The Cross-Border Distribution Conference, organised by Deloitte and Elvinger Hoss Prussen with FT Live, was held at the European Convention Centre in Kirchberg, 16 May 2024. Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne

The Cross-Border Distribution Conference, organised by Deloitte and Elvinger Hoss Prussen with FT Live, was held at the European Convention Centre in Kirchberg, 16 May 2024. Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne

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The Cross-Border Distribution Conference, organised by Deloitte and Elvinger Hoss Prussen with FT Live, was held at the European Convention Centre in Kirchberg, 16 May 2024. Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne
Bertrand Pujol of Amundi speaks with Yuri Bender of the Financial Times during the “What’s the latest in digital wealth distribution?” keynote interview at the Cross-Border Distribution Conference, 16 May 2024. Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne
Bertrand Pujol of Amundi (on left): “Cryptos, plus of course all the commodities, are now part of the exercise when we look at the assets of global wealth of either big families or institutional investors.” Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne
Axel Mezier of Governance.com seen attending the Cross-Border Distribution Conference, 16 May 2024. Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne
Deloitte staffers Luisa Bertoldi (second from left), Virginia Gironi (second from right) and Liubomyr Bregman (on right) seen attending the Cross-Border Distribution Conference, 16 May 2024. Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne
Stefan Recktenwald at Orbis Investments, Leighton Harris at Orbis Investments and Arnaud Penson at Ebury Partners. Photo: Marie Russillo/Maison Moderne

Keynote speakers and panellists covered subjects ranging from geopolitical risk and digitalisation to fixed income and private asset performance during the 12th Cross-Border Distribution Conference on Thursday.

Some 750 people attended this year’s Cross-Border Distribution Conference, with 10% of attendees coming from outside the EU, Deloitte’s Justin Griffiths said in his opening remarks. Total attendance was up from 671 people .

Digital wealth solutions

The first keynote interview--“What’s the latest in digital wealth distribution?”--had Bertrand Pujol, global head of business development, wealth solutions and services at Amundi, answering questions from Yuri Bender, editor-in-chief, professional wealth management at the Financial Times, on the evolution of digital wealth distribution and the role of AI in asset management.

AI is seen as central to the digital transformation of asset management, enabling personalised investment solutions, and improving client engagement. On whether ESG has been abandoned as a marketing tool given that AI is the new buzzword in the industry, Pujol suggested that investment in ESG is part of a long-term strategy. He also confirmed the growing interest in private assets and outlined the regulatory changes driving this shift.

In a later keynote interview, Furio Pietribiasi, CEO of Mediolanum International Funds, conceded to Bender that European Long-Term Investment Fund () structure was “not the only way to deliver private assets into the retail space.” Each EU country still retains its own approach to so-called of private market funds, the aim of the “Eltif 2.0” reform, but it would be “great” in terms of costs to have a single European platform.

Front office roles in Luxembourg & Dublin

Pietribiasi, whose Dublin-based firm has roughly €52bn in assets under management, said he would always support the grand duchy, “because competition brings quality.” He also predicted that more front office roles would be shifted to both Dublin and Luxembourg, to compliment back office functions. Whether or not the European Commission further fund delegation , this “will happen anyway.”

The Cross-Border Distribution Conference was organised by Deloitte and Elvinger Hoss Prussen with FT Live. The annual event was held at the European Convention Centre in Kirchberg on 16 May 2024.

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