ETFs – Their Value to Wealth Managers & Advisors and their Role in Private Client Portfolios

Wee Lynn Low, CFA, FRM, is a member of the Product Strategy Team within BlackRock's Global Fixed Income (GFI) Portfolio Management Group. In this role she drives initiatives around the commercialization, narratives and development of the Firm's Index Fixed Income (IFI) and ETF business in APAC, with a focus on China and Asia fixed income. Prior to joining BlackRock, Wee Lynn spent 5 years with IHS Markit as a product manager for the Pricing, Valuations and Reference Data business in Asia across fixed income and derivatives markets. Wee Lynn graduated summa cum laude with double degree in Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Management from Singapore Management University.

Jason Gibbons is the Investment Director for Asia at Leo Wealth, an independent global wealth advisor. Based in Hong Kong, Jason is responsible for providing investment advisory, portfolio management services and multi-asset class views to the firm’s clients. He specializes in asset allocation, alternative investments and thematic research. Prior to Leo Wealth, Jason was a Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon Wealth Management in Hong Kong, working extensively with private clients and high-net-worth families. He was responsible for managing the firm’s Asian clients’ discretionary portfolios and providing asset allocation guidance. Jason earned a BS in Finance and Minor in International Business from Pennsylvania State University. He is also a CFA charterholder.

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]

Isaac has significant experience in the financial sector with a career spanning across central banking, risk management, asset allocation and investment consulting in major firms in Australia, the UK and Hong Kong. Prior to joining Oreana, Isaac worked at Willis Towers Watson as the Head of Capital Markets Research in the Asia-Pacific. In this role he contributed to asset allocation decisions, macro-economic analysis and investment research across Asia and global markets. Isaac worked with institutions including major sovereign wealth funds, government agencies and pension funds. Isaac’s focus in this role was delivering asset allocation solutions to improve portfolio outcomes and returns. Other prior roles include Chief Economist at NSW Treasury Corporation, tasked with debt financing and investment management for the NSW Government, Manager of Economic Risk at Lloyds Banking Group, the largest retail bank in Britain, and graduate economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia . Isaac holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sydney in NSW, Australia. Isaac’s PhD developed economic theory and quantitative methods to analyse optimal mechanisms in key financial markets in Australia including government bond auctions and the Australian housing market. Isaac has also studied at the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of Tasmania in Australia. Isaac is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® holder through the Investment and Wealth Institute™.

Bernie’s journey began at Sky, where he designed the first interactive television and helped build a technical-based charity (ctt.org). He then hopped over to finance, and soon found himself at a start-up working on dividends and derivatives. Then, by nature of the fact that finance and technology have rapidly conjoined, he found himself working with Credit Suisse to build an index aggregation and distribution platform. Markit then acquired the start-up and Bernie battled his way up the greasy pole becoming the Managing Director of Markit’s equities division, with responsibility for index, ETF and Dividends. But the siren song of start-ups called once more. And Bernie was headhunted to rescue a failing index business. Over five years, he helped reverse the fortunes of DeltaOne Solutions, turning into a fighting force. So successful was the turn around that Markit came along and acquired this company as well. But Bernie still loved start-ups. To that end, he founded Ultumus, an ETF and benchmark data company. Ultumus aims to provide the best data in the most timely and consumable manner possible. With clients on both buy and sell side, when something happens in the index or ETF industry, Ultumus is the first to know.

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]

Isaac has significant experience in the financial sector with a career spanning across central banking, risk management, asset allocation and investment consulting in major firms in Australia, the UK and Hong Kong. Prior to joining Oreana, Isaac worked at Willis Towers Watson as the Head of Capital Markets Research in the Asia-Pacific. In this role he contributed to asset allocation decisions, macro-economic analysis and investment research across Asia and global markets. Isaac worked with institutions including major sovereign wealth funds, government agencies and pension funds. Isaac’s focus in this role was delivering asset allocation solutions to improve portfolio outcomes and returns. Other prior roles include Chief Economist at NSW Treasury Corporation, tasked with debt financing and investment management for the NSW Government, Manager of Economic Risk at Lloyds Banking Group, the largest retail bank in Britain, and graduate economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia . Isaac holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sydney in NSW, Australia. Isaac’s PhD developed economic theory and quantitative methods to analyse optimal mechanisms in key financial markets in Australia including government bond auctions and the Australian housing market. Isaac has also studied at the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of Tasmania in Australia. Isaac is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® holder through the Investment and Wealth Institute™.

Wee Lynn Low, CFA, FRM, is a member of the Product Strategy Team within BlackRock's Global Fixed Income (GFI) Portfolio Management Group. In this role she drives initiatives around the commercialization, narratives and development of the Firm's Index Fixed Income (IFI) and ETF business in APAC, with a focus on China and Asia fixed income. Prior to joining BlackRock, Wee Lynn spent 5 years with IHS Markit as a product manager for the Pricing, Valuations and Reference Data business in Asia across fixed income and derivatives markets. Wee Lynn graduated summa cum laude with double degree in Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Management from Singapore Management University.

Jason Gibbons is the Investment Director for Asia at Leo Wealth, an independent global wealth advisor. Based in Hong Kong, Jason is responsible for providing investment advisory, portfolio management services and multi-asset class views to the firm’s clients. He specializes in asset allocation, alternative investments and thematic research. Prior to Leo Wealth, Jason was a Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon Wealth Management in Hong Kong, working extensively with private clients and high-net-worth families. He was responsible for managing the firm’s Asian clients’ discretionary portfolios and providing asset allocation guidance. Jason earned a BS in Finance and Minor in International Business from Pennsylvania State University. He is also a CFA charterholder.

Bernie’s journey began at Sky, where he designed the first interactive television and helped build a technical-based charity (ctt.org). He then hopped over to finance, and soon found himself at a start-up working on dividends and derivatives. Then, by nature of the fact that finance and technology have rapidly conjoined, he found himself working with Credit Suisse to build an index aggregation and distribution platform. Markit then acquired the start-up and Bernie battled his way up the greasy pole becoming the Managing Director of Markit’s equities division, with responsibility for index, ETF and Dividends. But the siren song of start-ups called once more. And Bernie was headhunted to rescue a failing index business. Over five years, he helped reverse the fortunes of DeltaOne Solutions, turning into a fighting force. So successful was the turn around that Markit came along and acquired this company as well. But Bernie still loved start-ups. To that end, he founded Ultumus, an ETF and benchmark data company. Ultumus aims to provide the best data in the most timely and consumable manner possible. With clients on both buy and sell side, when something happens in the index or ETF industry, Ultumus is the first to know.

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.