2025 Oceania Institutional Investor Roundtable

Shikha Gupta

Executive Director, Alternatives, Future Fund

Shikha Gupta is the Executive Director, Alternatives, at the Future Fund, where she brings over a decade of experience in investment management. In her current role, she oversees the fund’s diverse alternative investment strategies and previously focussed on the portfolio’s Credit exposures.

Shikha serves as a member of the Investment Committee and the Manager Review Committee. Before joining the Future Fund, Shikha was a Principal at Partners Capital in London, where she led public equities research and provided strategic investment advice to institutional and high-net-worth clients. Her career began at the Boston Consulting Group, where she gained extensive experience in management consulting, delivering impactful solutions across various industries.

Shikha holds a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honours in Actuarial Studies (Dean’s List) from the University of Melbourne and an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD. She is also a member of SBAI’s Oceania Committee.

Luca Albertini

Founding Partner & CEO , Leadenhall Capital Partners

Luca Albertini co-founded Leadenhall in 2008. Luca has vast insurance expertise, heading the European Insurance Linked Securities team of Swiss Re Capital Markets from 2003, where he was responsible for developing one of the largest and most successful ILS teams in Europe.

Luca ran Swiss Re ILS business in Europe, where he and his team originated, directly structured and/or supported the placement of landmark transactions. Luca has been CEO and CIO of Leadenhall Capital Partners for 16 years, having set up the firm in 2008.

He also has extensive experience in banking, having worked at the securitisation units of Citicorp, GE Capital and Credit Suisse First Boston. Luca is the co-editor of The Handbook of Insurance Linked Securities (Wiley, July 2009).

Richard Lowther

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Integral ILS

Richard Lowther is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Integral ILS, a US$ 2.5 billion independent alternatives investment manager focused on natural catastrophe (re)insurance-linked investments (“ILS”). Prior to launching Integral in 2020, Richard served as the Managing Principal of Hiscox Insurance Linked Strategies, an ILS fund manager which he helped form in 2014 for global insurance specialist Hiscox (LSE:HSX). In this role Richard led the overall ILS fund management team, implemented strategy, business development, fund structuring, and the build-out of operational and governance processes.

From 2008 to 2014 Richard was the Chief Operating Officer and a founding member of AlphaCat Managers Ltd, an ILS fund management subsidiary of Validus Reinsurance Ltd. Prior to this role he was a Partner with the Capital Markets Management Division of JLT Insurance Management Ltd in Bermuda from 2000 to 2008.

Richard has been involved in the Bermuda alternative risk transfer market since moving to the island from Canada to work with Marsh Management Services Ltd in 1998. Richard graduated from the University of Victoria, Canada with a BA in Economics and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Gareth Abley

Co-Head of Alternative Strategies, MLC Asset Management

Gareth has been a member of the MLC investment team since 2002 and since 2010 has led the MLC Alternative Strategies team with Jehan Sukhla. The team focuses on identifying strategies that are both attractive in their own right and that are uncorrelated to equities. The team currently (end August 2023) manages A$6.5bn in the MLC Opportunistic Growth Strategy and the Insurance Related Investment Strategy. The team have a history of investing successfully across esoteric private credit strategies, natural catastrophe reinsurance, hedge funds and niche alternative strategies. This includes via Funds/SMAs, as well as co-investments and direct investments.

Previously, Gareth was Head of Asset Consulting for MLC Implemented Consulting, which was responsible for providing advice and implementation to client’s responsible for $12bn. These included super funds with complex defined benefit arrangements, health insurers, University endowments, insurance firms, and not-for-profit organisations.

Before joining MLC, Gareth worked in the UK for Skandia Life as a manager research analyst where he covered a range of asset classes between 1998-2002.

Kamal Naqvi

Managing Director, Blackstone Alternative Asset Management

Kamal Naqvi is a Managing Director of Blackstone and leads Institutional Client Solutions for Australia and New Zealand. He also serves as an advisor to the Hedge Fund Solutions Group (BAAM), having previously been a portfolio manager primarily responsible for commodity investments.

Before joining Blackstone in London in 2015, Mr. Naqvi worked in a range of senior trading, sales and research roles for Credit Suisse, Barclays Capital and Macquarie Bank. He began his career at the Tasmanian State Government Department of Development and Resources.

Mr. Naqvi holds degrees in Law and in Economics (with honours) from the University of Tasmania.

Alice Mew

Director, External Investments and Partnerships, New Zealand Superannuation Fund

Alice Mew is Chair of the Investment Committee and a Director in the External Investments and Partnerships team – leading a team that manages the Fund’s global investments in real assets and private equity via managers and partnerships.

Alice joined the Guardians in 2017 as a Senior Investment Strategist in the Direct Investment Team. Prior to this, she spent eight years at BlackRock in London, where she was a Director in the Fundamental Fixed Income team.

Alice started her career as an economist at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand before moving to London in 2001. During her 17 years in London she worked across a variety of markets and asset classes for Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, Barclays Global Investors and BlackRock.

Alice holds a BSc (Chemistry) from Otago University, and a BCom Honours (Economics) from Victoria University of Wellington.

John Richardson

COO, 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.

Lincoln Smith

Partner, Albourne Partners

Lincoln Smith is a Partner at Albourne having joined in 2007 and works as a Consultant at the firm. He helps clients construct customized hedge fund and private market portfolios that meet their Investment Guidelines and also works on the firm’s simulation and analytical tools. Mr. Smith’s clients spanned public and private pension plans, endowments and foundations, and family offices. More recently his client focus has shifted from the US to Australasia.

Prior to Albourne, Mr. Smith started his career at a New Zealand fund manager.

Mr. Smith has a Post Graduate Diploma in Finance from Otago University (NZ) and a Degree in Economics also from Otago University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Allison Hill

State CIO, QIC

Allison Hill joined QIC’s State Investments (SI) team in January 2018. The SI team is responsible for managing approximately $58B in assets on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison is the State Chief Investment Officer within the SI Team and she has direct responsibility for all the portfolios managed on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison has over 28 years’ experience in investment management and financial markets. Prior to joining QIC, Allison was the Chief Executive Officer at DMP Asset Management, where she oversaw the investment process and asset consulting practice. Prior to this, Allison spent 11 years at Frontier Advisors as a Senior Consultant. Allison was the lead consultant for several of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, was the Head of Debt and Alternatives Research and a member of Frontier’s investment and leadership committees.

Allison has a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University and holds several post graduate qualifications including a Graduate Diploma in Management from the AGSM and is a GAICD. Allison is also a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

Ben Samild

CIO, Future Fund

Ben Samild was appointed Chief Investment Officer of the Future Fund in August 2023, having previously served as DCIO, Portfolio Construction.

As CIO, Ben leads the Future Fund’s investment team investing A$250bn across all asset classes and geographies, with a particular focus on stewarding the Fund’s joined-up whole portfolio approach.

He joined the Future Fund in October 2013, as Director, Alternatives, following a 10 year career in the hedge fund industry, and 4 years as Head of Investment Strategy at LUCRF Super.

Ben is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments.

Ben completed a 6 year undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne majoring in behavioural finance, psychology and history, and has a Masters of Applied Finance.

Allison Hill

State CIO, QIC

Allison Hill joined QIC’s State Investments (SI) team in January 2018. The SI team is responsible for managing approximately $58B in assets on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison is the State Chief Investment Officer within the SI Team and she has direct responsibility for all the portfolios managed on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison has over 28 years’ experience in investment management and financial markets. Prior to joining QIC, Allison was the Chief Executive Officer at DMP Asset Management, where she oversaw the investment process and asset consulting practice. Prior to this, Allison spent 11 years at Frontier Advisors as a Senior Consultant. Allison was the lead consultant for several of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, was the Head of Debt and Alternatives Research and a member of Frontier’s investment and leadership committees.

Allison has a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University and holds several post graduate qualifications including a Graduate Diploma in Management from the AGSM and is a GAICD. Allison is also a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

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.

Damian Graham

CIO, Aware Super

As Chief Investment Officer, Damian is responsible for the investment strategy at Aware Super.

Damian brings over 30 years’ experience in investment management, managing diversified portfolios and investment teams. Between 2012-16 Damian was Chief Investment Officer at StatePlus. He previously headed up Private Portfolio Management for the Macquarie Group, where he was promoted to run that business following a successful tenure as Head of Investment within the same division.

Damian has also held senior positions within Norwich Investment Management and JP Morgan Investment Management.

Sam Sicilia

CIO, Hostplus

Sam Sicilia is Chief Investment Officer at Hostplus. With its origins in the Hospitality & Tourism Industries, Hostplus continues to evolve as the lifetime fund of choice for all Australians, delivering retirement income security to its members.

Hostplus is one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds with c$126 billion in funds under management, 313,000 contributing employers and 1.8 million members of average age 36. Hostplus has c250 employees across all Australian States & Territories dedicated to helping members understand and grow their superannuation, so they can retire with dignity.

Sam‘s experience spans over 25 years’ in the finance industry across a number of senior roles including Director of Investment Consulting with Russell Investments, Senior Manager at Bank of Ireland Asset Management, Senior Consultant with Frontier Investment Consulting, Senior Asset Consultant with Towers Perrin and Director of Investment Manager Research with Towers Perrin USA.

Sam’s formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in applied mathematics and theoretical physics from Monash University, Ph.D. in mathematical modelling from Monash University and Master of Applied Finance from The University of Melbourne.

Allison Hill

State CIO, QIC

Allison Hill joined QIC’s State Investments (SI) team in January 2018. The SI team is responsible for managing approximately $58B in assets on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison is the State Chief Investment Officer within the SI Team and she has direct responsibility for all the portfolios managed on behalf of the State of Queensland.

Allison has over 28 years’ experience in investment management and financial markets. Prior to joining QIC, Allison was the Chief Executive Officer at DMP Asset Management, where she oversaw the investment process and asset consulting practice. Prior to this, Allison spent 11 years at Frontier Advisors as a Senior Consultant. Allison was the lead consultant for several of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, was the Head of Debt and Alternatives Research and a member of Frontier’s investment and leadership committees.

Allison has a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University and holds several post graduate qualifications including a Graduate Diploma in Management from the AGSM and is a GAICD. Allison is also a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

Shikha Gupta

Executive Director, Alternatives, Future Fund

Shikha Gupta is the Executive Director, Alternatives, at the Future Fund, where she brings over a decade of experience in investment management. In her current role, she oversees the fund’s diverse alternative investment strategies and previously focussed on the portfolio’s Credit exposures.

Shikha serves as a member of the Investment Committee and the Manager Review Committee. Before joining the Future Fund, Shikha was a Principal at Partners Capital in London, where she led public equities research and provided strategic investment advice to institutional and high-net-worth clients. Her career began at the Boston Consulting Group, where she gained extensive experience in management consulting, delivering impactful solutions across various industries.

Shikha holds a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honours in Actuarial Studies (Dean’s List) from the University of Melbourne and an MBA with Distinction from INSEAD. She is also a member of SBAI’s Oceania Committee.

Stuart Fiertz

Co-Founder, President and Director of Research, Cheyne Capital Management

Stuart Fiertz is the Co-Founder, President and Director of Research of Cheyne Capital. From 1991 to June 2000, and prior to establishing Cheyne Capital, Stuart worked for Morgan Stanley where he was responsible for the development and implementation of customised portfolio strategies and for credit research in the convertible bond management practice.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Stuart was an equity research analyst for the Value Line Investment Survey, and a high yield credit analyst in Boston at Merrill Lynch and in New York at Lehman Brothers. Stuart is a CFA® charterholder and a CAIA designee. He is chairman of the Alternative Credit Council (ACC) and a Founder & Trustee of the Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI). From 2014 until 2020, Stuart was also a council director of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) board.

Stuart has been awarded the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing. Stuart was educated at the International School of Geneva and at Dartmouth College where he was awarded a BA degree in Political Science and Economics.

Zachary Farmer

Head of Business Development , Polus Capital Management

Zachary is Head of Business Development where he oversees capital formation and investor relations across all strategies at Polus. Previously, he was investment director for a real estate company where he was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, managing and capital raising for real estate development projects.

Prior to that, he was head of business development for a credit hedge fund where he oversaw capital raising and investor relations. He started his career as an investment analyst at a large fund of funds where he was responsible for both investment due diligence and operational due diligence of hedge funds and other alternatives spanning a variety of public and private market strategies.

He has a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation as well as the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.

Jennifer Ancker Whelen

Chief Client Officer, Member of Executive, Investment & Risk Committees, Graham Capital Management

Jennifer Ancker Whelen is the Chief Client Officer of Graham Capital Management, L.P. ("Graham"), an alternative investment manager with approximately $19.6B AUM as of January 1, 2025. Mrs. Ancker Whelen is also a member of the firm's Executive, Investment, and Risk committees. She became an Associated Person of Graham effective June 6, 2007 and a Principal January 15, 2021. Mrs. Ancker Whelen is responsible for the development of strategic relationships with Graham's global client base, including consultants and institutional investors.

Prior to joining Graham in April 2007, Mrs. Ancker Whelen was Principal and Director of Marketing & Investor Relations at Stadia Capital, LLC, a long/short equity hedge fund.

Mrs. Ancker Whelen graduated cum laude from Colby College in 1995 with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Sociology.

James Esland

Head of Long Term Diversified Fund & Sustainability , QIC

James Esland is the Head of Long Term Diversified Fund & Sustainability in the State Investments team at QIC. James joined QIC from abrdn in August 2022 and has over 17 years experience, having previously worked in the Multi-Asset team at Standard Life Investments.

James earned an MA(Hons) in Philosophy at University of Edinburgh and is a CFA charterholder.

Arthur Bengasino

Portfolio Manager, Alternative Investments, Telstra Super

Arthur joined TelstraSuper in April 2018 and is the portfolio manager for the opportunities asset class in alternative investments. Arthur has over 20 years of experience on both the buy and sell sides in global markets.

Prior to joining TelstraSuper, Arthur was a portfolio manager in a boutique systematic global macro fund. He also worked at Kaiser Trading Group as head of options and algorithmic research, head of execution and senior trader and spent time as a price maker in spot foreign exchange at NAB. Arthur holds a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a graduate diploma in applied finance and investment from FINSIA.

Shenan Dhanani

Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Trium Capital

Shenan co-founded Trium in 2013 and is Co-CEO of Trium Capital. Shenan has worked in financial markets for 27 years. He, along with his Co-CEO has overall responsibility for the management and strategic direction of Trium Capital. He is a member of Trium’s Executive Committee.

Before founding Trium, Shenan ran the origination, structuring and marketing of structured fund derivative products in EMEA and the Americas for HSBC. Prior to this, he held sales and relationship management roles in the Securities Lending and Investment Products Group of JPMorgan. He began his career in 1997 at Morgan Stanley where he held various roles within the Treasury and Financial Services unit, before joining Fortis Bank as a senior member of the Hedge Fund Sales team.

He holds an MBA from Imperial College, London.

Kamal Naqvi

Managing Director, Blackstone Alternative Asset Management

Kamal Naqvi is a Managing Director of Blackstone and leads Institutional Client Solutions for Australia and New Zealand. He also serves as an advisor to the Hedge Fund Solutions Group (BAAM), having previously been a portfolio manager primarily responsible for commodity investments.

Before joining Blackstone in London in 2015, Mr. Naqvi worked in a range of senior trading, sales and research roles for Credit Suisse, Barclays Capital and Macquarie Bank. He began his career at the Tasmanian State Government Department of Development and Resources.

Mr. Naqvi holds degrees in Law and in Economics (with honours) from the University of Tasmania.

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.

Carol Lee

Managing Director, Portfolio Risk, Future Fund

Carol Lee is the Managing Director, Portfolio Risk at the Future Fund, joining in February 2024 to lead a new function, to provide additional focus on the funds’ investment risks.

Carol joined the Future Fund after 8 years at AustralianSuper with experience in a number of roles, including capital allocation, liquidity management and portfolio construction. Prior to this, Carol spent 11 years with the Macquarie Group and 3 years at Allens Arthur Robinson.

With undergraduate studies in actuarial studies and law, Carol also holds a master’s degree in applied finance and is a fellow of the Actuaries Institute.

Gary Gabriel

Head of Portfolio Management, Victoria's Funds Management Corporation (VFMC)

Gary Gabriel is a seasoned investment professional with over 25 years of experience in institutional investment. He currently serves as the Head of the Portfolio Management Group at the Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC). In this role, Gary leads a team responsible for determining clients’ investment objectives and strategies, which includes recommending strategic and active asset allocation, setting and monitoring exposures and risks in client portfolios, executing investment trades, and managing cash flows.

Before joining VFMC, Gary was the Chief Investment Officer at NSW State Super, where he oversaw the Investment and Actuarial teams. His responsibilities included developing investment policies and objectives, setting asset allocation, and implementing and monitoring the Fund’s investment arrangements.

Gary's extensive career also includes roles such as General Manager of Portfolio Strategy and Risk at HESTA, Managing Director (Asia Pacific) for Wilshire Associates, and Head of Private Markets at the Australian Future Fund. His broad expertise spans investment strategy formulation, portfolio construction and risk management, and investment management across global listed and unlisted asset classes.

Mark Carhart

CIO, 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.