Event Profile

CAIA Geneva - Beyond Diversification: Rethinking Portfolio Construction in a Rewired World

Date(s):
September 16, 2026
Note:
All times listed are in local time
Venue:
UBS Auditorium
Rue des Noirettes 35
Carouge, GE 1227 
Fee(s):
Free Event
Description:

CAIA Geneva
Beyond Diversification: Rethinking Portfolio Construction in a Rewired World

 

Diversification has long been one of the guiding principles of investing. But in today's markets, the question is no longer whether portfolios are diversified—it's whether they are diversified in the right way.

As private markets continue to grow, AI reshapes industries, and geopolitical tensions influence the movement of capital, investors are being forced to rethink some of the assumptions that have underpinned asset allocation for years. Companies are staying private for longer, new liquidity solutions are emerging, and traditional distinctions between markets, sectors, and geographies are becoming less clear. 

Join this timely discussion featuring CAIA Association Board Members and industry experts, on the trends shaping today's investment landscape. Together, they will share their perspectives on how portfolio construction is evolving, where they see opportunities and risks emerging, and what these structural shifts could mean for investors in the years ahead


AGENDA:

18:00 - Registrations

18:30 - Welcome remarks

18:40 - Panel Discussion in collaboration with:

  • Elizabeth Burton, CAIA - CAIA Association Board Member, Chief Strategist at Fortress Investment Group
  • William Ma, CAIA, CFA - CAIA Association Board Member, Chief Investment Officer at GROW Investment Group
  • Richard Bruyere - Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Indefi

Moderator:
John Bowman, CFA - CEO at CAIA Association

19:35 - Q&A

19:45 - Networking


Important notes before the event:

  • This event is organized by dedicated CAIA members, who generously volunteer their personal time. Should you decide to register, we greatly appreciate your commitment to attending.
  • If you find that you are unable to attend, please inform us at least 48 hours before the event. Your timely cancellations enable us to offer your spot to someone on the waitlist and help minimize food and energy waste
  • Kindly note that registrations must be completed in advance, as walk-ins will not be permitted. Given the event's limited capacity, we encourage you to register as early as possible to secure your spot. If the attendance limit is expanded, we will promptly notify you.
  • Registering a guest is possible but complete guest details must be filled in.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
If you have questions or concerns regarding registration for this event, please contact CAIA EMEA Chapter Relations.
 

Find it on Map

UBS Auditorium
John Bowman
Job Title: CEO
Organization: CAIA Association


John was appointed CEO for the CAIA Association in January 2025.

He has devoted over 25 years to the asset management industry to recover the narrative of the value that the investment profession brings to society. He is a staunch public advocate for market integrity, long-termism, investor outcomes, diversity, human dignity and educational standards, as necessary ingredients to building a sustainable and healthy profession. John previously served as Managing Director for the Americas for CFA Institute, a region comprised of 40+ countries from Canada, the U.S., Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Before that, John was a portfolio manager for non-US equity strategies at both Boston Company and SSgA for several years. John is a prolific, speaker, writer and commentator, frequently keynoting industry conferences and appearing in investment and business publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Pension and Investments, Financial Advisor, The Independent, Wealthmanagement.com and CNBC. Bowman earned a BS in Business Administration from Mary Washington College and is a CFA charterholder.


Richard Bruyere
Job Title: Managing Partner and Co-Founder
Organization: INDEFI
Speaker Type: Panelist

Elizabeth Burton
Job Title: Chief Investment Strategist
Organization: Fortress
Speaker Type: Panelist


Elizabeth is a managing director and client investment strategist in Client Solutions & Capital Markets within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. She advises institutional clients on their investment strategy and portfolio objectives, working alongside global client advisors and product strategists across public and private markets. Elizabeth joined Goldman Sachs in 2022 as a managing director.

Prior to joining the firm, Elizabeth was chief investment officer at the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii. Before that, she served as a managing director in the Quantitative Strategies Group at the Maryland State Retirement Agency, where she was responsible for the agency's absolute return portfolio and oversaw risk management. Earlier in her career, Elizabeth held leadership positions as an investor, economist, and consultant in asset management as well as fixed income trading.

Elizabeth serves on the Board of Directors of the Chartered Alternative Investment Association (CAIA). In addition, she serves on the board of the Hill School.

Elizabeth earned a BA in politics and french from Washington and Lee University in 2004 and an MBA in finance and econometrics and statistics from the University of Chicago in 2011. She is a charterholder of CAIA.


William Ma
Job Title: Chief Investment Officer
Organization: GROW Investment Group
Speaker Type: Panelist


Mr. William Ma, CAIA, CFA, with over 18 years of industry experience, is the Chief Investment Officer and founder of GROW Investment Group, a China based multi strategy multi asset management company, and launched the first multi strategy hedge fund in China.  Previously, Mr. Ma was the Chief Investment Officer of Noah Holdings, one of the largest wealth management company in China, as well we the Chief Investment Officer of Gopher Asset Management, the asset management arm of Noah. Gopher is the largest multi strategy multi asset management company in China with USD25 billion AUM and 220 professionals. As CIO of Noah and Gopher, he was responsible for overseeing all investment management, asset allocation and investment products due diligence of combined USD80 billions of asset. He also managed the discretionary mandates and China domestic public market funds including a Greater China multi-managers fund, ranked the best emerging market fund of hedge funds globally (3 years annualized return) by BarclayHedge, and led the team won the prestige Golden Bull Award – Best Domestic Fund of Hedge Funds in China in 2018 as well as won numerous awards from InvestHedge, HFM and AsianInvestor.

Mr. Ma has been the Foreign Expert QDLP Review Committee Member for the Shanghai Municipal Government Financial Service Department since 2012, the APAC Committee Board Member of SBAI (Standard Board of Alternative Investment) since 2019, and the judge panel of Eurekahedge Asian Hedge Fund Awards since 2016.

Before joining Noah in 2015, Mr. Ma was the CIO of Gottex Penjing Asset Management (GPAM), the Asia asset management arm of Gottex Fund Management, a Swiss-listed alternative investment management firm with USD22 billion AUM. At GPAM, Mr. Ma managed a team of 20 investment professionals in Asia, and was the lead portfolio manager of all of Gottex’s Asian fund of hedge funds. Prior to joining GPAM in 2012, Mr. Ma was co-founder and Portfolio Manager of Penjing Asset Management managing the industry’s first Asian funds of hedge funds since 2005. Before co-founding Penjing, he worked at Vision Investment Management (Asia) Ltd specializing in Asian hedge funds due diligence. Previously, he served as a research analyst at HT Capital Management Ltd, a Pan Asia Equity Long/Short hedge fund management firm in 2003. Mr. Ma joined the investment industry in Merrill Lynch’s San Francisco office in 2001.

With over 18 years of track record, Mr. Ma won over 20 industry awards: Golden Bull Award – Best Domestic Fund of Hedge Funds in China in 2018, The Asset Triple A Fund Management Award – Manager of the Year (Fund of Hedge Funds) in 2015, HFM Asia Hedge Fund Performance Award – Fund of Hedge Funds Long Term Performance (5 years) Award in 2014, HFMWeek Asia Performance Award – Fund of Hedge Funds Specialist in 2013 and 2012, in addition to multiple awards received from InvestHedge, AsianInvestor and Asia Asset Management between 2004 – 2010.

Mr.