Rise of the robots
Tapping into the AI and robotics revolution
A brave new world
That presents an exciting opportunity – and one that long-term investors can ill-afford to ignore. Against this backdrop, Lyxor ETF hosted a roundtable discussion in early 2019, bringing together some of Asia’s leading wealth managers to talk about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Far from the dystopian vision that Cameron presented to cinema audiences, the rise of the robots over the next few decades could herald massive progress for both companies and the world, the participants said.
The Chapters
Picture Gallery
The Panellists
Clive McDonnell
Head of Equity Investment Strategy, Standard Chartered Private Bank
Clive McDonnell is head of equity investment strategy at Standard Chartered Private Bank. He joined the bank in 2011 and draws on more than 20 years of expertise as a strategist and economist. He previously worked for BNP Paribas and Société Générale in Asia, and Standard and Poor’s in London. His Chindia reports provide a roadmap for investors on the relative attractiveness of Chinese and Indian equities, and his sentiment index pioneered the use of credit default swaps as a leading indicator for equity markets.
Bryan Goh
Chief Investment Officer, Bordier & Cie, Singapore
Bryan Goh is Bordier & Cie’s chief investment officer for Singapore. He has more than 20 years of investment management experience, with a focus on finding investment opportunities and solutions in underresearched and overlooked parts of the economic and financial landscape. Before joining Bordier & Cie, he served as head of alternative investments at DBS Private Bank for more than four years, during which time he developed liquid, regulated and transparent mutual fund products for clients. Prior to that, he was co-founder and partner at First Avenue, a global alternative investment advisory and capital placement firm with business lines encompassing both private funds and direct corporate transactions.
Joyce Ngan
Head of APAC Funds Selection, Deutsche Bank
Joyce Ngan is head of funds selection for APAC at Deutsche Bank. She oversees funds advisory and discretionary sales for the Asia-Pacific region.
Daniel Fermon
Head of Cross-Asset Thematic Recearch, Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking
Daniel Fermon joined Société Générale in 2004, and since 2014 he has been on the board of SG IP Valmy, the bank’s €1.8 billion retirement fund. Along with SG’s Thematic Research team, he has created the Rise of the Robots index for Lyxor ETF on the theme of AI and robotics, based on an investment universe created in consultation with Martin Ford.
John Cappetta
Head of Investment Specialists for Asia, Bank Julius Baer
John Cappetta is head of fund investment specialists for Asia at Bank Julius Baer. He leads a team of eight investment professionals in Singapore and Hong Kong, with responsibility for mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity sales. He joined Bank Julius Baer in 2013 and has lived in Singapore for 14 years.
Laurent Lequeu
Head of Portfolio Management, Lumen Capital Investors
Laurent Lequeu has been active in the financial service industry since 1998, first in Luxembourg and then in Singapore. Prior to joining Lumen Capital Investors, he was an investment counsellor at Taurus Wealth Advisors, having previously worked as an equity fund manager at RHB Asset Management in Singapore. Before that, he spent 11 years at Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild Europe (LCF Rothschild Luxembourg), where he advised ultra-highnet- worth individuals on equity investments in Europe, the US and Asia. He started his career at BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg as a buy-side analyst. He holds an MSc in business engineering from Solvay Business School, Brussels.
Sebastien Gentizon
Senior Vice President for Investment Manager Selection, Asia and Emerging Markets, Pictet
Sebastien Gentizon joined Pictet in 2012. In addition to his fund research responsibilities covering Asian and emerging market managers, he is a member of the fund manager research investment committee. Prior to joining Pictet, he worked in the hedge funds and fixed income department at Lloyds TSB Bank for more than seven years. He began his career at JPMorgan Private Bank and holds Master’s degrees in financial engineering from the Universtiy of Michigan and in management from HEC Lausanne. He is a Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA).
Ranjiv Raman
Head of Investments, Schroders Wealth Management
Ranjiv Raman joined Schroders Wealth Management in 2009 and has more than 20 years’ experience working in financial markets. He oversees the bank’s discretionary and advisory business lines, formulating the asset allocation decisions and investment strategy. He holds an MBA in finance with an emphasis on financial engineering from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, and a BBA in finance from the University of Wisconsin.
Martin Ford
Author
Martin Ford is a futurist and the author of three books: Architects of Intelligence: The Truth About AI From the People Building It (2018), Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future (2015) and The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future (2009). He is also the founder of a Silicon Valley-based software development firm. His 2017 TED Talk on the impact of AI and robotics on the economy and society has been viewed more than 2 million times. Ford is a consultant for a Lyxor ETF focused on companies that will participate in the AI and robotics revolution.
