For more information contact: emailus@marcusevans.com An interview with: Michel Meert who is the Senior Investment Consultant at Tower Watson and a speaker at the marcus evans Investment Consultants Summit 2012, discusses the missing components in the investment consultancy industry today. Join the 2014 Summit along with leading regional investors in an intimate environment for a highly focused discussion on the latest investment strategies in the market. For more information contact: emailus@marcusevans.com

1. The Intelligent Portfolio
for Investors
What is being decided in Europe is very How would you define an intelligent
politically-driven and this has major portfolio? How can it be structured?
implications in financial markets and is
influencing investors and economic A portfolio with risk/return
agents. Picking up of inflation is also characteristics that are aligned with the
being regarded as a potential issue for objectives and mission of the investor is
the coming years. an intelligent one. It should also take
into account the investment beliefs and
How should these risks be handled the level of governance an organisation
to create long-term value? has.
Hedging against extreme risks is not an An intelligent portfolio can be very
easy task and will often be a partial different from one investor to another
Interview with: Michel Meert, hedge only. Gold can be included in but diversification is key. A portfolio
Senior Investment Consultant, portfolios and offer a hedge to some of with a complex allocation is not per se
Tower Watson these extreme risks. Another option is more intelligent than a simple portfolio
to be globally diversified in government of equities and bonds; it all depends on
bonds of large countries. Investors are the context of the investor. A very
Investors are confronted with extreme looking for a safe haven by investing simple portfolio can often be the right fit
events influencing their portfolio and their assets in these asset class types. and the intelligent one for an investor.
should think about their impact when
designing asset allocation and Which objective and subjective
investment strategies, says Michel factors should be taken into
Meert, Senior Investment Consultant, consideration when strategising for
Tower Watson. Whether a portfolio is allocating assets?
intelligent depends on the context of the
investor, he adds. The objective facts are the objectives of
the investor, based on his liabilities, the
A well
diversified
A speaker at the marcus evans level of governance he has and also the
Investment Consultants Summit different asset classes being considered
2012, in Noordwijk aan Zee, The for allocation.
Netherlands, 3 - 4 September, Meert
brings attention to how investing in a
diversified way can help hedge against
extreme risks.
The investment beliefs of an
organisation or an investor are essential
subjective factors. When these beliefs
portfolio is
absolutely
are well defined, they can simplify the
What are the extreme risks in the decision-making process substantially.
financial markets that investors are
exposed to today? Examples of beliefs are the choice
Three groups of extreme risks exist:
financial, economical and political. The
between active management and
passive implementation, beliefs leading
to the exclusion or inclusion of some
key
main risks that markets and investors asset classes in a portfolio. These
have been facing recently are those decisions can have an immense
linked to the banking and the Euro influence on how the organisation is
crisis. structuring its investments.

2. About the Investment Consultants Summit 2012
The Investments Network –
marcus evans Summits group
This unique forum will take place at the Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin, Noordwijk aan
delivers peer-to-peer information
Zee, The Netherlands, 3 - 4 September 2012. Offering much more than any
on strategic matters, professional
conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together
trends and breakthrough
esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and
innovations.
interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on optimum
institutional portfolio construction, strategic risk management and asset allocation,
global economic stability and reducing balance sheet risk.
www.investmentconsultantseurope.com
Please note that the Summit is a
Contact
closed business event and the
number of participants strictly Maria Gregoriou, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division
limited.
Tel: + 357 22 849 400
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