Alternative Investments - Their Rising Prominence in Asia's HNW Portfolios

Julian Howard is the Lead Investment Director of Multi Asset Solutions at GAM. He manages c. $1bn of investments across equities, bonds and alternatives for a diverse client base including institutions, charities, private clients and retail investors. He is responsible for strategic and tactical asset allocation as well as fund selection. Prior to joining GAM in 2007, he held roles at Henderson Global Investors, Insight Investment, Invesco Perpetual and JP Morgan Investment Management. Julian Howard holds a BA in History from Bristol University, the CISI Diploma, the CISI Investment Advice Diploma and the CISI Diploma in Investment Compliance. He is a CISI Chartered Wealth Manager and is based in London.

Mr. Garvey is a member of GMO’s Asset Allocation team. Previously at GMO, he was a member of the Global Client Relations team in the London office. Prior to joining GMO in 2012, he worked at Close Brothers Asset Management, London as the Chief Investment Officer of the multi-manager division. Previously, he was the co-founder and Head of Institutional Business and principal at Aon Asset Management, London. Mr. Garvey is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.

Mr. Yu joined Hywin International as the Head of Securities in February 2022 to lead the company’s corporate finance advisory business and tailored asset management business. Mr. Yu has nearly 20 years of experience in private placement, pre-IPO financing and underwriting Mr Yu previously held senior roles at Valuable Capital, Valuable Asset Management, Macquarie, Sumitomo Mitsui Bank and HSBC, and worked on various US and HK listings, including Hywin Holdings, Netjoy Holdings, Acotec Scientific, Jiayuan Services, etc. In addition, Mr. Yu was involved in the fundraising for various investment funds targeting IPOs in China, Hong Kong and Us with total AUM of Usd300million. Mr. Yu holds a doctorate degree in Business Administration from Shanghai Jiao Tong University Antai College—University of Manchester Alliance Manchester Business School. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and Financial Risk Manager.

David Storm is Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer for RBC Wealth Management in Asia & British Isles. He chairs both the Asia and BI Investment Committees, with overall responsibility for investment policy and strategy. He also leads our research in hedge fund, private markets and sustainable investment strategies. David joined RBC Wealth Management in 2006 as a Portfolio Manager focusing on our institutional benefit plan business, before moving in to his current role. Prior to joining RBC, David was part of the Investments Group at Morgan Stanley. David is both a CFA and CAIA Charterholder. In his spare time, David enjoys playing football and travelling.

Julian Howard is the Lead Investment Director of Multi Asset Solutions at GAM. He manages c. $1bn of investments across equities, bonds and alternatives for a diverse client base including institutions, charities, private clients and retail investors. He is responsible for strategic and tactical asset allocation as well as fund selection. Prior to joining GAM in 2007, he held roles at Henderson Global Investors, Insight Investment, Invesco Perpetual and JP Morgan Investment Management. Julian Howard holds a BA in History from Bristol University, the CISI Diploma, the CISI Investment Advice Diploma and the CISI Diploma in Investment Compliance. He is a CISI Chartered Wealth Manager and is based in London.

Dr Nick Xiao joined Hywin International in 2019 as CEO. Nick previously worked at Standard Chartered Private Banking, Credit Suisse Private Banking, Bank Julius Baer, building and managing various businesses in China, Taiwan, and the wider North Asia. Later, Nick was managing partner of a family office and advised leading families in Asia and Switzerland on their wealth and pursuits. Nick holds a PhD in Finance from Wuhan University in China and is a prolific academic. He published in 2004 one of the earliest books on China’s OTC derivatives market, and contributed award-winning papers to the official journals of People’s Bank of China and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Nick is widely consulted for his views on private banking in Asia and his insight on China, through speeches at events and interviews with international and Chinese media.

Paul Gambles is Co-founder of MBMG Group and Managing Director of MBMG Investment Advisory. He has completed CFA Level 1 and he is licensed by the SEC as both a Securities Fundamental Investment Analyst and an Investment Planner. He is a member of Advisory Board of IDEA Economics and is well-known as an expert commentator appearing most days on Money Channel’s 10 o'clock news, as well as making monthly appearances as a guest host on CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia, Squawk Box Europe and frequent appearances on National Public Radio, Bloomberg TV, Nation TV, CCTV and others. Paul has been a regular contributor of exclusive opinion editorials to The Nation since 2009 and also a regular contributor to professional magazines.

Paul’s MBMG Updates can be found at http://www.mbmg-investment.com/in-the-media/ and he can be contacted at [email protected]

David Storm is Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer for RBC Wealth Management in Asia & British Isles. He chairs both the Asia and BI Investment Committees, with overall responsibility for investment policy and strategy. He also leads our research in hedge fund, private markets and sustainable investment strategies. David joined RBC Wealth Management in 2006 as a Portfolio Manager focusing on our institutional benefit plan business, before moving in to his current role. Prior to joining RBC, David was part of the Investments Group at Morgan Stanley. David is both a CFA and CAIA Charterholder. In his spare time, David enjoys playing football and travelling.

Mr. Garvey is a member of GMO’s Asset Allocation team. Previously at GMO, he was a member of the Global Client Relations team in the London office. Prior to joining GMO in 2012, he worked at Close Brothers Asset Management, London as the Chief Investment Officer of the multi-manager division. Previously, he was the co-founder and Head of Institutional Business and principal at Aon Asset Management, London. Mr. Garvey is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.

Michael is a prominent figure in the financial services industry in Asia. He is the founder and CEO of Hubbis, a renowned provider of intelligence and connectivity for the Asian wealth management industry. With a depth of experience and expertise, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry for over 30 years, becoming a leading industry presence in the events, professional development, and publishing space in the region. Hubbis is a multi-generational family-owned and managed business.

He has been actively involved in the Asia-Pacific region since 1993. And has lived in Asia since 1995, holding positions in Hong Kong, Sydney, and Singapore. 

For over 14-years, Hubbis has established itself as the gold standard media and events brand in wealth management thought leadership in Asia. Each year providing a very large body of cutting-edge editorial and sponsored content, organizing top-flight events. During that time Hubbis has become the platform of choice for many high-profile C-suite leaders to communicate their vision of the Asian wealth management.

Before his involvement with Hubbis, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002, a financial services media company. Under his leadership, the company achieved significant success and was subsequently acquired by global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006. Michael continued to serve as the CEO of Pacific Prospect until October 2008. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Michael garnered 5 years of experience in financial markets publishing.

His career in this field began in 1993 when he joined Euromoney Publications as the publisher of the quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now owned by LSEG) and spearheaded the conception and launch of Finance Asia magazine. During his tenure as Managing Director of Finance Asia, he also initiated the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine, and the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, he founded FIA Limited, further expanding his contributions to the financial publishing industry.

Born in North Wales, Michael served as the head boy of St David's College Llandudno. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. Beyond his professional endeavours, Michael is a family-oriented individual and is happily married with three children: Reanna, Garett, and Tarryn.