H&B | WHOLESALE FORUM 2025 | SYDNEY
AGENDA
08:30
REGISTRATION – Smith Rooms Capella Hotel, Sydney
09:00
WELCOME – CHARLIE VIOLA, Founding Partner, Viola Private Wealth
09:15
GUEST SPEAKER
10:15
GLOBAL CREDIT PULSE | 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.
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SPEAKERS:
CHRISTOPHER MCGINLEY, Head of Trade Finance, Federated Hermes
CHIA-WEN TEOH, Alternative Credit Specialist, PIMCO
11:05
MORNING TEA
11:30
ALPHA IN A COMPLEX WORLD | 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.
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12:20
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 risk-adjusted returns.
SPEAKERS:
BRUCE WAN, Head of Research, Maxcap
JOE MILLWARD, Founding Partner, Epsilon Direct Lending
13:15
LUNCH
14:15
GUEST SPEAKER
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SPEAKER:
ANDREW DENTON, Founder, Go Gentle Australia
15.15
BEYOND VOLATILITY | 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.
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SPEAKERS:
TOM PATRICK, Head of Healthcare Property I Partner, Barwon
ANDREW JENNINGS, Managing Director of Infrastructure, KKR | Investment manager partner of Channel Capital
16:05
AFTERNOON TEA
16:30
SYNTHESIS | 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.
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SPEAKERS:
ALICIA GREGORY, Managing Director, Blue Owl Capital
CHRIS CUFFE, Founder, Third Link
17:40
DINNER – Brasserie 1930
20:30
FORUM TO CONCLUDE