GLOBAL INVESTMENT INSIGHTS

“We think investors will continue to follow earnings growth, and large-cap US tech has done an amazing job of delivering on that front. In line with this, we are modestly overweight in global equities versus Australian equities, which are extremely expensive for a market delivering no earnings growth.”

- Alex Cathcart is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Drummond Capital Partners, where he contributes to their strategic and tactical asset allocation processes, and portfolio construction. Alex has 18 years’ experience as a portfolio manager and economist.

In this exclusive interview with Global Investment Institute, Alex discusses the differences in portfolio construction between managed accounts and superannuation funds, the main constraints they face when investing and how they manage risk, how they value unlisted assets and ensure valuations are reliable and timely, where the best relative value opportunities lie in the current investment landscape and solving for retirement.

“Decarbonisation in fixed income is no longer a theoretical ambition—it’s a practical necessity. The challenge is to do it smartly: reducing carbon emissions without compromising returns or increasing risk unnecessarily."

- Ralph Berkien is Head of Fixed Income Client Portfolio Management at Robeco, where he leads the global effort to represent Robeco’s fixed income strategies to institutional clients. With over two decades of experience in asset management, Ralph has held roles spanning investment advisory, product management, and communications. His current focus is on systematic fixed income strategies, including enhanced indexing strategies in credits and quant strategies in government bonds, which integrate sustainability and factor-based investing.

Ralph will be presenting at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Fixed Income & Alternative Credit Investment Forum, taking place on Thursday, 11 September 2025 in Melbourne CBD, Victoria. To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan@globalii.com.au.

“To successfully deliver a multi-asset credit portfolio, top-down macro research must be combined with specialised bottom-up insights to 'see' the complete picture across the entire fixed income landscape. The application of a dynamic credit hedge, guided by those insights, can enable portfolios to deliver more reliable returns whilst reducing sensitivity to growth-led shocks, helping to balance the portfolio and smoothen investor returns through time.”

- Aakash Thombre is the Global Head of High Yield and Bank Loans at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where he is responsible for the portfolio management of high yield and multi sector credit portfolios (i.e. portfolios spanning high yield, bank loan, emerging markets, and securitised asset classes. Aakash is accountable for the overall performance as well as investment process applied in these portfolios.

Aakash will be presenting at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Fixed Income & Alternative Credit Investment Forum, taking place on Thursday, 11 September 2025 in Melbourne CBD, Victoria. To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan@globalii.com.au.

“We estimate the addressable market for Asset-Based Finance (ABF) to be approximately $11 trillion, with private fund capital penetration currently sized at just ~4% of that total. For early movers, ABF presents a chance to access premium yields and portfolio diversification before broader market participation compresses returns.”

- Tracy Jones is a Vice President at Blue Owl Capital, where she is responsible for representing Blue Owl’s unique suite of private markets strategies to Australian investors. Tracy’s focus is on deepening institutional relationships and driving strategic growth as Blue Owl continue to expand their presence across Australasia.

Tracy will be presenting at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Family Office Investment Forum, taking place on Tuesday, 9 September 2025 in Melbourne CBD, Victoria. To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan@globalii.com.au.

“An unusual valuation dislocation has given rise to an immediate opportunity to allocate to the long-term outperforming small and mid cap equities segment just as those earnings are set to accelerate. Moreover, the diversification of that market segment mitigates the growing concentration risk within traditional large cap indices, while also providing a greater opportunity for alpha generation for active investors.”

- Andrew Gowen is a Portfolio Manager and Director of Research at Bell Asset Management. Andrew’s role at Bell spans both investment research and portfolio management, which enhances cross functional communication and ensures consistent execution throughout the investment process. 

Andrew will be presenting at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Equities Investment Forum, taking place on Wednesday, 10 September 2025 in Melbourne CBD, Victoria. To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan@globalii.com.au.

“It’s a good environment to be a liquidity provider in private equity. But to do it successfully, you need a strong PE platform with core relationships around the world. This is not something you can build overnight.”

- Pauline Wetter is an Investment Partner and Co-Portfolio Manager of the Private Equity portfolio for the Princely Endowment at LGT Capital Partners, where she is responsible for origination, due diligence, execution of private equity investments on the one hand, but also for portfolio construction of PE portfolios, with a specific focus on Secondaries. 

Pauline will be presenting at Global Investment Institute’s upcoming Family Office Investment Forum, taking place on Tuesday, 9 September 2025 in Melbourne CBD, Victoria. To register your interest in attending, click here or for more information email zlatan@globalii.com.au.