MSCI Investment Risk Summit – Europe
Navigating Uncertainty and Building Total Portfolio Resilience 

  • September 10, 2025
  • 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. GMT London
  • Convene, Fourth Floor, 22 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ
About this event

As macroeconomic volatility, geopolitical fragmentation and technological transformation accelerate in parallel, institutional investors are embracing a broader, more dynamic approach to risk — one that identifies opportunities and drives new sources of resilience and growth. 

The MSCI Investment Risk Summit – Europe is a one-day forum convening senior leaders from across asset management, asset ownership and advisory to explore the future of risk and total portfolio resilience. 

In the morning, expert-led panels will discuss the major structural forces reshaping global capital markets — from the new geopolitical order and execution challenges in complex portfolios to the transformative power of AI and innovation to shape long-term investment strategy. 

In the afternoon, we shift from insight to application. Use-case-driven breakout sessions will explore real-world approaches to portfolio construction, sustainability integration, private market performance and risk, climate intelligence and scalable infrastructure for an increasingly data-centric investment environment. 

Engage with your peers. Challenge your assumptions. Leave equipped with actionable insights and practical tools to support decision-making amid uncertainty. Explore potential opportunities to help strengthen portfolio resilience in uncertain markets. 

Markets are evolving – is your strategy built to adapt?

Meet the speakers
Xavier Baraton
Xavier Baraton
Global CIO, HSBC
Rob Barnett
Rob Barnett
Vice President, MSCI Research, MSCI
Jay Dermody
Jay Dermody
Head of MSCI ONE and AI Products, MSCI
Lisa Eichler
Lisa Eichler
Head of Physical Risk and Nature Solutions, MSCI
Fabiana Fedeli
Fabiana Fedeli
Chief Investment Officer Equities, Multi Asset and Sustainability, M&G Investments
​​Kyra Gibhardt​
​​Kyra Gibhardt​
Climate Change Specialist, MSCI
Guido Giese
Guido Giese
Head of Sustainability & Climate Solutions Research, MSCI
Sonja Laud
Sonja Laud
Chief Investment Officer, Legal & General Investment Management
Ashley Lester
Ashley Lester
Chief Research & Development Officer, MSCI
Deepak Maharaj
Deepak Maharaj
Managing Director and Global Head of Equities and Cross-Asset QIS Structuring, J.P. Morgan
Nick Mihic
Nick Mihic
Managing Director, Co-Head of EMEA Client Coverage, MSCI
Jorge Mina
Jorge Mina
Managing Director, Head of Analytics, MSCI
Marthe Nordby
Marthe Nordby
Head of UK & Ireland, MSCI
Baer Pettit
Baer Pettit
President and Chief Operating Officer, MSCI
Nick Smith
Nick Smith
Managing Director, Private Credit AIMA
Sebastjan Smodis
Sebastjan Smodis
EMEA&UK Chief Risk Officer and Global Head of Traditional Investment Risk, UBS
Lev Soynov
Lev Soynov
Executive Director, Analytics Product Specialist and Asset Owner Analytics Lead, MSCI
Hassan Suffyan
Hassan Suffyan
Executive Director, Head of Wealth Segment, EMEA & APAC, MSCI

Agenda

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

9:15 a.m. ・ Welcome Remarks
Baer Pettit,
President, MSCI
 

9:30 a.m. ・ Navigating Uncertainty and Opportunity in an Evolving Risk Landscape
Geopolitical realignments and global trade shifts are redefining capital markets. This session explores how leading institutional investors are rethinking asset allocation—leaning into private credit, alternative assets and sustainability—to manage emerging risks and adapt to a rapidly evolving global order. Learn how strategic innovation is enabling leading firms to reallocate capital with greater agility and purpose amid today’s uncertainty and structural change.

Sonja Laud, Chief Investment Officer, Legal & General Investment Management
Ashley Lester, Chief Research Officer, MSCI

10:15 a.m.・ Intelligence in Action: Operational Agility Across the Investment Workflow
Technology is changing how investors manage complexity across public and private markets. This session explores how AI, data, and platforms are enabling faster reporting, better alignment across teams, and more agile execution across multi-asset class portfolios. We will look at how investment and risk management teams can work together amidst this dynamic environment and we will focus on how a connected and risk-first approach helps firms navigate change with greater clarity, speed, and control.
 

11:00 a.m.・ Networking Break
 

11:45 a.m.・ Strategic Evolution: Innovation in Investment Strategies
Today’s dynamic investment landscape requires resilient and adaptable investment strategies. Long-term success hinges on embracing integrated frameworks leveraging data, models and technology to align risk and performance. Join us as we explore with experts across risk, asset allocation and quantitative strategies how market participants are refining their approach to stay competitive and create value.

Moderator:
Nick Mihic
, Managing Director, Co-Head of EMEA Client Coverage, MSCI

Panellists:
Xavier Barathon,
Chief Investment Officer, HSBC Asset Management
Fabiana Fedeli, Chief Investment Officer – Equities, Multi Asset and Sustainability, M&G
Deepak Maharaj, Head of Cross-Asset Quantative Investment Strategies, JP Morgan
Sebastjan Smodis, Global Head of Investment Risk, UBS Asset Management
 

12:30 p.m.・ Morning Wrap-Up
Marthe Nordby,
Managing Director, Head of UK & Ireland, MSCI
 

12:40 p.m.・ Networking Lunch
 

2:00 p.m.・ Afternoon Breakouts Group 1

BREAKOUT 1The Geography of Risk
The drivers of financial risk increasingly intersect with location—whether through geopolitical instability, climate events, supply chain chokepoints, or natural capital dependencies. This session will explore how investors and financial institutions are leveraging spatial intelligence to enhance risk identification, portfolio resilience, and forward-looking scenario planning. 

Join the fireside chat led by Lisa Eichler, Head of Physical Risk and Nature Solutions, to hear from practitioners how integrating location-specific insights into risk frameworks can help market participants explore a more granular, transparent, and decision-useful view of the risks shaping global markets.

Lisa Eichler, Global Product Head of Physical Risk and Nature Solutions, MSCI
​​Kyra Gibhardt​, Climate Change Specialist, MSCI
 

BREAKOUT 2How wealth technology is helping to bridge the gap between CIOs and their advisory teams 
Advances in technology paired with the growing demands of portfolio personalization are creating evolving dynamics of risk & performance in wealth management. These trends are driving wealth CIOs and their investment teams to change how they construct models, adopt new asset classes, manage & rebalance portfolios, and enable advisory teams with the proper tools for sales enablement. Learn how a modern wealth management CIO is balancing these demands, collaborating with their firm’s client relationship teams, and adopting technology to stay ahead in an evolving industry.

Hassan Suffyan, Executive Director, Head of Wealth Segment, EMEA & APAC, MSCI
 

BREAKOUT 3・Asset Allocation Strategies Across Macroeconomic Regimes
In this session, we will explore two critical perspectives on asset allocation within the context of evolving macroeconomic environments. First, we will discuss how to select investment strategies to focus on, based on a specific set of macroeconomic expectations. Then, we will look at how to assess the anticipated behavior of a given strategy across different macroeconomic regimes.

Lev Soynov, Executive Director, Analytics Product Specialist and Asset Owner Analytics Lead, MSCI
 

3:00 p.m.・ Afternoon Breakouts Group 2

BREAKOUT 1・Risks, Readiness, Opportunities: The MSCI Energy Transition Framework
A tonne of CO2 has the same impact on our climate, regardless of where or how it's released. But when assessing a company's transition risk, not all emissions are created equal. Join this session with Dr. Guido Giese, Global Head Sustainability & Climate Solutions Research, to gain clarity on why transition risks are not directly proportional to companies’ emissions and instead arise from how prepared a company’s business model and technology are for a low-carbon economy, as captured by MSCI’s Energy Transition Framework.  

Explore how this framework can help you build transition-aligned strategies, inform portfolio construction, and support engagement and due diligence efforts with more consistent, transparent, and financially relevant insights. 

Rob Barnett, Vice President, MSCI Research, MSCI
Guido Giese, Head of Sustainability & Climate Solutions Research, MSCI
  

BREAKOUT 2・From Data to Decisions: Expanding the Role of LiquidityMetrics
LiquidityMetrics offers a powerful lens into market dynamics, enabling firms to make smarter, faster decisions. This session highlights its diverse applications—from optimizing portfolio liquidation and managing liquidity risk to enhancing stress testing and informing trading strategies. Discover how LiquidityMetrics can support more efficient execution and liquidity-aware decision-making across investment workflows.

Mallikarjun Choudary, Executive Director, MSCI
 

BREAKOUT 3・Private Credit and Navigating Risk in a Rapidly Growing Market
As private credit continues its rapid expansion, investors face mounting challenges around transparency, valuation, and risk oversight. This session explores how enhanced analytics and intelligence are reshaping the private credit landscape—bringing greater clarity to valuation, liquidity, counterparty exposures, and capital cash flows. Join our panelists as they discuss practical strategies for improving performance efficiency and risk management in this evolving, opaque market, and examine the tools and methodologies that can help investors navigate uncertainty and build more resilient portfolios.

Karim Berichi, Executive Director, Private Assets, MSCI
Nicholas Smith, Managing Director, Private Credit, AIMA
 

3:50 p.m.・ Afternoon Breakouts Group 3

BREAKOUT 1・From Complexity to Clarity: New Approaches to Multi-Asset Class Performance Attribution
Explore new approaches to multi-asset class and total portfolio (public and private assets) performance attribution, reflecting the evolving demands of institutional portfolios. Designed for performance teams and portfolio managers, this session will examine ways to streamline workflows, enhance reporting efficiency, and highlight how AI can be applied beyond narrative generation to support deeper performance insights.

BREAKOUT 2・The Evolving Role of Private Markets in UK and European Portfolios: Balancing Risk and Return
With growing allocations to private equity, private credit, infrastructure, and real estate across the UK and Europe, institutional investors are re-evaluating their portfolio construction, liquidity management, and risk frameworks. This session explores how private markets are reshaping traditional asset allocation models, the implications for portfolio-wide risk, and the tools needed to measure and manage exposures effectively. Panelists will discuss regional market dynamics, valuation and liquidity considerations, and strategies to optimize resilience and returns in a changing economic and regulatory environment.  

4:30 p.m.・ Networking Drinks Reception

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