Event Speakers

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Lukas Erard is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse in the Wealth Management division, based in Zurich. He is the Head of Client Services and Distribution for Alternative Investments within the Global Alternative investments Solutions team. In his role he oversees a global sales unit with product specialists in Zurich, Hong Kong & Singapore. He has recently been nominated to move to UBS and take over the responsibility for the hedge fund & real assets product specialists' team. Lukas joined Credit Suisse in 2007 and held various roles within Asset Management and the Private Bank. From 2016 until 2023 he has been instrumental in the buildup and expansion of the Private Equity franchise. Prior to this, he was Head of Alternative Investments, preceded by roles in business development and client advisory for Credit Suisse Hedge Funds products in Switzerland/Germany and as COO of the Private Banking Alternative Investments Group. Lukas holds a degree (summa cum laude) in business administration and finance from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and has studied at the ITESM in Monterrey (Mexico).

Jonathan Hunter is a Customer Success Manager at Preqin and is experienced in upskilling users and supporting clients on diverse projects. With a background in finance from Warwick Business School and success in the first two levels of the CFA qualification, Jonathan brings valuable insights to the current private capital landscape.

Lela Prodani is a seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in managing multi-asset institutional investor portfolios. She currently serves as a Senior Portfolio Manager at Pensionskasse der Credit Suisse Group (Schweiz), responsible for the oversight of a multi-billion Alternatives portfolio for the pension fund. Previously, Lela held the position of Investment Director at a multi-family office / OCIO in New York, as well as at a healthcare endowment in Saint Louis, Missouri. In these roles, Lela spearheaded due diligence efforts across various asset classes with a focus on private markets. Lela holds the CFA and CIPM certifications. She earned a BA in International Business / Finance and an MBA from Webster University.

Since 2017 Andreas works for Complementa. In his current role as Head of Investment Research he advises Swiss and German pension funds on their strategic and tactical asset allocation. Asset and liability studies are one element of these advisory services. He also participates in investment committee meetings. In addition, he is one of the co-authors of the annual Complementa Risk Check-Up pension study as well as co-author of various articles for the VPS pension magazine. Before joining Complementa he worked for the private equity team of a German family office. Prior to that he worked for UBS and Credit Suisse in various roles. He holds a Master’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.

Nalaka is Head of Private Markets Solutions at abrdn and is responsible for developing and implementing diversified investment strategies across the Private Markets - spanning Private Equity, Infrastructure, Private Credit, Real Estate and Natural Resources on a global basis. Nalaka joined abrdn in 2012. Prior to this, Nalaka held senior roles at Australian and European Investment management firms. He has lead M&A activity, off-market acquisitions and divestments of assets, offshore and onshore capital rising in both debt and equity markets. Nalaka is a Qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a postgraduate degree in Commercial Law and Accounting from the University of Wellington.