Jen Prosek

Founder & CEO, Prosek Partners

Jennifer Prosek is the founder and Managing Partner of Prosek Partners, a leading international public relations and financial communications consultancy with offices in New York, London, Boston, Los Angeles, and Connecticut. The firm ranks among the top financial communications consultancies in the U.S. and UK. Prosek Partners was named among Forbes’ America’s Best PR Agencies in 2021, has been listed as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company for nine years running, and is ranked among the Top 25 firms in New York Observer’s PR Power List. Jennifer was also listed personally among Insider’s list of top financial communicators in the United States.

Jennifer is a published author and frequent speaker. "Army of Entrepreneurs," her first book, received praise from Columbia Business School, Wharton and INSEAD. Her second book "Raising Can-Do Kids," co-authored with Richard Rende, Ph.D., was published by Penguin Random House in 2015. She is on the board of directors of the Arthur Page Society, BritishAmerican Business, Nasdaq-listed Better World Acquisition Corporation, and sits on the advisory board of Signal AI and iConnections. She is also a venture investor in a number of communications technology platforms, including Qwoted and The Marque.

Jennifer received her MBA from Columbia University and a B.A. in English Literature from Miami University.

Ed O'Reilly

Sr MD & Global Head of the Client & Partner Group, Citadel

Ed is responsible for managing the firm’s relationships with all investors globally and is a Portfolio Committee member.

Ed started his career at The O’Connor Partnership, Chicago, where he managed the non-investment aspects of a dynamic, derivatives market making and proprietary trading business within the Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities (FICC) and Equities businesses in a COO function. Throughout his career with O’Connor / Swiss Bank Corporation / UBS, Ed was based in a variety of financial centers: Chicago, Singapore, Zurich and London. This experience ultimately led him to spend 18 years abroad.

Ed is a member of The Economic Club of New York, The Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, The Investment Committee for the Bruce Museum of Arts and Science, and The Development Committee for the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut. He is also Chairman of the North American Standards Board for Alternative Investments.

Mr. O’Reilly received his Master of Business Administration from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Michelle Knudsen

Senior Portfolio Manager, The Andrew W Mellon Foundation

Michelle Knudsen is a Senior Portfolio Manager at The Andrew W Mellon Foundation. She works with the chief investment officer to manage Mellon’s endowment across asset classes with a focus on Diversifying Strategies.

Prior to joining Mellon, Michelle was the head of Absolute Return and Credit strategies at Partners Capital, an outsourced investment office. There, she was a member of the investment committee with responsibility for investments across hedge fund and liquid credit strategies. She also led the firm’s global efforts to source new investments and managed the New York office. Michelle previously worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. as an investment analyst in the San Francisco office.

She holds a BA in political science from Stanford University.

Paula Volent

Vice President and Chief Investment Officer , The Rockefeller University

Paula Volent is Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at The Rockefeller University, the world’s leading biomedical research university. Prior to joining The Rockefeller University in August 2021. Ms. Volent served as Chief Investment Officer and Senior Vice President at Bowdoin College, a private, residential college in Brunswick, Maine. At Bowdoin, where she was responsible for the oversight and management of the College’s endowment. Prior to joining Bowdoin in July 2000, Ms. Volent was a Senior Associate at the Yale Investments Office.

Ms. Volent has a BA from the University of New Hampshire; a Master’s Degree in Art History from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University; a Certificate in Conservation from the Conservation Center at NYU, with a specialization in the conservation of works of art on paper; and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. Prior to focusing on endowment management, Paula worked as a paper conservator at the New-York Historical Society, the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts, the LA County Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. She also ran a private paper conservation studio in Los Angeles, California.

She serves on the Board of Directors of MSCI, Inc.; the Board of Directors of 1st Dibs; a member of the Investment Committee of the Pritzker Family Foundation, a member of the Advisory Board of Girls Who Invest, a Trustee of the Skowhegan School of Art and Painting, and an Investment Committee Member of the Rockefeller Foundation. She is also Vice Chair of the Yale School of Management Advisory Board, a member of the Milken Institute’s Global Markets Advisory Council, a member of the Advisory Board of the Private Capital Research Institute and a member of the National Gallery of Art Investment Subcommittee. In 2020 Barron’s named Ms. Volent as one of the “100 most influential women in U.S. Finance.

Mark Carhart

Chief Investment Officer, Kepos Capital

Mark Carhart is the Chief Investment Officer and founding partner of Kepos Capital LP. Kepos is a NYC-based systematic investment manager with $2.2 billion in institutional assets. Kepos’ investment program includes proprietary short-term trading models, longer-term risk premia strategies, a specialized equity-event strategy, and a series of strategies motivated by the carbon transition.

Prior to founding Kepos in 2010, Mark was a Partner and the Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Quantitative Investment Strategies Group at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and prior to GSAM he was an Assistant Professor at the Marshall School of Business at USC and a Senior Fellow at The Financial Institutions Center at The Wharton School. Mark’s publications include articles in The Journal of Finance, The Review of Financial Studies and the Financial Analysts Journal, and he received the FAJ’s Graham and Dodd Award in 2014. He is also a co-author of Modern Investment Management: An Equilibrium Approach.

Mark earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1988, became a CFA Charterholder in 1991 and received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1995. He serves on the non-profit board of InTandem Cycling and investment committees for the Convent of the Sacred Heart New York and the Aldrich Museum.

Dr Jean Rogers

Sr. MD & ESG Chairperson, Blackstone

Dr. Jean Rogers is a Senior Managing Director and Blackstone’s ESG Chairperson. She partners with investment and ICS teams on energy transition and ESG-related initiatives.

Prior to joining Blackstone, Dr. Rogers advised companies and asset managers on long-term ESG integration as an independent board director and C-level advisor. Dr. Rogers founded and led the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), a non-profit dedicated to optimizing US capital markets by fostering disclosure of material sustainability information that meets investor needs and enhances public trust. Before founding SASB, Dr. Rogers worked to advance sustainable development across the US, Europe, and China for more than a decade at Arup, a global engineering consultancy specializing in low-carbon infrastructure and green buildings, and Deloitte, where she worked on environmental projects in its manufacturing practice.

Dr. Rogers holds a PhD in environmental engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and earned both her BE and ME in civil and environmental engineering from Manhattan College. She was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University and currently serves as an advisor to the Social Innovation and Change Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Hoffman Global Institute at INSEAD. Dr. Rogers serves on the Board of Directors of Xpansiv, a Blackstone portfolio company, as well as on the Investment Committees for certain of Blackstone’s strategies in private equity and private credit focused on energy transition and climate solutions.

Thomas Deinet

Executive Director, SBAI

Thomas Deinet was appointed Executive Director of the SBAI (previously known as the HFSB) in 2008. In 2007, Thomas joined the working group to project manage the development of practice standards proposed by 14 leading international alternative investment managers that led to the establishment of the SBAI.

Prior to joining the SBAI, he was a senior manager at Oliver Wyman, where he extensively worked with major financial institutions in Europe covering asset management as well as corporate and investment banking. Thomas also worked as an analyst in energy trading for a major commodities trading firm.

Thomas is a graduate of the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, with a major in industrial engineering and holds an MSc from Purdue University, USA. Thomas is a CFA charterholder.

Sapna Vir

MD, Business Development , Verition Management

Sapna Vir is a Managing Director in the Business Development group at Verition Fund Management, responsible for sourcing portfolio managers across all strategies in North America. Sapna is also the Vice Chair of the North American Committee of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI).

Prior to joining Verition in 2022, Sapna was the Director of External Relationships at New Holland Capital (NHC) where she oversaw manager sourcing efforts, peer relationships, and business development. She has also previously held roles at Napier Park Global Capital (fka Citi Capital Advisors), within their Product Management team, and Morgan Stanley, in their Debt Capital Markets group specializing in structured solutions for insurance companies.

Sapna graduated from Georgetown University with a BSBA in Finance and International Business and received an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Robyn Grew

CEO, Man Group

Robyn Grew is CEO of the LSE-listed active investment management firm Man Group, and an executive director on the Man Group Board. The global firm manages USD 151.7 billion (as at 30 June 2023) across a broad range of alternative and long-only portfolio solutions. As CEO, Robyn leads the firm’s Executive Committee, which is focused on ensuring the firm continues to evolve to meet the needs of its clients and the millions of pensioners and savers they represent.

Robyn was previously President of Man Group, based in the US, and has a strong track record of demonstrating strategic vision and leadership. Since joining Man Group, via GLG, in 2010, Robyn has managed the solutions business, overseen trading and execution as well as acted as Group COO, Head of ESG and General Counsel. She has been integral to the firm’s global strategic expansion and oversaw the reorganisation of Man Group’s corporate structure in 2019 to better align it with the global footprint of the business. She has also spearheaded the firm’s diversity programme, Drive. Before joining the firm in 2009, Robyn held senior positions at investment banks Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers as well as at LIFFE, the largest futures and options exchange in London – since renamed ICE Futures Europe. These roles saw her based for periods of time in New York, London and Tokyo giving her broad, global experience. Robyn is a qualified barrister and has worked in the investment industry since 1994.

Priti Singh

Sr MD & Global Head of Capital Markets & Factor Investing, CPP Investments

Priti leads CPP Investments Global Capital Markets and Factor Investing department, which is comprised of External Portfolio Management, Systematic Strategies Group, Investment Engineering & Analytics and Strategy, Risk & Operations groups. She is the Chair of the Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council.

Before this appointment she was Managing Director and Head of External Portfolio Management, responsible for managing a global portfolio of externally managed funds that complement and enhance our internal public market investment programs. Prior to joining CPP Investments in 2008, Priti worked for over eight years in the financial services and telecommunication industries.

Priti holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto and an MS in Physics from the University of Waterloo. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Standards Board for Alternative Investments.

Marta Klein

ODD, GIC Asset Management

Marta Klein brings over 16 years of operational due diligence experience across public and private market strategies. Currently, Marta is a member of the GIC ODD team, providing support to the External Managers Department.

Before joining GIC in January 2020, Marta served as the Deputy Head of Operational Due Diligence at UBP Asset Management LLC. Prior to her time at UBP, she held various roles at Sterling Stamos Capital Management LLC.

Marta holds an MBA from Pace University.

Simon Raykher

General Counsel & CCO, Kepos Capital

Simon Raykher is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Kepos Capital, a systematic investment management firm. Prior to joining Kepos in 2013, Simon served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Lombard Odier Asset Management (USA) Corp, the US asset management subsidiary of one of the oldest and largest private banks in Switzerland. For the previous seven years, he was General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Principal of Satellite Asset Management, L.P., a multi-strategy investment manager, based in New York and London. Prior to Satellite, Simon was an attorney with the law firm of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP.

Earlier in his career, he was a prosecutor with the Investigation Division of the New York County District Attorney’s office, where he conducted tax fraud and money laundering investigations. Simon started his career as an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand. Simon is an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law.

Simon earned a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. in Accounting from Pace University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

John Richardson

Chief Operating Officer, Ionic Capital Management

He joined Ionic before it launched in 2006 and oversees all non-investment related aspects of the firm. Prior to joining Ionic, John was a senior attorney in the hedge fund practice group at Bingham McCutchen LLP in NY. John’s practice focused on counseling investment advisers in connection with the formation and management of private investment funds.

John obtained a JD from the University of South Carolina, cum laude, and a BS in Business Administration from the College of Charleston, cum laude.

Christine Ayako Schleppegrell

Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Christine Ayako Schleppegrell counsels asset managers on legal, regulatory, and compliance matters, focusing on advisers to private funds (private equity, hedge, venture capital, infrastructure, real estate, credit) and separately managed accounts. She spent several years in private practice and more recently at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including in leadership roles in the Division of Investment Management. While at the SEC, Christine led the Private Funds Branch during a time of landmark rulemaking impacting private fund advisers, she draws on this experience to advise on current and pending regulations and to guide clients through enforcement and examination proceedings.

Christine’s practice focuses on the interpretation and application of federal securities laws, primarily the Advisers Act, Investment Company Act, Exchange Act, and Securities Act. She serves as a resource for SEC-registered advisers, exempt reporting advisers, and unregistered advisers, ranging from global asset managers with diverse product offerings to startup advisers launching their first funds. Christine provides strategic advice on fund and adviser structuring and deal-related regulatory issues that arise in connection with corporate purchases and mergers and acquisitions. She also specialises in counseling on marketing rule compliance and performance advertising as well as extraterritorial matters, including participating affiliate arrangements.

Brian Digney

Research and Content Director, SBAI

Brian Digney joined the SBAI in March 2023 in the role of Research and Content Director. He is responsible for content development and co-ordination of the ongoing and future working groups on a wide variety of topics, including valuation of private assets, ESG & carbon footprinting, governance, insurance linked strategies, digital assets, asset management regulation and compliance as well as new topics to be determined in the future.

Prior to joining the SBAI, Brian was the Head of Due Diligence & Governance Oversight at Innocap Global Investment Management (Ireland) Ltd (2018-2023) in Dublin, a subsidiary of Innocap Investment Management Inc., a US$50bn hedge fund platform. He acted as Designated Person for Operational Risk Management, a regulated role by the Central Bank of Ireland. He also sat on Innocap’s Irish Risk Oversight and Valuation Committees. In 2017, Brian joined Albourne Partners in London as a Senior Operational Due Diligence Analyst. From 2015 to 2017 he was employed as an Operational Due Diligence Analyst at Mercer Sentinel in London. From 2010 to 2015 he held various Associate level roles at Decura LLP, Morgan Stanley and Citi.

Brian holds an LLB Hons in Law with Criminology and an M.Sc. in Management and Corporate Governance from University of Ulster. Brian is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.

Derek Drummond

Portfolio Manager, Funds Alpha, State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB)

Derek Drummond, CAIA, is the Portfolio Manager for the Funds Alpha team at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), overseeing approximately $30B in assets.

Derek and his team are responsible for the sourcing, evaluation and implementation of external investment managers across both traditional and alternative investment strategies.

Derek has over 20 years of experience developing and implementing investment structures for both asset owners and managers, including developing portfolio construction, analytics and risk management frameworks, and establishing manager due diligence and evaluation processes.

Mario Therrien

SBAI Chair, Head of Investment Funds and External Management, CDPQ

Mario Therrien leads CDPQ’s investment funds activities. The teams he oversees invest in private investment funds and credit in private markets, as well as in venture capital in Québec and internationally. They are also responsible for external management in equity markets, as well as developing and managing strategic and institutional relationships. His mandate consists of adding value by building portfolios with the best external managers, while improving in-house management through the sharing of knowledge and expertise. He sits on the Investment-Risk Committee.

Prior to this role, Mr. Therrien was Senior Vice-President and Head of Strategic Partnerships, Developed Markets. He joined CDPQ in 1993 as an Analyst before taking on the role of Portfolio Manager in the group responsible for absolute return activities. Subsequently, he was mandated to develop external management activities in liquid-asset classes.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Finance from Université de Sherbrooke. He has also completed the Canadian Securities Course given by the Canadian Securities Institute, and is a CFA charter holder.

Sapna Vir

MD, Business Development , Verition Management

Sapna Vir is a Managing Director in the Business Development group at Verition Fund Management, responsible for sourcing portfolio managers across all strategies in North America. Sapna is also the Vice Chair of the North American Committee of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI).

Prior to joining Verition in 2022, Sapna was the Director of External Relationships at New Holland Capital (NHC) where she oversaw manager sourcing efforts, peer relationships, and business development. She has also previously held roles at Napier Park Global Capital (fka Citi Capital Advisors), within their Product Management team, and Morgan Stanley, in their Debt Capital Markets group specializing in structured solutions for insurance companies.

Sapna graduated from Georgetown University with a BSBA in Finance and International Business and received an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mario Therrien

SBAI Chair, Head of Investment Funds and External Management, CDPQ

Mario Therrien leads CDPQ’s investment funds activities. The teams he oversees invest in private investment funds and credit in private markets, as well as in venture capital in Québec and internationally. They are also responsible for external management in equity markets, as well as developing and managing strategic and institutional relationships. His mandate consists of adding value by building portfolios with the best external managers, while improving in-house management through the sharing of knowledge and expertise. He sits on the Investment-Risk Committee.

Prior to this role, Mr. Therrien was Senior Vice-President and Head of Strategic Partnerships, Developed Markets. He joined CDPQ in 1993 as an Analyst before taking on the role of Portfolio Manager in the group responsible for absolute return activities. Subsequently, he was mandated to develop external management activities in liquid-asset classes.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Finance from Université de Sherbrooke. He has also completed the Canadian Securities Course given by the Canadian Securities Institute, and is a CFA charter holder.

Ted Seides

Founder, Capital Allocators

Ted Seides, CFA is the founder of Capital Allocators, an ecosystem that includes podcasts, gatherings, and advisory to managers and allocators.

He launched the Capital Allocators podcast in 2017. The show reached 19 million downloads in April 2024 and has been recognised as the top institutional investing podcast.

Ted created Capital Allocators Summits to bring together industry leaders and future leaders and Capital Allocators University for mid- and senior- level allocators to connect and learn.

Ted previously worked under David Swensen at the Yale Investments Office, invested directly at three of Yale’s managers, co-founded and served as Co-CIO of Protégé Partners, made a famous bet with Warren Buffett, and authored two investment books.

Ted graduated Cum Laude from Yale University and received an MBA from Harvard Business School.