Agenda

Full agenda to be announced.... 

17 March 2026

10:30 - 11:00: Registration and refreshments

11:00 - 11:10: Chairman’s welcome

Huw Evans, Partner, Head of Insurance, KPMG UK

11:10 - 11:35: Unlocking the power of Direct Lending: An educational deep dive into the European lower-mid market (sponsored by Franklin Templeton) 

David Wilmot, Partner, Apera Asset Management (by Franklin Templeton)

11:35 - 12:00: Navigating Regulatory Shifts in European ABS & ABF (sponsored by Royal London Asset Management) 

Jeremy Deacon – Head of Leveraged Finance and ABS, RLAM

This presentation will explore how new European regulations could reshape asset-backed securities (ABS) and asset-based financing (ABF) markets. Learn what these changes may mean for your portfolio and where the next investment opportunities could lie.

12:00 - 12:40: PANEL DISCUSSION: Exploring the Fixed Income Environment (Sponsored by Nuveen)

Chair: Laura Cooper, Head of Macro Credit and Global Investment Strategist, Nuveen

Panellists: 

Anjali Doshi, Head of Sovereign and Emerging Markets Corporate Research, Nuveen
Stephen Marsh, Head of Investment Oversight, Lloyd’s of London
Sumit Mehta, Head of Strategy, L&G
Richard Roberts, Chief Finance and Investment Officer, Pool Re

Fiscal and monetary policies across the globe mean insurance investment leaders have to continuously navigate uncertainties and remain competitive. Impacts on investment strategies mean a number of tactics must be deployed to ensure portfolio resilience in a complex macroeconomic environment. This panel will explore this environment.

12:40 - 13:05: Alternative Credit: Unlocking alpha with quality and diversification (sponsored by HSBC Asset Management)

Borja Azpilicueta, Head of Capital Solutions, HSBC Asset Management

Demand for diversification is increasing allocations on Investment Grade Private Credit as it can offer compelling returns, resilient risk profile and potentially efficient capital treatment. Bank Partnerships continue to offer insurance investors access to distinctive investment opportunities tailored to specific investor outcomes. Please join HSBC Asset Management’s Deepak Seeburrun, Head of Global Insurance, and Borja Azpilicueta, Head of Capital Solutions for an insightful discussion on the complementary strategies in today’s dynamic market environment.

13:05 - 14:05: Lunch break

14:05 - 14:30: Bespoke Multi‑Strategy Illiquid Credit Solutions for Insurers (sponsored by Pinebridge Investments)

Geert Henckens, Head of Private Fixed Income, MetLife Investment Management

As insurers seek to achieve more from the external investment management partners – there is a trend of insurers working with fewer managers across multiple illiquid asset classes In his presentation, Geert Henckens, Head of Private Credit at MetLife Investment Management, will outline how the combined MetLife Investment Management and PineBridge platform offers a comprehensive suite of private credit capabilities—including public and private fixed income, asset‑backed finance, infrastructure debt, real estate debt, private placements, and middle‑market lending—designed to meet the needs of insurers across all liability profiles.

Drawing on our experience managing MetLife’s general account alongside more than $300 billion* in third‑party capital, we are able to design tailored portfolios across the full spectrum of private credit. Supported by global experience working with insurers across regulatory regimes—including Solvency UK, Solvency II, Bermuda, US NAIC, and APAC frameworks—the platform helps insurers navigate regulatory and rating‑agency capital considerations while aligning assets to liabilities across the duration spectrum. As insurers increasingly look to work with fewer partners across a broader range of strategies, this integrated model provides a more efficient and coordinated approach to portfolio construction.
* As of December 31, 2025

14:30 - 14:55: An unique asset class as a new building block for institutional investors’ portfolios: working capital and inventory finance (sponsored by Pemberton Asset Management) 

Oren Bass, Head of Working Capital Solutions, Pemberton Asset Management

14:55 - 15:15: Coffee break 

15:15 - 15:55: PANEL DISCUSSION: Alternative opportunities for insurers (sponsored by Invesco)

Chair: Michael Craig, Managing Director, Head of European Senior Loans, Invesco

Panellists: 

Prasun Mathur, Head of Private Assets, Aviva UK Life
Peter McGloughlin, Chief Investment Officer, Canada Life Reinsurance
Corrado Pistarino, Chief Investment Officer, Foresters Friendly Society
Cecile Retaureau, Head of Private Markets, Phoenix Group

Having endured huge fluctuations in central bank policies in recent years, CIOs are now more comfortable embracing investment strategies outside of traditional fixed income instruments that are helping to not only generate better returns but also diversify their risk profiles in today’s increasingly complex world. This panel will look at current opportunities within the alternatives space and how these fit within portfolio strategies.

15:55 – 16:20:  Session to be announced (sponsored by Artisan Partners) 
Darren Goldman, Business Leader for EMsights Capital Group, Artisan Partners

16:20 - 16:30: Chairman’s closing remarks

16:30: End of conference Day 1/ Networking pre-dinner 

Three course dinner

18:30 - 18:55: Drinks reception

18:55 - 19:00: Welcome from the Editor of Insurance Asset Management, Adam Cadle 

19:00 - 20:30: 3 Course dinner

21:00 - 21:30:  After Dinner speaker – Dennis Taylor

21:30 - 22:00:  Post dinner drinks 

18 March 2026

09:20 - 09:40: Registration and refreshments

09:40 - 09:50: Chairman’s welcome

Huw Evans, Partner, Head of Insurance, KPMG UK

09:50 - 10:30: PANEL DISCUSSION: ESG – PROGRESSION OR MORE WORK NEEDED?

Chair: Hetal Patel, Head of Sustainable Investment Research Office, Phoenix Group

Panellists:

Andrew Bailey, Investment Director, Bupa Group
Ben Howarth, Assistant Director, Head of Sustainability and Climate, The ABI
Sindhu Krishna, Independent Consultant 

Like any other, the insurance industry stands to reap significant benefits from embracing ESG in strategy execution. Insurers must take advantage of ESG opportunities to propel their growth strategy, future viability, and long-term sustainable delivery of dividends for stakeholders. This panel will explore how the insurance industry can drive sustainable finance, how it can address the ‘S’ in ESG and how investments in this area are evolving.

10:30 - 10:55:  Session to be announced (Sponsored by Aviva Investors)
Todd Cutting, Portfolio Manager, Aviva Investors

10:55 - 11:20:  The Wildly Unglamorous and Predictably Boring: Infrastructure Investment for Insurance Portfolios (sponsored by Principal Asset Management) 

Anders Amundson, Director - Origination and Structuring, Private Infrastructure Debt, Principal Asset Management

Private infrastructure assets are the backbone of the modern world, operating with high barriers to entry and steady cash flows. For insurance debt portfolios, this means attractive yields, long dated duration, and structural protection. Principal’s process - understanding cash flows, protecting the downside, and evaluating risk-reward - is explained through three examples: a clean-power line supplying NYC, a hyperscale data center in Northern Virginia, and a new sports stadium in the UK.

11:20 - 11:45: Session to be announced

11.45 - 12.00: Chairman's closing remarks

Huw Evans, Partner, Head of Insurance, KPMG UK

12.00 - 13.00: Lunch break

13.00: End of conference

Check out 2025 agenda here.