Infra & Real Assets

Keynote Speaker: Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative

This popular and engaging session provides an in-depth analysis of the emerging manager landscape across four alternative investment strategies: private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and absolute return strategies.

This year, the session will include a review of the vagaries of structuring and running an emerging manager program, as well as how these programs are continuing to evolve. Following the presentation, leaders of three of the largest emerging manager programs will gather to discuss their unique approaches.

Speaker/Moderator: Peter Braffman, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor
Panelists:
AJ Hernandez, Director of Emerging Managers, New York Common Retirement Fund
Kirk Sims, Director of Emerging Manager Program, Teacher Retirement System of Texas
Chavon Sutton, Director, Diversity & Inclusion – Emerging Manager Strategy, Office of the New York City Comptroller

Panel discussions facilitated by GCM Grosvenor investment professionals and other industry experts. Sessions are organized by investment strategy and feature topics of particular relevance to the small, emerging, and diverse manager space.

MasterClasses are new this year. They provide insights and advice on relevant and timely business-related topics, including diversity and inclusion and technology strategies.

10:45AM – 11:30AM

Absolute Return Strategies: One-on-One on the Richter Scale
Moderator: David Richter, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor
Speaker: Paul Marshall, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, Marshall Wace

Infrastructure and Real Assets: Impact of COVID-19 on the Markets
A discussion among industry experts on the implications of COVID-19 on the industry, particularly the infrastructure sector. Panelists explore investment trends impacting both GPs and LPs in the current environment and how these trends may define the industry moving forward.
Moderator: Ravi Parekh, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor
Panelists:
Karen Dolenec, Partner, Ancala Infrastructure Partners
Jim Yong Kim, Vice Chairman and Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners
Yasuhiro Ono, Head of Infrastructure Investments, Japan Post Bank
Greg Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, InstarAGF

MasterClass: Diversity & Inclusion….Where to Start?
GCM Grosvenor’s Chief Human Resources Officer is joined by an internationally renowned strategist to address key diversity and inclusion challenges and opportunities. Topics include defining terms, hiring strategies around sourcing underrepresented groups including women and candidates of color, and best practices to leverage diversity and inclusion to drive business goals.
Moderator: Sandee Hurse, Chief Human Resources Officer, GCM Grosvenor
Speaker: Dr. Derrick Gay, Diversity and Inclusion Strategist

11:45AM – 12:30PM

Private Equity: Virtual Reality – Challenges of the Online Setting
A panel of experts discuss the world of virtual fundraising and investing. In doing so, they address some pitfalls of first impressions and highlight the challenges of relationship building, presenting, and due diligence. Together, they pose the question: who is positioned to do well (or not so well) in this setting?
Moderator: Jason Howard, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor
Panelists:
Dayna Grayson, Co-Founder and General Partner, Construct Capital
Tiffany Lewis, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan
Eric Harnish, Principal, Senior Research Consultant, Private Equity, NEPC
David Perez, Chief Executive Officer, Avance Fund

Real Estate: State of the Emerging Manager Market
An SEM Conference tradition, we begin with a data-filled, in-depth presentation on trends and activities in the real estate emerging manager market. The session highlights the strategies, manager types, and asset classes that have come to market, while also featuring the level of institutional appetite, trends in performance data, and the latest in fund terms.
Speaker: Peter Braffman, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor

1:00PM – 1:45PM

Absolute Return Strategies: Opportunities Amid Crisis
Uncertain environments can generate high-potential opportunities, but these opportunities often come with meaningful risk. In this session, several successful hedge fund managers from across the globe present their highest conviction investment themes, and their pitches are reviewed by a panel of investors. The panel will share their views on the presented themes, and also discuss the considerations that are driving their portfolio allocations today.
Moderator: Brad Meyers, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor
Panelists:
Sulaiman Al Derbas, Head of Alternative Investments, The Public Institution for Social Security
Hermes Li, Portfolio Manager, Aspex Management
David Puritz, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Shaolin Capital Management
Tetsuya Yoshii, Deputy General Manager, Alternative Investment Group, Global Credit Investment Dept, Mizuho Bank

Infrastructure and Real Assets: Fundraising Approaches
The abundance of change over the last nine months has greatly impacted emerging managers and how they approach their businesses. Panelists discuss fundraising in 2020 and the changes in marketing, presenting to LPs, staffing, preferred economics, and other areas. The panel seeks to provide a better understanding of what LPs are seeking today, and how small and emerging managers may adapt their messaging.
Moderator: Akhil Unni, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor
Panelists:
Emil Henry, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Tiger Infrastructure Partners
Steve Muenzen, Associate, Real Assets, The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company
Kirk Sims, Head of Emerging Manager Program, Teacher Retirement System of Texas
Jamie Storrow, Managing Director, North Leaf Capital

2:00PM – 2:45PM

Private Equity: How 2020 is Changing the Industry
A panel of LPs discuss potential industry changes stemming from the pandemic and political environment in 2020.
Moderator: Derek Jones, Managing Director, GCM Grosvenor
Panelists:
Rukaiyah Adams, Chief Investment Officer, Meyer Memorial Trust
Derek Connor, Head of Private Equity, South Carolina Retirement System
Damien Dwin, Chairman, Vera Institute of Justice

Dominic Garcia, Chief Investment Officer, New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association

Real Estate: What are They Thinking?
A no-holds-barred discussion among four of the largest institutional investors on the current state of their investment portfolios and programs. Ostensibly, the panel will discuss how they have constructed their portfolios, what their strategy has been in a post-Covid environment, their outlooks on longer term plans, and how their Emerging Manager programs fit within their strategic vision. Where this conversation winds up, however, is anyone’s guess! Join us for what should be a very lively and free-wheeling conversation.
Moderator: Molly Muchmore, Managing Director, Evercore
Panelists:
Manny Casanga, Director of Real Estate and Real Assets, New York Common Retirement Fund
Mike DiRe, Director of Real Estate, California State Teachers’ Retirement System
Dave Gillan, Managing Director, Real Estate, New York State Teachers’ Retirement System
Matt Halstead, Director, Teacher Retirement System of Texas

MasterClass: Technology and Data Strategies for Early Stage Managers
GCM Grosvenor’s Chief Technology Officer is joined by representatives from some of the top technology firms in the industry. Together, they highlight some of the areas of focus pertaining to technology for an emerging manager.
Moderator: Eric Levin, Chief Technology Officer, GCM Grosvenor
Panelists:
Jonathan Balkin, Founder and Executive Director, Lionpoint Group
Matt Biver, Chief Executive Officer, Grandview Analytics
James Haluszczak, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, SteelBridge Consulting

GCM Grosvenor welcomes women from across the industry to connect with one another at the SEM Conference’s fifth annual Women’s Networking event.

Moderator: Paul Meister, Vice Chairman, GCM Grosvenor
Speaker: Debra Cafaro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ventas Inc.