Markus Benzler

Head of Multi-Managers Private Equity MMPE

Markus Benzler heads the Multi-Managers Private Equity team (MMPE) of Real Estate & Private Markets (REPM) within UBS Asset Management (UBS-AM).
In this role, he covers investment selection and portfolio management of several diversified global private equity mandates as well as UBS-AM’s private equity (PE) fund-of-fund businesses. Investments typically cover venture, growth capital, buyouts and special situations done as primaries, secondaries and co-investments in North America, Europe and APAC. 
Markus is the Chairman of the Multi-Managers Private Equity Investment Committee and voting member of the Multi-Managers Infrastructure Investment Committee. 
He joined UBS in 2005 as an investment selection analyst for Private Equity.
Prior to joining UBS, Markus worked at Bain & Company in Munich for six years, where he conducted a full range of projects mainly in PE, banking, and the industrial area. Project types included commercial due diligence projects for PE funds, corporate strategy design, company restructuring, and operational improvement. 
 

Thomas Davies

CEO

Thomas is Managing Director and CEO of Forge Europe and splits his time between their UK and Berlin based office. Prior to joining Forge Thomas was the Chief Investment Officer and first employee at Seedrs, one of Europe's largest equity crowdfunding platform, which was recently acquired by the US platform Republic. Thomas began his career as a lawyer with Freshfields, working in their London, Hong Kong and New York offices in the project finance team. Thomas has a BA from Cambridge University in the UK and a Masters in law from Cardozo Law School in New York. He is qualified to practice law in both England and New York. 

Nalaka De Silva

Head of Private Market Solutions

Nalaka is Head of Private Markets Solutions at abrdn and is responsible for developing and implementing diversified investment strategies across the Private Markets - spanning Private Equity, Infrastructure, Private Credit, Real Estate and Natural Resources on a global basis. Nalaka joined abrdn in 2012.  Prior to this, Nalaka held senior roles at Australian and European Investment management firms. He has lead M&A activity, off-market acquisitions and divestments of assets, offshore and onshore capital rising in both debt and equity markets. Nalaka is a Qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a postgraduate degree in Commercial Law and Accounting from the University of Wellington.

Premal Vadgama

Director Goji

Premal Vadgama leads the commercial team at Goji, a private markets specialist fintech recently acquired by Euroclear. Premal works closely with Euroclear to support the growth of the Alternatives and Private Markets business. 

Premal joined Goji in 2020 to focus on private markets sales and supported the business to exit to Euroclear in December 2022. Prior to Goji, Premal spent three years working at a leading global fund service provider, helping private asset managers raise funds across Europe.

Christian Trixl

CEO, Amundi Schweiz

Christian Trixl joined Amundi in 2019 as Country Manager and CEO of Switzerland responsible for Institutional clients and Distribution and Wealth Management Services.
Before Amundi he worked for 12 years for Columbia Threadneedle Investments as Country Head of Switzerland responsible for Institutional and Wholesale Distribution.
Christian was also named Head of Alternatives Distribution Europe in 2010.
Before joining Columbia Threadneedle, Christian worked at Schroder Investment Management as Executive Director and Head of Sales and Marketing for Swiss Wholesale, Global Financial Swiss Institutions and Institutional Distribution.
He was also a member of the European Product Development Committee and Executive Board of Schroder Investment Management Switzerland.
Prior to this Christian was the Sales and Marketing Director at Bank von Ernst, a Portfolio Manager for Pension Funds at Swiss Cantonal Bank and he started his career with Hill Samuel Ltd working in the Corporate Finance / New Issues Division.
Christian holds a Federal Diploma in Business Economics of the Swiss Business School and various higher Postgraduate Study Degrees in Marketing, Sales, Business Administration and Finance Studies.
Christian is an active member of selected leading Finance Industry Associations.