RMIT Q Group CFA Society Melbourne Finance Symposium

RMIT Q Group CFA Society Melbourne Finance Symposium 2023 presents the 2023 symposium themed on Shaping the Future of Financial Markets

Global financial markets in 2023 are facing opportunities and challenges due to the lasting effects of the pandemic, banking crisis, technological advancements associated with artificial Intelligence and machine Learning, the transition to a low-carbon economy, and shifting geopolitical landscape. How can investors navigate these complex and dynamic conditions and seize the opportunities that lie ahead? This is the question that the 2023 symposium will address, with the theme of shaping the future of financial markets.

The Finance Symposium 2023 brings together RMIT’s top finance academics and industry leaders to explore, unpack and discuss the challenges that the global markets are faced with and discuss the growing areas of research that needs ongoing attention in financial markets and the economy. This year we will hold a full-day face-to-face event held in the RMIT Green Brain.

Event details

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Session 1:  9:15am – 10:45am
Panel Discussion: Your Future Your Super

Join a panel discussion with Professor Banita Bissoondoyal-Bheenick, Professor of Finance, RMIT, Alice Berriman, Senior Consultant at Frontier Advisors and David Haynes, Senior Manager, Policy, AIST. The panellists will focus on the Your Future Your Super regime in the Australian superannuation industry.

Break
10:45am - 11:00am

Session 2: 11:00am – 1:00pm
Break Out Session: Future of Financial Markets

Join Dr. Gaoping Zheng, Lecturer in Finance, RMIT, Dr. Muhammad Safiullah, Senior Lecturer in Finance, RMIT, Hira Abbasi, PhD candidate, and Yvonne Fang, PhD candidate, RMIT University, presenting their research on topics on social media and investor behavioral biases, carbon assurance and gender equity, peer effects in sustainability reporting, the impact of insider trading law on stock market liquidity. We look forward to you joining us to explore, unpack and discuss the future of financial markets and the economy. 

Lunch Break
1:00pm – 1:45pm

Session 3: 1:45pm – 2:30pm
Keynote Speaker: ESG in Global Financial Markets.

Join Dr Zsuzsa Banhalmi-Zakar, Manager, Research, Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). Zsuzsa will unpack trends, opportunities and challenges related to the rising popularity of ESG investing in global financial markets.

Break
2:30pm – 2:45pm

Session 4: 2:45pm – 3:30pm
Keynote Speaker: Artificial intelligence in investment.

Join Dr Frank Polanco, Investment Manager for Quantitative Analysis at HESTA, who will give a keynote address on AI for the Masses: how everyone can benefit from Artificial Intelligence in investing.

Drinks and Networking: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Please join us in networking drinks - Major sponsor Refinitiv (London Stock Exchange Group)

Organisers

Professor Banita Bissoondoyal-Bheenick

Director, Research Services and Programs, College of Business and Law, RMIT University

School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT University

Professor Banita Bissoondoyal-Bheenick is currently the Director, Research Services and Programs, College of Business and Law, RMIT University. She is an internationally recognised researcher in the field of financial markets and institutions and an experienced academic with nearly 20 years of extensive educational experience. She has successfully maintained her profile through significant contributions through several grants, quality publications and distinguished research outputs.

She currently serves on committees and editorial boards, including the RMIT Philanthropic Investment Committee, College of Business and Law gender and Equity reference Group for careers, Women Research Network as well as she is the Associate Editor and Subject Editor of international finance journals including International Review of Financial Analysis, Global Finance Journal and Journal of International Financial Markets, Money and Institutions.

Dr Oscar Tian

Vice President and Melbourne Chair, Q Group Australia

Senior Actuarial Manager, Insignia Financial

Dr Oscar Tian is a Senior Actuarial Manager at Insignia Financial, as well as the Vice President and Melbourne chair of the Q Group Australia. He is also actively involved in research as a Senior Lecturer at Monash Centre for Quantitative Finance and Investment Strategies, Industry Fellow at UNSW ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research, and Associate Editor of ANZIAM (Australia and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics) Journal.

Winnie Wong

Board Member, CFA Society Melbourne
Associate Investment Manager, HESTA

Ms Wong, CFA is an Associate Investment Manager in HESTA's portfolio construction and risk team.  Prior to HESTA, Ms Wong worked in asset allocation, equity research, investment management and institutional banking at Westpac, National Australia Bank and Acorn Capital across their Asian and Australian offices.
Ms Wong serves on the Board of the CFA Society Melbourne and chairs the University Engagement committee to build and strengthen university partnerships.  She is also an active member of the Compliance Connection at the CFA Institute.

Mike Aked

RMIT Chair, CFA Society Melbourne
Senior Investment Strategist for Australia & New Zealand, Scientific Beta

Mr Aked, CFA is Senior Investment Strategist for Australia & New Zealand at Scientific Beta, a provider of multi-factor and ESG equity indices. Prior to joining Scientific Beta, Mr Aked held positions responsible for equity and asset allocation research and investing at Research Affiliates, Sunsuper (an Australian superannuation fund), and at UBS Global Asset Management across four continents.Mr Aked has published articles on investment and implementation and is a frequent contributor of editorials in national newspapers across Australia. He is also a Senior Advisor at the Monash Business School mentoring the next generation. Mr Aked received a BA with honours in applied mathematics from the University of Sydney, an MS in statistics from the University of Virginia, and an MS in financial mathematics from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of both the CFA Society Melbourne and Q-Group Australia.

Dr Angel Zhong

Associate Professor | Acting Head of Department (Finance)
School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT University

Associate Professor Angel Zhong is a finance academic who specialises in empirical asset pricing, digital finance, global financial markets, investor behaviour and the recent trends in retail investing. She is an editorial board member of two prestigious field journals (Finance Research Letters and Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money).
Her research has strong investment applications for industry professional and investors. Her work has attracted over $223,000 in external research funding.
Angel remains engaged with external stakeholders while undertaking her academic responsibilities. Her research has frequently attracted significant mainstream media attention internationally.

Presenters

Session 1: Panel Session

Professor Banita Bissoondoyal-Bheenick

Director, Research Services and Programs, College of Business and Law, RMIT University

Professor Banita Bissoondoyal-Bheenick is currently the Director, Research Services and Programs, College of Business and Law, RMIT University. She is an internationally recognised researcher in the field of financial markets and institutions and an experienced academic with nearly 20 years of extensive educational experience. She has successfully maintained her profile through significant contributions through several grants, quality publications and distinguished research outputs.

She currently serves on committees and editorial boards, including the RMIT Philanthropic Investment Committee, College of Business and Law gender and Equity reference Group for careers, Women Research Network as well as she is the Associate Editor and Subject Editor of international finance journals including International Review of Financial Analysis, Global Finance Journal and Journal of International Financial Markets, Money and Institutions.

Portrait of Alice Berriman

Alice Berriman

Senior Consultant, Frontier Advisors

Alice Berriman is a Senior Consultant in the Capital Markets and Asset Allocation team at Frontier Advisors, focusing on portfolio construction and asset class research. She was previously an Associate Investment Manager in HESTA’s Portfolio Construction & Risk team, where she had a particular interest in liquidity modelling and sustainable investing.
Alice also has experience in equity research, fixed income strategy and portfolio construction, and financial planning and analysis in late-stage startups. Alice holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance, from University of Melbourne and is a CFA Charterholder.

Portrait of David Haynes

David Haynes

Senior Policy Manager, AIST

As AIST’s Senior Policy Manager, David has spent the last 12 years working closely with profit-to-member superannuation funds, Parliament, Government, Treasury and all regulators in developing and implementing changes to superannuation policy, including all regulatory changes and major projects including MySuper, SuperStream, Financial Services Royal Commission changes, FoFA (and now the Quality of Advice Review), Protecting Your Super and Your Future Your Super.

David has more than 30 years’ experience in financial services including as CEO of Industry Fund Services (where has was also responsible for Industry Funds Financial Planning) and AUSfund; an executive at ME Bank; an account manager at major superannuation administrators; and as a trustee of superannuation funds (including a predecessor of UniSuper).

David holds a parallel role as an executive with the IQ Business Group. He has also been a director of numerous private and public sector boards

Session 2: Break Out Session

Dr Gaoping Zheng

Lecturer of Finance, RMIT University

Dr Gaoping Zheng is a Lecturer in Finance. She joined RMIT in 2020. Before joining RMIT, she accumulated academic working experience at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China, at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and Monash University in Australia. Her research interests are in the aspects of corporate finance, corporate governance, and behaviour finance. She has published academic papers in the leading finance and accounting journals, such as Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Management Accounting Research. She is also a passionate educator who had won the student-nominated CoBL Learning and Teaching Impact Award.

Portrait of Dr Muhammad Safiullah

Dr Muhammad Safiullah

Senior Lecturer in Finance, RMIT University

Safi joined the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing as a Senior Lecturer in Finance in June 2022. His research interests are sustainable finance, banking, corporate finance and gender diversity. Safi's original research appears in top-ranked peer-reviewed outlets, including the Journal of Corporate Finance and Energy Economics. He has published 17 papers, including 4A* and 13A, in ABDC quality-ranked journals after completing his Ph.D. from the University of Newcastle in mid-2018. He received over $120K national and international research grants. Safi's research expertise is recognized by being invited to speak at academic and non-academic events in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Oman, and the UK. He serves as an associate editor, a special issue guest editor, an editorial advisory board member, and a reviewer of several ABDC-listed journals.

Before joining RMIT, he served as a Lecturer in Finance at La Trobe University and an Assistant Professor in Banking at the University of Dhaka. He taught multidisciplinary courses and has received several teaching awards at La Trobe University, where he also served as a member of the Academic Board. He obtained MSc from the University of London (Birkbeck College) and MBA from the University of Dhaka and is also a CPA.

Portrait of Hira Abbasi

Hira Abbasi

PhD student, RMIT University

Hira Abbasi is a PhD student at the School of Economics Finance and Marketing of RMIT University. She is currently at the stage of thesis submission. Her thesis focuses on two important factors that affect stock market liquidity – they are the enforcement of insider trading laws and the extent of financial integration. She conducts extensive empirical analyses on the effects of these two factors on stock liquidity across 50 developed and developing countries. She is passionate about using statistical techniques to solve the real-world problem.

Portrait of Yvonne Fang

Yvonne Fang

PhD student, RMIT University

Yvonne is a highly motivated second-year PhD student in the School of Economics, Finance, and Marketing at RMIT University. Before joining RMIT, she obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in Finance at the Queensland University of Technology. Yvonne's research interests span a wide range of topics, including corporate finance, sustainable finance, asset pricing, and Fintech. Her current PhD thesis delves into the impact of peer effects on firms' CSR disclosure behaviors, with an implication of textual analysis.

As part of her PhD studies, Yvonne has collaborated on several research projects on Fintech and has gained extensive experience as a teaching assistant in various finance subjects across two universities. Additionally, Yvonne completed a PhD internship during her first year PhD, providing her with a unique opportunity to work closely with experienced practitioners and develop a deeper understanding of the implications of finance theories in industrial practice.

Session 3: Keynote Speaker

Portrait of Dr Zsuzsa Banhalmi-Zakar

Dr Zsuzsa Banhalmi-Zakar

Manager, Research, Responsible Investment Association Australasia

Zsuzsa joined RIAA as Manager, Research. She looks after the research efforts of the organisation, which include ensuring the continued success of existing projects and reimagining RIAA’s research for the future.  Zsuzsa has an extensive track record as researcher, spending nine years in academia. She completed a PhD in sustainable finance and worked extensively with investors and the not-for-profit sector in the region on topics such as climate adaptation finance, blue finance, and the identification of environmental risks and opportunities.

Prior to moving to Australia, she was a senior consultant for Deloitte in Europe where she was first exposed to the power of responsible investment and lending to make a positive difference. Zsuzsa is passionate about helping capital move into ventures that make investments responsible and our world more sustainable for present and future generations.

Session 4: Keynote Speaker

Portrait of Frank Polanco

Dr Frank Polanco

Investment Manager for Quantitative Analysis, HESTA

Dr Frank Polanco is the Investment Manager for Quantitative Analysis at HESTA, leading the development of models for asset allocation. Prior to joining HESTA, Frank was responsible for managing over $1 billion of active global equities for Vanguard. He has also managed over $1 billion of Australian and International equities for IOOF.

At the Portland House Group he led teams in developing short-term trading strategies for global equities and in the hedge fund section of Macquarie Bank managed an event-driven portfolio of Australian and Japanese equities. While at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory, he worked on aircraft research including risk-modelling. Frank holds Bachelors of both Science and Aerospace Engineering, a Doctorate in Mathematics, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Campaign Coordinators

Jonah Meagher
Executive Support Officer, RMIT University
Email Jonah.meagher@rmit.edu.au

Associate Professor Angel Zhong
Acting Head of Department, Finance

Email: angel.zhong@rmit.edu.au

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information