Legal & Regulatory
A great deal of ALFI's work is carried out in Technical Committees and Forums. Members of these groups are representatives of ALFI members, contributing their experience on a voluntary basis. Technical Committees have been set up to cover issues relating to a generic area of the fund industry. Within these areas, Sub-Committees focus on specific fields. Technical Committees and their Sub-Committees are appointed for an indefinite period.
What subjects have been debated throughout 2016-2017 period? Here are the highlights...
Promotion & Conferences
The Promotion & Conferences Committee is focusing on promoting Luxembourg as the domicile of choice and a core servicing center for all types of cross-border distributed investment funds and as an attractive center to locate front office activities for both traditional and alternative investment fund managers by overseeing the delivery of programs for the broad range of ALFI conferences and roadshows abroad. The Promotion & Conferences Committee is chaired by Michael Ferguson (EY). Read more about the activities and achievements of this Committee here.
Alternative Investments
The Alternative Investments Committee monitors the environment in Luxembourg and abroad in respect of real estate funds, private equity & venture capital funds and hedge funds and develops recommendations to improve Luxembourg's attractiveness as a centre to domicile and administer alternative investments structures. The Alternative Investments Committee is chaired by Claude Niedner (Arendt & Medernach S.A.). Get an overview of the Committees main activities and achievements during the period under review here.
Fund Distribution
The Fund Distribution Committee strives to ensure that Luxembourg remains the point of reference for global fund distribution by proposing policy ideas and industry initiatives that will assist ALFI members to increase their market reach and improve the cost efficiency of fund distribution. David Claus (BNY Mellon) has recently been appointed as the chairman of the ALFI Fund Distribution Committee. Read more about the latest developments in the global fund distribution area here.
Professional Training
The Professional Training Committee provides the House of Training with updated training programs and qualified trainers in technical matters relating to the investment fund industry and promotes the training courses and career opportunities offered by the Luxembourg funds industry in Luxembourg and abroad. The Professional Training Committee is chaired by Emmanuel Bégat (ME Business Solutions S. à r. l.)
Read how the demand for training courses has evolved over time and how the course portfolio is adapted to industry trends here.
Legal and Regulatory
The Committee actively follows and deals with international and European legal and regulatory developments concerning the funds industry and contributes to the implementation of European and local legislative and regulatory initiatives. The Legal and Regulatory Committee is chaired by Hermann Beythan (Linklaters) and Gast Juncker (Elvinger Hoss Prussen S.A.). Read more about the activities and achievements of this Committee here.
Market Infrastructure
The Market Infrastructure Committee addresses operational issues which asset managers and service-providers are facing resulting from proposed or new pieces of laws and regulations. The Committee’s primary focus is to seek operational efficiency, automation and overall cost savings by proposing common interpretations, simplifications or market standards. he Market Infrastructure Committee is chaired by Fédéric Pérard (BNP Paribas Securities Services, succursale de Luxembourg) and Geoff Radcliffe (BlackRock Fund Management Company S.A.). Get an overview of the Committees main activities and achievements during the period under review here.
Responsible Investing
Positioning Luxembourg as a prime platform for the creation and domiciliation of responsible investment vehicles including impact finance funds and Microfinance funds is the task of ALFI's Responsible Investing Committee chaired by Christian Hertz (Luxembourg Investment Solutions S.A.) and Corinne Molitor (Innpact S.à r.l.). Read about the recent developments and opportunities in this area here.
Tax
The Tax Committee focuses on all fiscal aspects and laws relating to the investment funds industry and takes initiatives at tha national and international level with the aim of contributing to keep the Luxembourg tax environment competitive. The Tax Committee is chaired by Georges Bock (KPMG Luxembourg Société coopérative). Read how the fund industry's fiscal environment has evolved in 2016 here.
Fintech & Digital
The Digital/Fintech Forum primarily focuses on developments and technologies which are believed to have a “disruptive” impact on the asset management industry by potentially causing fundamental changes to existing business models or processes. This Forum is chaired by Steven Libby (PricewaterhouseCoopers Société coopérative) and Serge Weyland (Banque Internationale à Luxembourg S.A.). Read how ALFI's Digital/Fintech experts address priority issues in this area.
Governance
The ALFI Fund Governance Forum aims to raise awareness for and help promote best practices in matters of fund governance. The Forum is chaired by Henry Kelly (KellyConsult s.à r.l.). Read more about the activities and achievements of this Forum here.
Investor Forum
The aim of the Forum is to focus primarily on retail investors, their needs and expectations regarding the asset management industry and its products. The Forum will therefore address topics such as investor information, investor education and investor protection in order to increase retail investor confidence in investment funds as their savings product. Read more about ALFI's initiatives in this area.
TA and Distribution Forum
This Forum brings together the Asset Servicing’ side of the fund industry and its participants to share experiences and discuss issues related to fund distribution operations from a Transfer Agency (TA) and Distribution Support services perspective. ALFI's TA & Distribution Forum is chaired by Josée-Lynda Denis (ALFI). Read more about the activities and achievements of this Committee here.
Conferences
Throughout the year, ALFI organises conferences aimed at helping the investment fund industry to leverage the constantly evolving industry environment and changing investor expectations and behavior. Our events attract important expert audiences from Europe and abroad at a time when key decision makers are eager to learn about current challenges and how to address them.
Through our annual conferences and our topic-specific conferences, we keep fund professionals abreast of the latest developments impacting their business. These conferences have an admission charge, but they also provide exposure for sponsors and exhibitors from the industry.
European Asset Management conference
Following feedback from our members, we have reviewed the concept of our flagship conferences. The traditional "Spring conference" has become the European Asset Management conference attracting over 600 attendees in March 2017.
Impact Investing Conference
The event usually takes place in May and is the first of its kind in Luxembourg to specifically address impact investing. The aim of the conference is to further increase market attention on the opportunities offered by this specific investment approach. Every year, the conference is gaining increased momentum.
European Risk Management Conference
Global Distribution Conference
The conference takes place in September and focuses on global distribution, regulatory updates, new products and tax implications. The event is the annual meeting of the world’s leading fund distribution community, bringing together the most important fund distributors and asset managers. It is organised in partnership with NICSA, The National Investment Company Service Association, and HKIFA, the Hong Kong Investment Fund Association. Designed as a unique platform to allow participants - from all over the world - to share knowledge and exchange experiences, this conference enjoys a secure place in the agenda of many fund industry professionals.
The 2016 edition attracted 600 industry representatives from more than 25 countries.
A Golf tournament for ALFI members and conference attendees is traditionally organised on the day preceding the conference.
European Alternative Investment Funds Conference
This is the annual gathering of Private Equity, Hedge Fund and Real Estate professionals who can gain insights on the latest market news and trends. In 2016 the conference attracted a record number of 630 participants and 41 exhibitors.
The concept of this conference has been reviewed and renamed to focus exclusively on the structuring and the servicing of PE & RE funds in Luxembourg. The first edition of the PE & RE conference will take place on 21 & 22 November. It will be preceded by a Alternative UCITS & Hedge Fund Forum.
Leading Edge Conferences
A series of topical, one-day conferences on current trends and developments, targeted at an expert audience. In 2016/2017, ALFI organised a special series of six Leading Edge Conferences on:
- The fast changing PE and RE regulatory landscape and market: The Luxembourg response
- Global Distribution post-Brexit
- The new German Investment Tax Act
- Brexit: time for action
- Investor protection day - taking investor protection to the next level
- Management Company/AIFM & Impact of Evolving Regulation
TA & Distribution Forum
This one-day event allows the participants to share the key subject matters that continuously transform Luxembourg’s Global TA & Distribution Operations operating model. In 2016, the conference attracted more than 250 participants!
Roadshows
ALFI organise free-of-fee, informative seminars in cities around the world to inform the local fund specialists on the latest developments related to their market and the Luxembourg fund sector.
In 2016/2017 ALFI organised 9 roadshows to the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the USA, Asia and Australia.
ALFI roadshow to New York (April 2017)
Others
ALFI participation in LFF and Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce events
ALFI represents the fund sector in economic missions organised by the Luxembourg government around the world and arranges seminars on investment funds at events organised by Luxembourg For Finance and the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.
In 2016/2017, ALFI participated at the LFF events in: Latin America, Asia, France, Dubai and Sweden.
Participation at these seminars is usually free of charge. For more information and registration, please refer to the respective website of the organiser.