CIO Investment Leadership Series: Alternative Investment Strategies

• Why many capital allocators are now seeking increased exposure to alternative investments
• What alternative investment strategies provide high income, diversification, and capital protection
• Where alternative investments fit in an allocator’s portfolio
• How alternative investments can be used to diversify a portfolio
• The most attractive alternative investment strategies that institutions should consider
• How allocators can source the best alternative investment managers
• What to expect in alternative investments in 2023

MODERATOR

Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA | Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA, is the Chief Investment Officer of Applied Real Intelligence (“A.R.I.”) Venture Debt Opportunities Fund. A.R.I. is a Los Angeles-based venture debt investment manager focused on providing financing solutions to the fastest growing VC-backed companies in North America. Mr. Ellison leads A.R.I.’s investment activities, including sourcing, due diligence, structuring, execution, and portfolio management.

Previously, Mr. Ellison was Director of U.S. Public Fixed Income at Sun Life Financial, where he was responsible for corporate credit investing. Prior to Sun Life Financial, he was a corporate bond and credit default swap trader at Deutsche Bank. During the Global Financial Crisis, he was an investment banker where he successfully underwrote and managed a portfolio of leveraged loans at Scotia Bank. He began his financial career at Thomson (now Thomson Reuters) in the Capital Markets Intelligence group.

Currently, Mr. Ellison is a Board Member of CFA Society Los Angeles, a Board Member of the Southwest chapter of the CAIA Association, and the West Coast Regional Director of the Hedge Fund Association (HFA). He is also a member of the Milken Institute’s Young Leaders Circle (YLC) and an active member of Tech Coast Angels (TCA), the largest angel investing group in the United States.

Mr. Ellison holds an MBA with concentrations in Analytic Finance and Economics from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business along with an MS in Risk Management from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College while majoring in Economics. Additionally, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations and previously held FINRA Series 7, 55, and 63 licenses. Back To Top ^^

SPEAKERS

Cameron Dawson, CFA | As Chief Investment Officer, Cameron helps lead the development of NewEdge Wealth’s investment themes, strategies, and market views, while also working closely with the firm’s advisors and clients.

Prior to joining NewEdge Wealth, Cameron was the Chief Market Strategist at Fieldpoint Private Securities and a Senior Equity Analyst at Bank of America. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive experience in macroeconomics and implementing forward-thinking investment themes and asset allocation strategies. She is widely known for her differentiated and thoughtful financial commentary and frequently appears on Bloomberg, CNBC, and Fox Business, among many others. Additionally, Cameron is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and a former board member of the CFA Society® of Orlando.Back To Top ^^

Christian Gannon | At Twickenham, Christian is responsible for leading the investment strategy, research, and execution for the organization. He partners with advisors to craft investment solutions that help clients meet their investment goals. He has a passion for identifying unique and creative investment solutions with a focus on patient, methodical investing designed for long-term success.

Prior to joining Twickenham, Christian served as Head of Investment Research for First Citizens Bank, based in Raleigh, NC. In this capacity, he was responsible for all aspects of investment due diligence, selection, and monitoring for over $10 billion in AUM. He began his career serving ultra-high net worth families in Wells Fargo’s multi-family office segment of its private wealth business. He then transitioned into an investment research role with Hatteras Investment Partners where he helped to manage hedge fund and private investment portfolios.

He graduated from Campbell University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Trust and Wealth Management, Minor in Financial Planning, and Master of Business Administration. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Florida’s Warrington School of Business. Back To Top ^^

Wylie Tollette, CFA | Wylie Tollette is executive vice president and head of client investment solutions for Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions. In this role, his key responsibilities include oversight of client investment solution development and the portfolio management teams for our multi-asset platform. Additionally, Mr.Tollette provides strategic advisory services to institutional clients on topics such as optimizing strategic and dynamic asset allocation, enhancing the understanding of exposures and key risks, and strengthening governance and decision-making. His team partners closely with the company's global distribution groups on all multi-asset solutions opportunities across a broad range of clients.

Prior to rejoining Franklin Templeton, Mr. Tollette served as chief operating investment officer at CalPERS, the largest defined-benefit public pension fund in the US. He helped to lead initiatives focused on enhancing the portfolio and investment decision-making process, engaged the CalPERS Board and various constituents, and helped to redesign the asset allocation and investment strategy committee. He was also responsible for investment performance and risk analytics, investment policy, investment manager engagement, operations, compliance, and business planning.

Prior to his time at CalPERS, Mr. Tollette worked at Franklin Templeton for almost 20 years, including as the head of the Performance Analysis and Investment Risk team, which was responsible for collaboratively defining, measuring and managing investment risk and performance across all Franklin Templeton products and clients. He entered the financial services industry in 1989 as an accountant for KPMG Peat Marwick.

Mr. Tollette received a BS from the University of California, Davis and a master of science in finance from the University of London. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and is a member of the CFA Association of Sacramento and San Francisco. He also holds a CPA (Inactive) designation and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Back To Top ^^

Michael Underhill | Michael is the author of the acclaimed Handbook of Infrastructure Investing, and has published widely read papers on investing and finance. Recognized for his expertise in Real Assets, Michael is frequently asked to speak on topics such as investment policy, portfolio management, and the risk characteristics of Real Asset investing. He is a regular contributor to the CFA Institute, Bloomberg Media, EDHEC Risk Institute, and leading think tanks like the Inter-American Dialogue.

Michael is responsible for overseeing global investment strategies and leads Capital Innovations’ Investment Policy Group, a forum for analyzing broader secular and cyclical trends that Capital Innovations believes will influence investment opportunities.

Prior to co-founding Capital Innovations in 2007 with Susan Dambekaln, Michael was a Vice President portfolio manager at AllianceBernstein working with large global institutional clients managing billions in assets. Before joining AllianceBernstein, he was a Vice President and partner at INVESCO in the financial institutions asset management division where he was responsible for $8 billion in client assets. Prior to INVESCO, Michael helped build the institutional fixed income capabilities for Janus Capital Corporation where the nascent effort grew to $1.8 billion at its peak. He started his career at Lehman Brothers in 1992 as a municipal bond analyst.

Michael graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He has completed post-graduate coursework from Pepperdine University centered on Fiduciary Studies, Universidad del Salvador (Argentina) in Latin American Economics and Stanford Law School where he focused on corporate governance. He is a former NCAA athlete and USA super league rugby player. He is Founder and Chairman of the Underhill Cancer Research Foundation where he has completed 28 marathons as part of his fundraising activities. Back To Top ^^