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Alida has over 30 years of experience in banking and in private banking globally. Before founding Valeur and then LAGOM FA, she held prestigious positions at the Credit Suisse Group (where she was also, as Managing Director, Global Head Investment Products Strategy), Lombard Odier & Cie, UBS and Deutsche Bank. Alida graduated with honors at the Luigi Bocconi commercial University in Milan, Alida perfected her knowledge by obtaining in 1994 the title of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in the United States. Since 1996 she has held numerous positions within the CFA Institute (including the Italian CFA society in 1999), until becoming Governor from 2005 to 2008, and joining, starting in 2009, of the “CFA European Investment Conference Advisory Group.” Currently, she is a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the CFA Institute Education Advisory Committee and a mentor of the Executive MBAs programs at Bocconi University. She has a passion for foreign languages and cultures; she is currently studying Chinese.

Brian Digney joined the SBAI in March 2023 in the role of Research and Content Director. He is responsible for content development and co-ordination of the ongoing and future working groups on a wide variety of topics, including valuation of private assets, ESG & carbon footprinting, governance, insurance linked strategies, digital assets, asset management regulation and compliance as well as new topics to be determined in the future. Prior to joining the SBAI, Brian was the Head of Due Diligence & Governance Oversight at Innocap Global Investment Management (Ireland) Ltd (2018-2023) in Dublin, a subsidiary of Innocap Investment Management Inc., a US$50bn hedge fund platform. He acted as Designated Person for Operational Risk Management, a regulated role by the Central Bank of Ireland. He also sat on Innocap’s Irish Risk Oversight and Valuation Committees. In 2017, Brian joined Albourne Partners in London as a Senior Operational Due Diligence Analyst. From 2015 to 2017 he was employed as an Operational Due Diligence Analyst at Mercer Sentinel in London. From 2010 to 2015 he held various Associate level roles at Decura LLP, Morgan Stanley and Citi.

Laura Merlini, CAIA, CIFD, is Managing Director, EMEA, for the CAIA Association since March 2012. She is a senior alternative investment professional with experience in strategic leadership, management skills and alternative investment knowledge in market outreach, brand development, reputation and member engagement. She formerly worked at Fortis Bank in Milan, Madrid, and Geneva. Since obtaining her CAIA Charter Certification in 2007, she has been an active member-volunteer, not only as the Co-founder of the CAIA Iberia Chapter in Madrid in 2008, but also as the Co-head of the CAIA Switzerland Chapter in Geneva as of 2010. Additionally, she chaired the 100 Women in Finance Educational Committee in Geneva between 2016 and 2018. Laura earned a BA in Business Administration at Bocconi University in Milan, received the CEMS MIM (Community of European Management Schools) MSc in International Management in 2002, and is a member of the Inaugural Class (2014) of the Executive Master in Positive Psychology, Leadership and Strategy from IE in Madrid. She strongly believes that governance is the core of a healthy financial industry, and this conviction led her to become a Certified Investment Fund Director accredited by the CIFD Institute in Ireland in 2015. Laura is also currently a member of the UN PRI HF Advisory Committee and a NED at Agave Advisors, an independent wealth manager firm based in Geneva. She is often invited to speak at conferences, roundtables and webinars on alternative investments. Having earned a Sommelier diploma, in her free time, she enjoys wine tasting as well as opera and art.

Brian Payne, CAIA, CFA is BCA Research’s Chief Strategist, Private Markets & Alternatives. Prior to BCA Research, he was an Investment Officer of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois, where he restructured and oversaw a $5+ billion multi-asset portfolio consisting of hedge funds, private investments, and opportunistic strategies. Prior to Illinois, he was a buyside researcher and trader at Potomac River Capital. Brian began his career in wealth management, where he researched and advised RIAs on alternative investments and asset allocation. He has a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He is also a CFA and CAIA charter holder.

Samer is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in real estate, private equity, and asset management. He currently serves as the Head of Local Real Estate at Sidra Capital, overseeing acquisition and management. Previously, Samer led real estate transactions and held management positions at SEDCO and Unilever. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University (USA), a BSc in Industrial Engineering from California State University (USA) and is a CFA charterholder and CAIA charterholder. Samer is also a member of the Saudi Leadership Society.