7th India Wealth Management Conference, Mumbai

Abhishek Loonker, CFA is a Principal at South Asia Advisors, a sub-advisor to GEF Capital Partners. Mr. Loonker joined the firm in 2020 and is based in Mumbai, India. He focuses on mid-market growth opportunities in South Asia and is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and managing investments at the firm. Mr. Loonker has over 17 years of professional experience in the Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Industry. Prior to joining GEF Capital, Mr. Loonker spent 16 years at Ascent Capital, a leading Indian mid-market private equity firm and was part of the founding team.  While there, he was involved in raising and managing three funds and worked on a number of investments across multiple sectors, including BigBasket.com, National Stock Exchange, RBL Bank, Cure Fit and GMR Energy. Previously, he worked as a Project manager with JGI Ventures where he consulted with several start-ups firms. Mr. Loonker serves on the board of Concord Enviro Systems, a Global Environment Fund portfolio company. He also serves as a Director on the board of the CFA Society – India. Mr. Loonker received an MBA from MATS School of Business where he was a gold medalist and a Bachelor in Business Administration from HL College, Gujarat University.  He has also completed an executive education program in Corporate restructuring and M&A from Harvard Business School.  Mr. Loonker is a CFA charterholder and has been recognized as a ‘40 under 40’ in the Alternative Investment industry by AIWMI & IAAIF.

Karan Bhagat is the Founder, Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer of IIFL Wealth & Asset Management.

Karan has more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry. He is responsible for providing direction and leadership towards the achievement of the organization’s philosophy, mission, vision and its strategic goals and objectives. He has built a team of experienced and talented professionals, who manage some of the most distinguished families in India & abroad. Under his able leadership, IIFL Wealth & Asset Management has grown from its humble beginnings to one of the leading wealth management companies in India managing more than USD44 billion in client assets. He featured in Fortune India’s ‘40 under 40’ list in 2016 and 2017 and The Economic Times ‘40 under Forty’ list in 2017. He has received the URS Asia One Global Indian of the Year award in 2018. Karan holds an MBA in Finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and acquired his bachelor’s degree in Commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. 

Larry Swedroe, Chief Research Officer, Buckingham Wealth Partners. Since joining the firm in 1996, Larry Swedroe has spent his time, talent and energy educating investors on the benefits of evidence-based investing with enthusiasm few can match. Larry was among the first authors to publish a book that explained the science of investing in layman’s terms, “The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You’ll Ever Need.” The second edition was published in 2005. He has since authored seven more books: “What Wall Street Doesn’t Want You to Know” (2001), “Rational Investing in Irrational Times” (2002), “The Successful Investor Today” (2003), “Wise Investing Made Simple” (2007), “Wise Investing Made Simpler” (2010), “The Quest for Alpha” (2011) and “Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett” (2012). He has also co-authored nine books about investing: “The Only Guide to a Winning Bond Strategy You’ll Ever Need” with Joe Hempen (2006); “The Only Guide to Alternative Investments You’ll Ever Need” with Jared Kizer (2008); “The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need for the Right Financial Plan” with Kevin Grogan and Tiya Lim (2010); “Investment Mistakes Even Smart People Make with RC Balaban (2012); “Reducing the Risk of Black Swans with Kevin Grogan (2014, second edition 2018); “The Incredible Shrinking Alpha” with Andrew Berkin (2015, second edition 2020); “Your Complete Guide to Factor-Based Investing” with Andrew Berkin (2016); “Your Complete Guide to a Successful and Secure Retirement” with Kevin Grogan (2019, second edition 2021); and his latest work, “Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing” with Sam Adams (April 2022). In his role as chief research officer and as a member of the firm’s Investment Policy Committee Larry regularly reviews the findings published in dozens of peer-reviewed financial journals, evaluates the outcomes and uses the result to inform the firm’s formal investment strategy recommendations. He has had his own articles published in the Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Investing, AAII Journal, Personal Financial Planning Monthly, and the Journal of Portfolio Management. Larry’s dedication to helping others has made him a sought-after national speaker. He has made appearances on national television shows airing on NBC, CNBC, CNN and Bloomberg Personal Finance. Larry is a prolific writer, contributing regularly to multiple outlets, including Advisor Perspectives, The Evidence Based Investor, and Alpha Architect.

Navneet Munot is the MD & CEO of HDFC Asset Management Company Limited, a joint venture of HDFC Ltd. with abrdn Investment Management Limited. He joined the firm in February 2021. Navneet has 28 years of rich experience in Financial Markets. Prior to joining HDFC AMC, he was the Executive director and Chief Investment officer of SBI Funds management Private Limited. Navneet was a key member of the executive committee and was responsible for overseeing investments worth over $ 150 billion across various asset classes in mutual funds and segregated accounts. Navneet was a Director on the board of SBI Pension Funds (P) Limited.  In his previous assignments, he was the Executive Director & Head – multi-strategy boutique with Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income and Hybrid Funds at Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund. Navneet has a masters degree in Accountancy and Business Statistics and a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is a Charter Holder of the CFA Institute and CAIA Institute. He has also done Financial Risk Management (FRM).