Exploring new frontiers in a volatile financial and political world will be the theme for this year’s annual meeting of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF). The IFSWF includes members from 31 countries from across the globe, representing over US$3 trillion. 

The event will be hosted by Samruk–Kazyna with the assistance of the National Investment Corporation of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the Republic’s two sovereign wealth funds, both of whom are IFSWF members. It will be held in Astana between 5 and 7 September. 

The meeting will feature leading international speakers, including a keynote by Sheila Patel, CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management International. Open panel sessions will feature discussions on the role of development funds, risks and benefits of privatisations, and China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. Approximately 250 leaders of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), multilateral development and financial institutions, as well as the international investment community are expected to gather in Astana for the event. 

The IFSWF is a global network of sovereign wealth funds established in 2009 to set standards for SWF best practice and governance, to enhance collaboration and dialogue between members, and to promote a deeper understanding of SWF activity. The annual meeting is held to bring together members and financial leaders to discuss the key global issues affecting investors. 

Further speakers at the event include Adrian Orr, Chairman of the IFSWF and CEO of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Umirzak Shukeyev, CEO of Samruk–Kazyna, Baljeet Kaur Grewal, Managing Director for Strategy and Portfolio Investment of Samruk–Kazyna and Li Keping, Senior Advisor of China Investment Corporation. 

Adrian Orr, Chair of IFSWF and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, said: “The low return environment has been a constant challenge for global investors since the financial crisis. This, coupled with political volatility in developed markets over the past 18 months, has led to investors looking to new frontiers for investment returns. “These markets and assets offer great potential returns, but also bring a new level of risk and challenges for investors to overcome. It is therefore important that we work together in facing these challenges to better inform our investment decisions in the future. The IFSWF annual meeting is a great platform for our members to discuss these issues, and we welcome the opportunity to share our experiences with the broader sovereign wealth fund community.”

Umirzak Shukeyev, CEO of Samruk–Kazyna, added: “It is a great pleasure to be hosting this high-level meeting in Kazakhstan this year. This international event brings together the biggest names in sovereign investments in the industry and is a great platform for improving collaboration and knowledge sharing, which runs deep in the core of IFSWF. I look forward to tackling some of the critical issues facing the industry when we welcome IFSWF members and the broader sovereign wealth fund community to the event in September.”

The Meeting includes member-only sessions dealing with risk management, asset allocation strategies, ESG and the impact of technology in the investment process, as well as the public conference.