Funds World

On 18 June, we are hosting our first-ever Funds World conference at the Philharmonie, Luxembourg.

Funds World is designed to provide a comprehensive view of the latest industry trends, insights, opportunities, and challenges. Prepare to be at the forefront as our expert panels explore the dynamic shifts within the fund industry, unveil the next wave of fund innovation, and examine the global economy’s role in forging our financial future.

Register now to secure your place at this exclusive event – we look forward to welcoming you.

If you have any questions, please contact the IM&F sector team.

The investment management world is coming to Luxembourg – don’t miss out!

8:30 - 9:00

Registration & Coffee

 

9:00 - 9:10

Welcome & Setting the scene - The Evolution of Funds: Past, Present, and Future

Funds have been a vital conduit for financing since the dawn of humanity, yet the needs and techniques continue to evolve. In today’s increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, investment funds are more critical than ever in addressing the world’s most urgent challenges. Whether bridging connectivity gaps, promoting decarbonisation, or advancing the digital agenda, funds play a key role in financing the next wave of global economic growth.

Guided by expert speakers from diverse backgrounds, today’s discussions will cover:

• What the future economic outlook and geopolitical landcape looks like and how financing will be deployed tomorrow.
• How disruptive innovations are reshaping investment fund models and strategies.
• How funds can act as catalysts for addressing tomorrow's challenges and opportunities.

Let's embark to envision the bold new possibilities for the funds industry.

Speaker: Ranjit Dhillon, Head of Marketing & BD - Practice Groups & Sectors, DLA Piper

 

09:10 - 09:50

Shaping the Future: Navigating the New Mega Forces

In a world marked by profound economic, geopolitical, and technological transformations, businesses and investors must adapt to stay ahead. From shifting trade dynamics to the accelerating impact of AI and new technologies, these forces are redefining how capital is deployed, and business strategies are shaped.

This session will incorporate:

• Disruptive innovations and their impact on business models, from digitalisation to sustainability-driven investments.
• Strategic positioning and the importance of agility and resilience in an evolving geopolitical landscape.

Join us in this engaging discussion as we navigate these complex changes and explore how to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.

Speakers:

• Ambassador Marc Grossman, Vice Chair, The Cohen Group
• Catherine Pogorzelski, Partner, Global Co-chair, Investment Management and Funds, DLA Piper

 

09:50 - 10:40

Pioneer the Next Funds Era: The Future of Funds – Cross perspectives on the Future of Funds

Disruptive Innovations Shaping the Future of Funds
Technological advancements such as blockchain, tokenisation of funds, AI, and digital platforms are revolutionising fund operations. These innovations streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance transparency, transforming the entire business model for funds and service providers. This shift could reshape retail investment strategies by lowering barriers to entry and simplifying investment management, particularly through the digitisation of value chains. The role of regulators will also be pivotal in fostering and managing this wave of innovation.

Funding Innovation – The Role of Investment Funds
Investment funds play an increasingly vital role in funding innovation, from AI and data centres to blockchain technology. Global case studies illustrate how new fund models are reshaping investment structures and driving growth in these areas. As this landscape evolves, LPs are expecting innovation and engagement from their GPs.

Speakers:

• Emma Kendall, Partner, Investment Management & Funds, DLA Piper (moderator)
• Pascal Bouvier, Co-founder, MiddleGame Ventures
• Solenne Niedercorn, Founder, Finscale
• Karen O'Sullivan, Head of Innovation, Payments, Market Infrastructures and Governance, CSSF
• Mark Tluszcz, Co-founder and CEO, Mangrove Capital Partners

 

10:40 - 11:20

Coffee Break

 

11:20 - 12:10

No Future Without Funds: The Funds for the Future

As we confront global challenges, investment funds are uniquely positioned to address key issues like financing the real economy, fostering socio-ecological transitions, and bridging pension gaps.

Navigating Global Demographic Shifts
With aging populations and widening pension gaps, investment funds can channel global capital into long-term solutions for aging economies. By leveraging strategies like ETFs and retail investment, we can explore parallels with the U.S. and discuss how funds can tackle demographic shifts.

Preserving Our Planet - Sustainable Funding on a Global Scale
Funds play a critical role in advancing the sustainability agenda. We will examine how funds can drive impact initiatives and provide essential financing to support socio-ecological transitions globally.

Bridging Borders: Tackling Regulatory Fragmentation
Regulatory fragmentation is one of the greatest challenges facing the global fund industry. We will explore how funds can help bridge regulatory gaps and facilitate cross-border investments in a fragmented environment.

Impact on Asset Classes
We will explore how demographic shifts, sustainability initiatives, and regulatory challenges impact asset classes.

Speakers:

• Mara Topping, Partner, Investment Management & Funds, DLA Piper (moderator)
• Uli Grabenwarter, Director of Equity Investments at the European Investment Fund, EIF
• Diana Meyel, Managing Partner and COO, Cipio Partners

 

12:10 - 12:30

Closing Session: The Funds of the Future

What will the investment funds of tomorrow look like? From retail alternative funds to infrastructure, healthcare, virtual/crypto, or pension funds, future funds will be vastly different from today’s. Investors will likely be more diverse, and distribution channels may evolve to include blockchain technologies. We will examine how these future funds will differ in structure, investor profiles, and objectives.

As we prepare for this future, education and investor knowledge become more critical. Fund managers and investors alike must be equipped to navigate emerging trends and innovations. We all play a role in spreading awareness and fostering a well-informed global investment community.

12:30 - 14:00

Networking Lunch

Ambassador Marc Grossman

Vice Chair of The Cohen Group, where he advises multinational companies on geostrategic risk, international market positioning, and C-suite strategy-setting. Ambassador Grossman joined the Cohen Group in 2005 following a 29-year career with the U.S. Foreign Service, where he served as the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the U.S. State Department's third ranking official. He previously served as the Assistant Secretary for European Affairs, where he promoted a key expansion of the NATO alliance, and as the US Ambassador to Turkey. In February 2011, President Obama called Ambassador Grossman back to service as the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he promoted the international effort to support an Afghan peace process. Ambassador Grossman returned to The Cohen Group in 2013.

Pascal Bouvier

Pascal Bouvier is a venture capital investor specializing in fintech and related sectors. He is the co-founder and managing partner of MiddleGame Ventures, a firm based in Luxembourg that focuses on early-stage startups across Europe.

Before establishing MiddleGame Ventures, Pascal served as a venture partner at Santander InnoVentures and as a general partner at Route 66 Ventures. He has also been an active angel investor.

In his investment career, Pascal has held board positions in several prominent fintech companies. He currently sits on the board of Keyrock, One Trading, Blockpit and Fundcraft.

Pascal is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds an MBA from the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia. He currently lives in Luxembourg and enjoys speed chess and burgundy wine in his spare time.

Uli Grabenwarter

Uli Grabenwarter is Deputy Director - Equity Investments at the European Investment Fund (EIF), overseeing EIF’s activities in Impact Investing, Technology Transfer, and Venture Capital—Europe’s largest fund-of-funds investment platform in these areas.

Beyond EIF, he manages his own angel investment portfolio in life sciences start-ups and serves on the boards of three VC and impact investing firms. Previously, he led

EIF’s strategic equity development, spearheading the Social Impact Accelerator, Europe’s first pan-European social impact fund-of-funds. His earlier experience includes roles at the European Investment Bank and PwC in corporate finance and consulting.

Uli is the author of the bestselling Euromoney book Exposed to the J-Curve and has published extensively on VC, PE, and impact investing. A former trustee of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investing, he is a regular keynote speaker at private equity conferences worldwide.

Diana Meyel

Diana Meyel is the Managing Partner and COO at Cipio Partners, based in Munich. Founded in 2003, Cipio Partners is a leading investment management and advisory firm specializing in European Growth Capital and Minority Buyouts for technology companies. She leads investor relations, fund operations, and oversees transaction structuring, while also representing Cipio on the boards of selected portfolio companies. Diana is also actively involved in shaping the future of the industry as the Vice-Chair of the Invest Europe Professional Standards Committee and Chairwoman of the advisory board of an early-stage Impact Fund.

Solenne Niedercorn

Solenne Niedercorn is the founder of Finscale, a comprehensive media focused on FinTech, Financial Services, Fund Management or Crypto. She is also an advisor, Non-Executive Director (NED) and a lecturer at ILA and HEC Paris. Before launching Finscale, she had a successful career in banking, wealth management, and RegTech, gaining deep expertise in financial technologies and governance, which she now shares through her media platform and advisory roles.

Karen O’Sullivan

Karen O’Sullivan is head of the Innovation, payments, market infrastructures and governance Department at the CSSF.

She coordinates the activities of this department which is responsible for financial innovation, both the application process and on-going prudential supervision of payment institutions and electronic money institutions, the registration and AML supervision of virtual asset service providers, market infrastructures and the oversight of remuneration and governance practices and policies implemented within financial institutions.

Furthermore, her team is responsible for coordinating the CSSF’s efforts with regards to MiCA Regulation. In this respect her team spearheads the CSSF’s internal MiCA taskforce and is responsible for the authorisation and the prudential supervision of crypto-asset service providers and certain EMT/ART issuers.

Being the department in charge of financial innovation means that Karen and her team are the privileged contact and point of entry to the CSSF for the FinTech industry.

She represents the CSSF on an international level through participation in various working sub-groups and as speaker at several conferences, covering payment services, virtual asset and/or crypto asset service providers, innovation topics, and corporate governance matters at both national and international level.

Karen is both an Irish and Luxembourgish qualified chartered accountant. Prior to joining the CSSF in September 2012, Karen was an audit director at PwC Luxembourg specializing in the audit of investment funds

Mark Tluszcz

Mark Tluszcz is the Chairman of NASDAQ listed Wix, AI Healthcare company K Health and the CEO of Mangrove Capital Partners. He is a seasoned investor in technology and manages over EUR1 billion across a broad portfolio of companies. He has appeared on Bloomberg TV and CNBC, been quoted in Forbes, Wall Street Journal and Globes and has published in the Financial Times. He has appeared in the Forbes Midas list, been named among the 100 most influential people in Luxembourg and honored with The Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Mark is also a Doctor of Human Letters, honoris Causa.

Ranjit Dhillon

With over 20 years of experience in the field of Marketing and Business Development (MBD), Ranjit has established a reputation as a leading expert in the legal sector. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in developing and implementing advanced MBD methodologies, driving innovation, and optimizing design processes across various sectors.

Ranjit's extensive background includes working with top-tier organisations, where he has successfully led numerous high-impact projects from conception to completion. Adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams, Ranjit excels in ensuring seamless integration of MBD practices into organisational workflows. His commitment to continuous improvement and staying abreast of the latest industry trends has enabled him to deliver cutting-edge solutions that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall service delivery.