Events

Emily Smart is the Chief Product Officer at Aberdeen Investments. Emily and her team are responsible for collaborating across the business and driving product innovation, delivery, and management across public market asset classes (equity, fixed income, multi-asset and quantitative strategies) and real-assets. Prior to joining the Product team in 2018, Emily spent 5 years as an Institutional Client Director, covering a broad range of clients and asset classes.
Emily joined the company in 2013 and prior to this spent 10 years in Wealth Management at UBS and Barclays, primarily as an Alternatives specialist.

David has over twenty-eight years’ experience in financial services, including twenty-five years with Schroders. As a member of the UK Management Team, David has held a range of senior client-facing positions spanning sales, relationship management, operations, and client service.

In his current role as Head of UK Client Group Governance, David is responsible for overseeing all client-facing activities in the UK across all sales channels, with a particular focus on ensuring regulatory compliance and effective risk management. He is CEO of Schroders’ unit-linked business, serves as a member of the Schroders UK AIFM Board, and participates in the oversight of client-related matters for the Schroders Asset Management Board.

Cassie Waller joined Santander Asset Management UK as Chief Commercial Officer in February 2023, earning promotion to the role of Chief Executive Officer in May 2024.

Cassie joined Santander Asset Management from Syntax Research Inc, where she was Chief Operating Officer. She also held the role of Chief Marketing Officer based in Florida, as well as a number of senior roles in State Street Bank Europe and State Street Global Markets, with responsibility for consultant relationships and portfolio solutions sales. Roles at Putnam Investments, Friends, Ivory & Sime and Wellington Management saw her gather a wealth of experience across a diverse range of disciplines.

A forward-thinking senior executive with a proven record of accomplishment during her 25-year career, Cassie is a driven and ambitious business leader, dedicated to continuous business improvement, with a focus on enhancing revenue and streamlining business operations. Cassie has been successful in executing successful investment sales strategies, establishing winning teams and forging strong industry and internal partnerships.

Cassie Waller holds a degree in International Politics, Communications and Marketing from Boston College. She is committed to diversity and inclusion, supporting women in business through a number of industry initiatives.

Laurence Mumford is Managing Director of M&G Securities Limited, based in the London head quartered offices.

Laurence has been a Board member of M&G Securities Limited (MGSL) since 2004 and has previously acted as Chair. MGSL is the ACD for M&G’s range of OEIC mutual funds, which currently consist of approximately 50 sub-funds with £28bn assets under management. Day-to-day responsibility is focussed on governance and regulatory control to support the product offering and distribution teams, including direct to consumer, and the achievement of good customer outcomes.

Laurence is also Chair of the fund Boards for two M&G UCITS SICAVs which support the growing international business across Europe, America and Asia. Within M&G, Laurence has previously had roles covering distribution governance, fund services and product development.

Laurence is a chartered accountant and joined M&G in 2000 having previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Brandon is Fund Boards Council’s Senior Adviser, involved with developing FBC’s Assessment of Value analysis and assurance model for its members and leading FBC’s new proposition – offering bespoke training and coaching for boards and executives.

He is also the principal of NomBon Consulting and an experienced actuary and independent director, providing consulting to insurers, asset managers, banks and wealth managers on investment and pension proposition design, delivery, governance and distribution strategy.