Partner Firm Conference 2023

Day 1

8:30am — Tea and coffee

9:00am — Start time

• Welcome — Scott Alman
  
  
• Dimensional insights – past, present and future — Bhanu Singh, Dimensional Fund Advisors
  Major innovations in investing and the importance of a robust investment philosophy in achieving a successful investment experience.
  
  
• ESG: Now and into the Future — Dr Vian Sharif, FNZ Group
  Looking into the future of ESG.
  
  
• ESG: From Avoiding Harm to Doing Good — Andrew Bascand, Harbour Asset Management
  The implementation of ESG in New Zealand, where it is now and where it’s headed.
  
  
• Discussion Panel with Dr Vian Sharif and Andrew Bascand
  Q&A session.
  
  
• Research Reflections — Professor Ben Marshall, Independent Academic Consultant
  Dr Marshall highlights several streams of research with bearing on advice and how advisers manage portfolios.
  
  
• De-myth-tifying factor investing — Damon O'Brien
  In a world with hundreds of academically published factors, how does the CIC determine what to rely on?
  
  
• Becoming an Engaging Conversationalist — Anthony Laye
  Enhance your communications skills with these expert tips.
  
  
• The Art of Listening — Ben Brinkerhoff
  It’s been claimed, the most important skill an adviser can learn is how to be a great listener. We’ll uncover why listening is so hard and learn how to tune out the noise and tune into your clients.
  
  

5:00pm — Day 1 Wrap Up

6:30pm — Pre-dinner drinks (Town Hall)

Day 2

8:45am — Tea and coffee

9:15am — Start time

• The Value of Advice — Matthew Arnold, Russell Investments
  Can we quantify the value an adviser brings to their clients? It’s as simple as A+B+C+D.
  
  
• The Future of the Financial Advice Industry — David Greenslade, Strategi Group
  What will the financial advice industry look like in 5 years? What can we do to prepare?
  
  
• The Wrap Evolution — Dayle Engelbrecht
  An update on Wrap enhancements and future developments.
  
  
• Consilium Quick Hits
  - The teams supporting you — Malcolm Harrington
  - Compliance Corner — Amanda Wolt
  - KiwiWRAP KiwiSaver Scheme update — Scott Alman
  
  
• Keeping up with AI and ChatGPT — Elsamari Botha, University of Canterbury and Sonnie Bailey, Financial Adviser
  Exploring the AI revolution and potential interactions with financial advice.
  
  
• US Study Tour — Panel discussion
  An overview of the recent Consilium US Study Tour.
  
  
• Guest Presenter — Sir Ian Taylor CNZM, Founder/Managing Director, Animation Research Ltd
  Lessons from an entrepreneur and the power of saying “I don’t see why not”.
  
  

3:30pm — Conference Wrap Up — Damon O'Brien

Bhanu Singh

Chief Executive Officer, and Head of Asia Pacific Portfolio Management
Dimensional Fund Advisors

Bhanu Singh is the CEO and Director of DFA Australia Limited as well as the Head of Asia-Pacific Portfolio Management. Bhanu manages Dimensional’s business interests in Australia and oversees all portfolios managed out of the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, Bhanu is a member of Dimensional’s Investment Research Committee, which reviews potential investment strategy enhancements. He works closely with Dimensional’s research team to develop and implement solutions that are designed to help clients achieve their goals.

Bhanu has close to 20 years of industry experience. He started working for Dimensional in 2003 as a Trading Assistant, then became Head of Asia-Pacific Portfolio Management in 2015 before being named CEO in 2023.

Bhanu holds a BA in business economics with honours from UCLA and an MBA in analytical finance with honours from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Dr Vian Sharif

Global Head of Sustainability
FNZ Group

Dr Vian Sharif is Head of Sustainability at FNZ Group. She leads the development of innovative technology solutions across financial platforms to catalyse the shift to more sustainable capital allocations, and ultimately a more sustainable world, working closely with academics and scientists from leading global institutions. 

Prior to this she spent over a decade at global asset manager Investec. As part of a number of governmental and international sustainability advisory groups, she was a Member of the Taskforce for Nature Related Disclosures Technical Experts Group and the UK Government's Business Advisory group for the Convention on Biodiversity. She is a founder member of the Taskforce for Nature Markets and board member of Nature Finance.

Andrew Bascand

Managing Director & Portfolio Manager
Harbour Asset Management

Andrew is a founder and Managing Director at Harbour. He and holds responsibility for the Australasian Equity growth portfolios, alongside the overarching management of Harbour as a business. Prior to joining Harbour Asset Management, Andrew spent 10 years with AllianceBernstein New Zealand as Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager responsible for portfolio construction of all Australasian mandates. In that role, Andrew and his team were consistently recognised by the industry for excellence in funds management.

Andrew has more than 37 years investment management experience including roles with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Bank of England, AMP and with Merrill Lynch Global Asset Management (UK) as Managing Director of Global Equity Products. With Merrill Lynch, Andrew managed global equity accounts for pension funds in Japan, Sweden, Spain, Chile, England, the US, Germany and South Africa.

Prof Ben Marshall

Independent Academic Consultant


Professor Ben Marshall works with the Consilium Investment Committee as an Independent Academic Consultant, with a particular focus on governance, analytical support and policy review. He serves on the editorial board of a number of journals and has consulted to public and private companies in a range of different areas. He holds the MSA Charitable Trust Chair in Finance at Massey University.

Professor Marshall has undertaken research in areas such as the impact of climate on financial markets, factors that influence stock returns, quantitative approaches to portfolio management, transaction cost and illiquidity measurement, and exchange traded funds.

His research has been published in leading international journals and he is a regular speaker at international finance conferences. Professor Marshall is currently ranked in the top 1% of authors based on downloads of his working papers.

Matthew Arnold

Director
Russell Investments

Matt is responsible for leading the New Zealand and South Pacific business for Russell Investments. The team delivers a range of services that assist investors in meeting their goals including investment consulting and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO), global multi-asset investing and implementation services such as transition management and overlays.

Prior to joining Russell Investments in 2019, Matt worked for a decade at State Street Global Advisors in the UK and Singapore where he held a variety of research, strategy and sales roles within the global SPDR Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) business.

Earlier in his career, he worked at several global investment managers including ABN AMRO Asset Management in the UK and Allianz Global Investors and Goldman Sachs Asset Management in the US. Matt also worked at Ennis Knupp & Associates (now AON Hewitt), an institutional investment consultant headquartered in Chicago, where he was primarily responsible for investment manager research. He began his financial services career at the Bank of New Zealand.

David Greenslade

Executive Director
Strategi Group

David is the founder and executive director of Strategi Group which includes Strategi Compliance, Strategi Institute and the delivery of real estate qualifications via TAFE College.

Strategi Group provides AML/CFT audits to over 1200 companies and compliance support services to over 200 FMA licensed entities, and has worked with and assessed over 6000 students and 8000 nominated representatives to receive their level 5 financial services qualification.

David holds governance appointments including Chairman of Become Wealth Ltd, Director of Britannia Financial Services Ltd and is a member of a number of investment committees and advisory boards.

David has been a practising financial adviser since 1990, holds the level 5 financial services qualification and is registered on the FSPR. He holds a ‘lead auditor’ qualification, is a qualified assessor for the level 5 qualification. He is also an adventure tourism auditor with AdventureMark. David holds the following qualifications; BA, MBA, Dip Mgt, Dip Bus Studies (PFP), MIML, MinstD. 

David has written a number of manuals for the financial services industry and regularly contributes to industry publications.

Dr Elsamari Botha

MBA Director, Digital Transformation and AI Specialist
University of Canterbury

Dr. Elsamari Botha leads as MBA Director at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, is an Extraordinary Associate Professor at South Africa's University of Stellenbosch Business School, and also teaches critical subjects such as Digital Transformation and Technology Preparedness.

Her doctorate in Industrial Economics and Management from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, and her 15 years of hands-on consulting experience and successful EdTech entrepreneurship make her an authority on technology adoption and digital strategy, bringing a global perspective to her work.

As a guest speaker and avid researcher, Elsamari's insights are regularly published in internationally acclaimed business journals, most notably in digital transformation and AI in retailing.

Sir Ian Taylor, CNZM

Entrepreneur & Founder
Animation Research Ltd

Profoundly inspiring, deeply thought provoking, refreshingly authentic – prepare to be informed, educated and inspired by this humble, accomplished and multi awarded innovator. Ian challenges the status quo of our societies and addresses important social issues relating to our educational system and its impact on our people. The switched on, creative, solutions focussed, ‘Don’t see why not!’ thinking of this innovator will stay with you forever.

Sir Ian Lemuel Taylor CNZM (born c.1950) is a prominent businessman from Dunedin, New Zealand and has a LLB degree from the University of Otago. A former television presenter, Taylor founded Taylormade Media in 1989 as a television production company. The following year he established Animation Research Limited, which quickly became one of the top computer animation companies in New Zealand and known internationally for its work, particularly in television advertising and sports graphics.

Taylor was inducted into the New Zealand Technology Hall of Fame in 2009 and was named North & South Magazines 2010 New Zealander of the Year. He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the New Zealand Computer Society (HFNZCS) in 2010, the top honour of the ICT sector in New Zealand. Taylor was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2012 New Year Honours, for services to television and business.

Dietary requests

Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements for catering purposes. Send an email to Donne Leonard at donne.leonard@consilium.co.nz.

CPD hours

Your attendance at the conference will earn you 11 structured CPD hours. Names will be submitted to Financial Advice NZ to have the certificate sent directly to your email address.

Non attendance

Attendance to the Consilium Partner Firm Conference is by invitation only. If you are unable to attend either the conference or the dinner, please let your Client Relationship Manager know in advance. You will otherwise be catered for and there may be a charge for non-attendance.

Accommodation

Fable Christchurch
166 Gloucester Street
Special rate on all room types. Book your stay at Fable Christchurch here. Select your dates and enter the promo code CONSILIUM. Click CHECK AVAILABILITY to view the rooms available on your dates.

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square
52 Cathedral Square, 107 Hereford Street
Special rate on all room types. Book your stay at Novotel Cathedral Square here. Select NOVOTEL, select your arrival date and number of nights. Click SEARCH to view the rooms available on your dates.

Rydges Latimer
30 Latimer Square, Christchurch Central City
Book your stay at Rydges Latimer here. Enter Rydges Latimer in the location field, select your dates and click GO. Click 'I have a code' and enter CONSILIUM23 in the CORPORATE FIELD. Click UPDATE to view the rooms available on your date.