H&B | WHOLESALE FORUM 2026 | SYDNEY
AGENDA
08:30
REGISTRATION – The Lands by Capella Ballroom
09:00
WELCOME – Charlie Viola, Chairperson
09:15
GODS, GUNS & GOLD | FROM MACRO SIGNALS TO ALLOCATION STRATEGY
Today’s market presents a profound paradox, meeting long term return targets requires bold, high conviction bets, yet a fragile macro environment demands caution. From secular booms, to talks of expensive markets, to managing liquidity against sudden volatility spikes, the margin for error continues to thin out.
A session to discuss the current state of capital deployment, market outlooks and what asset classes represent relative value.
SPEAKERS:
RICHARD FELICE, Partner, Belay Advisory
JAMES GOULDSON, Head of Managed Portfolios & Partner, Koda Capital
LYDIA KAV, Non-Executive Director
10:15
MORNING TEA
10:35
THE EFFICIENCY MANDATE | UNLOCKING RELATIVE VALUE
Client portfolios are faced with finite illiquidity budgets, so how do you go about finding the best relative value today to deploy unlisted capital efficiently?
This session unites global property and private debt to maximize your private allocation where we examine how pairing the tangible pricing power of premium real estate with the senior-secured cash flows of corporate lending captures superior risk adjusted returns. Our speakers explore how to execute the ultimate relative value trade, securing essential downside protection while generating robust returns.
SPEAKERS:
DAVID WARNEFORD, Senior Managing Director, Head of Australia and New Zealand, Hines
ARIS ALLEGOS, Head of Australia, Muzinich & Co.
11:35
BEYOND THE CYCLE | SOURCING UNIQUE ALPHA
Traditional risk premiums are stretched so how do you capture excess returns for your clients?
Navigating market risks and concentration demands unique sources of structural yield. This session pairs two distinct approaches to uncorrelated alpha as we dissect a systematic framework exploiting relative value and global macro inefficiencies, alongside insurance linked securities generating completely uncorrelated yields. Our speakers discuss combining dynamic capital allocation with non financial physical exposures to deliver a robust, diversified alternative allocation built to withstand severe macroeconomic turbulence.
SPEAKERS:
SAM FOSTER, Alternatives Strategist, PIMCO
JEHAN SUKHA, Co-Head of Alternative Strategies, MLC Asset Management
12:30
LUNCH
13:30
CONSTRUCTING RESILIENCE | LIQUIDITY, STRUCTURING, AND THE TRUE PRICE OF RISK
Finding a competitive advantage in today's market requires venturing out of core allocations but accessing managers is only half the battle. As the regulator demands that allocators lift the bar for operational due diligence, risk pricing has never been higher.
Moving past marketing narratives, this session analyses what it takes to actually execute a non-vanilla portfolio strategy today through a conversation about the critical importance of position sizing, the hidden governance risks across private markets, and how to ensure defensive assets actually defend when systemic liquidity dries up.
GUEST MODERATOR:
JAMES GOULDSON, Head of Managed Portfolios & Partner, Koda Capital
SPEAKERS:
DANIELLE PRESS, Non-executive Director
MICHAEL KARAGIANIS, Head of Wealth, JANA Investment Advisors
14:35
QUALITY VS. VALUE | BOTH CAN'T BE RIGHT (OR CAN THEY?)
Does the current market demand strict adherence to a single style, or the flexibility to exploit the gaps in between?
This session unites two distinct global equity lenses, structural quality and opportunistic value. Moving beyond textbook definitions, we explore how both approaches navigate a concentrated market in the light of equity volatility. Opportunity or cause for concern? From identifying mispriced assets during short-term dislocations to securing sustainable compounders, our speakers discuss where these differing philosophies surprisingly converge. A session exploring the global themes where patience, agility, and fundamental discipline are currently being rewarded.
GUEST MODERATOR:
JACQUI FERNLEY, Founding Partner, arcpoint OCIO
SPEAKERS:
DOUGLAS ISLES, Investment Director, GCQ
DAVID PALMER, Senior Managing Director, Partner, and Equity Portfolio Manager, Wellington Management
15:30
AFTERNOON TEA
15:55
CREDIT QUALITY UNDER THE MICROSCOPE | ASIC, DEFAULTS & YOUR PORTFOLIO
Australia's private credit market has boomed, but rising defaults, market stressors, and the ASIC review are forcing a reckoning. How do you build resilient portfolios when credit quality is under scrutiny and concentration risk is rising?
This session brings together the biggest investors to dissect the Australian credit landscape. Corporate lending faces headwinds from trade volatility, while commercial real estate grapples with inflation pressures. Our speakers provide insights and explore how to navigate subsector divergence and build well-rounded portfolios that deliver superior risk-adjusted returns without taking unnecessary concentration risk.
The key question: in a maturing market under regulatory scrutiny, how do investors continue to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns?
GUEST MODERATOR:
LYDIA KAV, Non-Executive Director
SPEAKERS:
ANDREW LOCKHART, Group CEO and Managing Partner, Metrics Credit Partners
FRANK DANIELI, Head of Global Credit Solutions, MA Financial Group
16:55
THE NEW STATECRAFT | NAVIGATING THE WEAPONISATION OF TECH AND TRADE
As the US shifts from global policeman to strategic competitor, how do allocators price the new geopolitical reality?
This session explores how Washington’s 2025 strategic worldview is rewriting the rules of global investment. We cover the changing policy frameworks surrounding Iranian containment, how the US is leveraging domestic energy dominance and AI leadership as modern tools of statecraft. A candid conversation on translating complex geopolitics into actionable portfolio opportunities.
SPEAKER:
THE HON. ARTHUR SINODINOS, Chairman, United States Studies Centre
17:50
DRINKS & CANAPES – The Lands by Capella
19:30
FORUM TO CONCLUDE