ASSETS IN THE NEW WORLD ORDER
In an increasingly uncertain and complex global landscape, marked by trade tensions and volatile financial markets, are you truly prepared for the next wave of volatility? This session will explore real assets, specifically alternative real estate and private infrastructure, with mission critical assets offering the potential for returns, inflation protection and stability during times of economic uncertainty.
Our speakers will delve into how these physical assets can generate consistent income streams and offer diversification benefits, enhancing a portfolio’s ability to weather market volatility. We will also discuss how factors like falling interest rates, cap rates and the ongoing privatization of essential assets is creating a catalyst today for this sector.
SPEAKERS:
Tom Patrick, Head of Healthcare Property I Partner, Barwon
Andrew Jennings, Managing Director of Infrastructure, KKR | Investment manager partner of Channel Capital
GUEST MODERATOR:
Lydia Kav, Non-executive Director, BilaEmpower Ltd
SPEAKERS
Wholesale Forum 2025
Lydia Kav
Non-executive Director, BilaEmpower Ltd
Lydia Kav (nee Serafim) is an experienced investment leader and capital steward with 30 years in financial markets, including two decades supporting Boards and Investment Committees. Lydia is currently a Non-Executive Director for BilaEmpower Ltd, member of the St Joseph’s College Foundation Board, and on the Economic Council of the De La Salle Brothers ANZPPNG District.
Her career spans senior leadership roles at AMP Capital Investors and Perpetual Ltd, as a Head of teams focusing on portfolio management and manager research across diversified and single-sector portfolios. She has deep expertise in multi-asset, multi-manager investing across public and private markets, including traditional and responsible (ESG) strategies, serving clients in superannuation, philanthropy, insurance, and wealth management. Lydia is recognised for her empowering leadership, and rigorous approach to asset allocation, risk oversight, and valuation governance.
She has been a standing and voting member of multiple Investment Committees and fund manager LPACs — Multi-Asset, Equities, Fixed Income, Unlisted Assets Valuations, and chairing Alternatives committees — and regularly reports to Boards on strategy, asset allocation, performance, and risk. Lydia also has been instrumental in improving the quality of governance reporting and excels at stakeholder management.
Lydia is a First-Class Honours Economics graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Overall, Lydia combines strong contemporary and practical commercial acumen, independent ethical judgement, rigorous curiosity, broad strategic insight, and a commitment to long-term value creation in governance or advisory roles.
16:30
AFTERNOON TEA
Smith Rooms Lounge
16:50
SYNTHESIS I NAVIGATING A NEW INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE
We have explored the evolving dynamics of global markets and various strategies required to navigate them successfully. From the disruptions in financing to the search for resilience in global equities and real assets, a central theme has emerged: the need for sophisticated, adaptable investment approaches.
Our speaker provides a wealth and institutional perspective on private markets. We’ve seen the importance of active management across asset classes in volatile environments, but building resilient portfolios requires diversification across asset classes and within asset classes. Accessing unique opportunities and generating alpha demands institutional-grade due diligence and portfolio construction.
By deconstructing portfolio construction principles, we’ll illuminate the nuanced approaches to integrating private markets, challenging traditional investment orthodoxies and presenting a forward-looking perspective on alternative investment strategies.
SPEAKERS:
Alicia Gregory, Managing Director, Blue Owl Capital
Chris Cuffe, Founder, Third Link
17:50
FORUM CLOSE
18:00
DINNER
Brasserie 1930