MSCI APAC Institutional Investor Forum

8:30 a.m.・ Event Registration and Breakfast

9:00 a.m.・ Welcome and Opening Remarks

Axel Kilian, Chief Client Officer, MSCI
 

9:05 a.m.・ Keynote: The New Frontier: Driving Growth in a Transforming World

Oleg Ruban, Head of Research, APAC, MSCI
 

9:20 a.m.・ Panel: Macro Volatility and the Agile Investor

Global investment patterns are shifting decisively as U.S. mega-cap dominance, private market growth, and Asia’s energy transition redefine capital flows. Faced with changing global megatrends, asset owners seek new models and resources to assess risks and pursue opportunities. This panel examines how asset allocators leverage quantitative tools and scenario analysis for risk mitigation to transform uncertainty into clarity.

Panellists:
Ayako Fujita, Managing Director, Chief Economist, Economic Research, JP Morgan Securities Japan
Keisuke Kawasaki, Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer, Nippon Life
Sebastien Lieblich, Head of EMEA and APAC Index and Global Sustainability & Climate Indexes and Asset Owners, MSCI                                                            Shinichiro Arie, Chief Investment Officer/Head of Investment Management Division and Head of Fixed Income Department, Amunidi Japan

Moderator:
Axel Kilian, Chief Client Officer, MSCI
 

10:05 a.m.・ Panel: Financing Climate Mitigation and Adaptation

Global investment patterns are undergoing a profound transformation as rising physical climate risks reshape capital flows. This session explores the evolving toolkit for transition finance — how progress is defined, measured, and executed across asset classes — while unpacking sector-specific challenges and the rise of emerging themes like adaptation, which are broadening the path to a low-carbon future.

Panellists:
Chikako Matsumoto, Chief Sustainability Officer, Managing Executive Officer, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group
Guido Giese, Head of Sustainability & Climate Investment Solutions Research, MSCI
Laurent Poirot, Head of Product Strategy & Development, Markets, SGX

Moderator:
Chitra Hepburn, Head of APAC Sustainability & Climate, MSCI
 

10:50 a.m.・ Morning Networking Break
 

11:05 a.m.・ Keynote: A Snapshot of Japan

Japan’s market modernization, propelled by structural reforms, collides with patches of market vulnerability such as global trade fragility and climate shocks. As one of the top exporters to the U.S., sectors like autos and tech face trade volatility, while extreme weather and supply-chain shifts add complexity. This research-driven presentation examines how these forces of risk converge to shape Japan’s evolving market and the potential implications on portfolio and asset allocation decisions.

Jesper Koll, Expert Director for the Monex Group and the Japan Catalyst Fund
 

11:35 a.m.・Panel: Transitioning to a Total Portfolio Approach

Global asset owners are prioritizing total portfolio approaches (TPA) to navigate mounting market complexity and unpredictable 'black swan' risks. However, implementation is not uniform. This session explores our findings on how institutional investors are integrating TPM frameworks to align risk, liquidity, and return objectives across public and private assets, while addressing implementation challenges.

Panellists:

Hazman Hilmi Sallahuddin, Chief Investment Officer, KWAP Ian Patrick, Chief Investment Officer, Australian Retirement Trust
Mitch McCallum, Head of APAC Private Assets Client Coverage, MSCI
Naoya Sugimoto, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Japan Science & Technology Agency (JST)

Moderator:
Oleg Ruban, Head of Research, APAC, MSCI
 

12:20 p.m.・Networking Lunch

1:00 p.m.・Fireside Chat: Architecture of Modern Private Markets

Volatile public markets and a global hunt for diversification are accelerating interest in private assets. Over the past decade, the democratization of access has redrawn the boundaries of this once-exclusive domain, bringing new participants, shifting capital flows and challenging traditional models of oversight and engagement. As more investors lean into this opaque space, demands for transparency and risk oversight are rising. This session dissects the structural and data-driven mechanics, exploring how asset owners can better manage transparency, key stakeholders and reporting challenges.
 

1:30 p.m.・Panel: Where AI Goes From Here   

This session will be conducted in Japanese.                     

Artificial intelligence is moving from the margins to the core of investment decision-making. Its rapid evolution is reshaping how markets operate and raising urgent questions around oversight, accountability and control. At the same time, AI has become a focal point of geopolitical competition and a driver of economic transformation. This session explores how investors can position themselves in a new world order that is taking shape.

Panellists:
Gen Uehara, Head of Financial Services Industry Japan, Snowflake
Kei Nakagawa, Professor, Osaka Metropolitan University ​
Masanori Hirano, Researcher, Preferred Network
Michinori Kanokogi, Head of Solutions Research, Nissay Asset Management

Moderator:
Abe Masaya, Executive Director, Head of Japan Equity Solutions Research, MSCI ​
 

2:15 p.m.・Closing Remarks

Terasawa Ryoya, Head of Client Coverage, North Asia, MSCI
 

2:30 p.m.・ Event Concludes