Leading figures from the UK and European funds industry have been added to the speaker line-up for this year's Guernsey Funds Forum in London.
Former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Norman Lamont, and Economics Editor and Broadcaster Stephanie Flanders, have already been announced as speakers for the keynote debate, while Senior ITV News Anchor Alastair Stewart has been confirmed as moderator for each of the event's three sessions.
The latest panellists announced for the London event comprise Adrian Garner of MMIP Investment Management, William Marle of LCF Rothschild, Claire Wilkinson from MVision Private Equity Advisers, Rob Barr of Pantheon Ventures, Oleg Myshkin from Fleming Family Partners and Evren Unver of Turkven.
Peter Niven, Chief Executive of Guernsey Finance – the promotional agency for the Island's finance industry, said: "Attracting speakers of the calibre of Lord Lamont and Stephanie Flanders is a real testament to the growing stature of the Guernsey Funds Forum and how it is viewed by industry. Last year's event attracted more than 400 participants and we hope to better that this time around.
"What is equally impressive is that the additional panellists we are now able to confirm have an exceptional breadth and depth of experience and expertise in the funds arena and their insight into current and future market trends will provide for an interesting and informative discussion around the key issues in the industry."
The Guernsey Funds Forum 2012, titled 'Shaken not stirred', is taking place from 12.30pm on Wednesday 2 May 2012 at the Grange St Paul's Hotel, London, EC4V 5AJ. It starts with registration and lunch from 12.30pm, while the forum itself begins at 1.30pm and is followed by a drinks networking reception at 5.30pm.
The forum will begin with a panel session 'regulation never dies' which will look at how much regulation investors need, whether regulation is good for the investment fund industry, strategies for managers to survive in a highly regulated world and the role of corporate governance.
Panellists already confirmed for this debate were Karsten Langer of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA) and Ian Sayers of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC). They will also be joined by Adrian Garner, William Marle and Claire Wilkinson.
The second session, 'the world is not enough', will look at investor demands and returns, how managers can keep investors happy in the economic climate and how managers can attract investors in the current marketplace.
Stephen Ziff of Coller Capital and Christopher Fawcett from Fauchier Partners, will be joined as panellists for this debate by Rob Barr, Oleg Myshkin and Evren Unver. They will share with the audience their views on regulation, how they decide where to invest and where they plan to invest their next funds.
The event, moderated by Alastair Stewart, will culminate with the keynote speakers' debate featuring Lord Lamont and Stephanie Flanders where delegates will have the opportunity to cross-examine the pair in a 'Question Time' format. It will be followed by the drinks networking reception.
Mr Niven added: "We believe that Guernsey continues to offer great opportunities as a fund domicile and by putting on events such as the Guernsey Funds Forum we can continue to build on our strong reputation. The event will not just be informing delegates about developments and trends in the Island but also as a conference which has leading figures tackling the wider issues facing the industry."
As well as the conference, there will also be an exhibition of Guernsey service providers, including the Island's leading fund administrators, custodians, multi-jurisdictional legal practices and global accountancy firms.
The event is hosted by Guernsey Finance, in conjunction with the Guernsey Investment Fund Association (GIFA). Keynote speakers Lord Lamont and Stephanie Flanders have been sponsored by Mourant Ozannes, while moderator Alastair Stewart is being sponsored by Carey Olsen.
The event is supported by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA), the EVCA, the AIC, Preqin and HFM Week. For more information about delegate, exhibition and sponsorship opportunities contact Fiona Murray by email events@fionamurray.net.
Lord Lamont was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1990-1993 during the difficult recession of the time and Britain's exit from the ERM on "Black Wednesday". Prior to that he was a Cabinet Minister under both Margaret Thatcher and John Major and in total was a member of the House of Commons for twenty-five years. He was made a Life Peer in July 1998 and has been a strong vocal opponent of further European Integration and Britain joining the Euro.
Stephanie Flanders replaced Evan Davis as the BBC's Economics Editor in spring 2008. Prior to that, she was the Economics Editor for BBC2's Newsnight programme from 2002. She has also written for the comment and features pages of the Financial Times, The Sunday Times, the Sunday Telegraph, the Observer, the Guardian, The Daily Mail and Prospect.
Alastair Stewart has worked in the media for nearly four decades and presents a range of news and current affairs programmes on ITV including The ITV Evening News, The ITV Lunchtime News and News at Ten. In April 2010, he moderated the first ever live TV debate between the Party Leaders, ahead of the General Election. In 2006, he was awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his work in broadcasting and for charity.
The net asset value of funds under management and administration in Guernsey reached £261 billion at the end of December 2011 – a rise of 1.6% year on year.
For more information about Guernsey's finance industry please visit www.guernseyfinance.com.
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