Speakers
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Thomas Abrams Co-Head of Health - ShareAction
Thomas leads ShareAction’s the Long-term Investors in People’s Health (LIPH) programme, a collaboration of institutional investors with over $5tn in AUM who are supported to better integrate health into their investment and stewardship approaches. He oversees collaborative engagements on healthy food and air quality with systemically important companies, as well as investor engagement.
Before joining ShareAction, Thomas led efforts at The London Early Years Foundation to improve nutrition and health for the youngest children through its operations, sector training and policy influencing. Thomas has also worked as an impact consultant at New Philanthropy Capital advising impact investors, foundations and government on maximising their social impact. Thomas holds an MSc in Social Policy from the London School of Economics.
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Tal Lomitzer Portfolio Manager - Janus Henderson Investors
Tal is a Portfolio Manager on the Global Sustainable Equity Team at Janus Henderson Investors. He joined the firm in 2019 and was on the Global Natural Resources Team until early 2024. Prior to this, he was deputy head of global resources and fund manager at Colonial First State Global Asset Management from 2011. He launched and ran various global resources and energy funds at Merchant Capital, NewSmith Capital, and ORN Capital, where he was a partner from 2010, 2007, and 2004, respectively. Tal began his career in 1998 at Morgan Grenfell/Deutsche Asset Management.
Tal received first class BA and MA degrees in economics from Cambridge University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and several ESG accreditations including the CFA Level IV Certificates in Climate & Investing and ESG Investing as well as the UNPRI Advanced Responsible Investment Analysis Certificate. Additionally, he is certified by the Institute of Directors, currently serving as Chairman of HVH Arts a charity serving underprivileged children in London. He has 24 years of financial industry experience.
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Charley Smith Director of UK Institutional Business - Janus Henderson Investors
Charley is Director of Institutional Business at Janus Henderson Investors, a position she has held since 2021. In this role, she focuses on the firm’s institutional business development in the United Kingdom. She joined the firm as associate director of institutional business in 2017. Prior to this, Charley was vice president and relationship manager at Deutsche Bank in London from 2014. She was a sales analyst in private wealth management at Morgan Stanley from 2007 and she began her financial career in 2006 as an analyst at FX trading boutique, Dsquare.
Charley earned a BSc degree in biochemistry from University of Bristol. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and Investment Management Certificate (IMC) and has 18 years of financial industry experience.
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Soliane Varlet Portfolio Manager - Mirova
Soliane Varlet has been part of Mirova since 2008. She is a Portfolio Manager for the Mirova Global Sustainable Equity Fund, International Sustainable Equity Fund, and U.S. Sustainable Equity Fund. She has 17 years of experience in a portfolio management capacity, where she served most recently as SRI Equity Fund Manager and Head of Euro Equities & Diversity Thematic. Soliane was also Equity Fund Manager for Socially Responsible Investment and managed the Mirova Euro Sustainable Equity Fund and the Mirova Women Leaders Equity Fund.
She began her career in 2000 as a sell-side equity analyst, specialized on the media sector at CM-CIC Securities. She then joined Ostrum Asset Management as a Buy-Side Equity Analyst in 2005. She manages the Euro funds since 2013. She launched and still manages the Women Leaders fund since 2019.
Soliane graduated from ESC Reims CESEM (now Neoma Business School) and holds a master's degree in Banking and Finance (DESS Banque-Finance) from Lyon 2. She holds the SFAF diploma (French Society for Financial Analysts).
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James Lindsay Director, UK Institutional Sales and Consultants - Natixis Investment Managers
James, CFA is a Director, Head of UK Corporate DB and Insurance at Natixis Investment Management. James joined Natixis Investment Management in 2020 first as Head of UK Institutional Sales from Western Asset Management, where he held the same role. Prior to Western, he was a Client Director and Legal & General Investment Managements for 6 years, where he was responsible for managing relationships for large DB and DC UK Pension Schemes across asset classes including LDI, Fixed Income, Equities and Real Assets. Finally he held roles at Mesirow Financial and JP Morgan. James graduated from the University of Glasgow in July 2008 where he received a BSc in Virology and is also a CFA charterholder.
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Oleg Kapinos Senior Product Specialist - Tokio Marine Asset Management
Oleg joined TMAM London in February 2017. Prior to that, he spent over 10 years in a variety of roles in Tokyo, including investment banking, fund selection, due diligence and most recently as a Product Specialist for Liquid Alternatives at Neuberger Berman. Oleg is fluent in Japanese. He obtained a Master of Commerce degree from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo and is a CAIA charterholder.
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Kamyar Varzi Head of Institutional Sales & Consultant Relations - Tokio Marine Asset Management
Kamyar joined TMAM London in 2023, prior to which he was Head of Client & Consultant Relations at Petrus Advisers from 2022-2023. From 2018 to 2022, he was Director - Client & Consultant Relations, Europe at ARGA Investment Management. Prior to this, he was Institutional Director of Sales and Service in the Institutional Group at Fisher Investments, where he worked for almost 12 years. From 2005-2007, Kamyar was Channel Manager at Franklin Templeton. Earlier in his career, he worked in various client service and marketing roles in the US and UK, including at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. He graduated from Pepperdine University with a B.S. in Business Administration and a minor in English Literature in 2000.
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Joe Bauernfreund CEO/CIO - Asset Value Investors
Joe is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Asset Value Investors. He is the sole manager of AVI Global Trust and AVI Japan Opportunity Trust and responsible for investment decisions across AVI’s strategies. Before joining AVI in 2002, Joe worked six years for a real estate investment organisation in London. He has a Masters in Finance from the London Business School.
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Gary Tuffield Partner - Asset Value Investors
Gary joined Goodhart Partners in September 2023 to lead on corporate development, Goodhart's investee company relationships and global distribution. Prior to joining Goodhart, Gary spent 7 years as Global Head of Sales at Redwheel, which grew from $7bn and peaked at $24bn in AUM. He serviced multiple global client channels across Institutional and Wholesale, leading a 20-person sales team. Gary was instrumental in attracting new investment teams to Redwheel in addition to expanding its existing investment capabilities, successfully launching several UCITS funds, sub-advised and segregated mandates.
Gary started his career in asset management in 2002 when he joined BNY Mellon's UK intermediary team, rising to Head of UK Wholesale and overseeing £30bn of AUM. Gary spent 13 years at BNY Mellon. Gary is IMC qualified and based in London.
