Agenda
08:30
-
09:15
Registration & Networking
09:15
-
09:25
Opening Remarks and 2026 Hedge Fund Industry Snapshot
Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta
Chair of the Board of Directors and NED,
Apex Group
09:25
-
09:35
Opening Keynote – The GCC’s Next Hedge Fund Chapter: Capital, Talent, Infrastructure & Scale
Salmaan Jaffery
Chief Business Development Officer,
DIFC Authority
09:35
-
10:15
Panel Discussion – Where Capital Is Moving: Institutional Mandates, Family Offices & Rise of SMAs
Jaspreet Randhawa
Chief Investment Officer,
Silver Bay Investments (SFO, Abu Dhabi)
Sonja Suessenbach
Country Head ‑ Abu Dhabi & ADGM,
Apex Group
Gareth Nicholson
Chief Investment Officer,
FAB Asset Management
Bhavin Shah
Founder & CEO,
Sherlocq
Moderator
Fawad Tariq Khan
Managing Director,
Fasanara Capital
Michela Ferrulli
Co-Founder/Head of Distribution,
Calibrate Management
10:15
-
10:45
Networking & Exhibition Break
10:45
-
11:10
Fireside Chat – Inside the Allocator’s Decision: What Wins—or Loses—a Mandate Now
Tom Tardif
Vice President, Capital Introduction – Middle East,
Marex
Moderator
M. Askari Chandeux
Chief Investment Officer,
Cantab Holdings
11:10
-
11:50
Panel Discussion – Finding the Edge: Global Macro, Event-Driven & Market-Neutral Strategies
Naveed Zamir Yasir
Country Head ‑ Dubai,
Apex
Pratik Sengupta
Managing Director,
Alvarez and Marsal
Moderator
Andreas Anthis
Senior Vice President, Head of Multi-Asset & Absolute Return,
Mashreq Capital (DIFC) Ltd
John Hensel
Senior Vice President Middle East Markets | Senior Executive Officer,
Demeter Tactical Investments (ME) Limited
11:50
-
12:15
Fireside Chat – Regulation and Capital: The Future of Alternative Investment in ADGM
Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta
Chair of the Board of Directors and NED,
Apex Group
Moderator
Lawrence Paramasivam
Senior Executive Director of the Policy & Legal (FSRA),
ADGM
12:15
-
12:35
Networking & Exhibition Break
12:35
-
13:15
Panel Discussion – Digital Assets in the Portfolio: Strategy, Custody, Risk & Institutional Adoption
Kristiina Lumeste
Senior Manager – Virtual Assets & Digital Asset Solutions,
Apex Group
Ruben Bombardi
General Counsel and Head of Regulatory Enablement,
Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)
Ryan Taylor
Senior Managing Director,
Brevan Howard
Saqr Ereiqat
Secretary General,
Dubai Digital Asset Association
Moderator
Dolly Ramaiya
Founding Partner and SEO,
Truleum Venture Partners
Bryan Stirewalt
Executive Advisor,
Grant Thornton UAE
13:15
-
13:55
Panel Discussion – Durable Alpha: What Separates the Winners in the Next Cycle
Giorgio Borelli
Head of Multiasset and Asset Allocation, PB Investment Office,
Emirates NBD
Sameera Anand
Senior Executive Officer / Region Head,
Sun Life (DIFC) Ltd
Paul Robbins
COO,
Merlyn Advisors
Tanya Rawat
Head of Quantitative Investments,
Boolean Algorithmic Trading
Anita Gupta
Chief Investment Officer,
Wealthbrix Capital Partners Limited
Moderator
14:00
-
15:00
Networking Lunch
15:00
-
16:00
Roundtables (Parallel Sessions)
- Constructing Portfolios Across Divergent Rate & Volatility Regimes
- Beyond the Crowded Trade: Where Allocators Find Their Next Edge
- Implementing Digital-Asset Exposure: Custody, Counterparties, Valuation & Risk
- 2026 Mandates, Manager Selection & Portfolio Gaps
Anita Gupta
Chief Investment Officer,
Wealthbrix Capital Partners Limited
Saqr Ereiqat
Secretary General,
Dubai Digital Asset Association
Tom Tardif
Vice President, Capital Introduction – Middle East,
Marex
Jaspreet Randhawa
Chief Investment Officer,
Silver Bay Investments (SFO, Abu Dhabi)
16:00
Forum Close – Refreshments, Exhibition & Deal Networking
For the detailed programme, please contact us.
Roundtables
15:00
Roundtables
15:00
