Bastian is Founding Partner and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The IC Research Institute, based in Frankfurt, Germany. He has more than 25 years of experience in institutional asset management. Prior to founding IC Research, Bastian was the Head of Consultant Relations for Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe at UBS Global Asset Management. Before that, he had been a Managing Director, Institutional Clients and the Head of Consultant Relations at cominvest Asset Management. Previously, he worked at SEB Asset Management as the Head of Corporate Development, being also a member of the International Institutional Clients‘ Board in Stockholm. He is also the author of the book Investment Consulting in Institutional Asset Management, Conceptual Design and Empirical Analysis from a Global Perspective with Particular Focus on Manager Selection.

Bastian received a Ph.D. in Economics and an MBA both from the University of Wuppertal (Germany), and a Master of Finance from St. Gallen Management Institute (Switzerland). He is a Certified EFFAS Financial Analyst (CEFA) and Certified Credit Analyst (CCrA) of the German Society of Investment Professionals (DVFA).

David is Founding Partner and the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at The IC Research Institute, based in Frankfurt, Germany. Previously, he had been a member of the audit team, Analyst for “Big Data” and responsible for the entire IT infrastructure at HLB Treumerkur in Germany, a company providing audit, tax and advisory services to renowned small- and medium-sized financial services institutions and other enterprises. Prior, he had his own company providing sales database solutions.

David received an MBA from the University of Wuppertal (Germany). David has both German and U.S. citizenship.

Michael is Investment Partner at The IC Research Institute. He is located in Berlin, Germany. He is also a Partner at lindenpartners, Berlin. In his role at lindenpartners Michael advises on all legal aspects of financing transactions, with a particular emphasis on cross-border private equity, leveraged and acquisition financing, as well as on finance aspects of distressed situations. Prior, he was a Partner at Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, one of the world’s leading corporate law firms, and the head of the German Banking & Finance practice group, Frankfurt. Michael is also the Founding Partner of metropol incubator, a business angel and start-up incubator in Berlin, which assists founders and invests in start-up companies.

Michael received his law degree from Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) and was a research fellow at the University of Madrid (Spain), the European University Institute at the University of Florence (Italy), and at the University of California at Berkeley (USA). He has been admitted to practice in Germany in 2002. He is fluent in German, English, Czech, Spanish, and Italian.

Chris is the Global Head Customer Success Management at The IC Research Institute. He is based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He has more than 17 years of experience in institutional asset management and investment consulting. Prior to his role at IC Research, Chris worked in Institutional Sales and Consultant Relations at Thornburg Asset Management. Previously, he served in various Global Sales and Institutional roles at Nuveen a TIAA Company. Chris also worked for Marquette Associates and Ziegler Capital Management, both based in Chicago.

Chris holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA). During his studies at the University of Illinois, he spent a semester studying International Finance and Economics at the University of London, Birkbeck College (UK).

Silvia is the Head of Global Applied Research at The IC Research Institute. She is based in Košice, Slovakia. Silvia has been an integral part of the firm since its inception, initially joining as a part-time Student Researcher. Before assuming her full-time position, Silvia was an International Parliament Scholar at the German Parliament gaining profound insights into legislative processes and policy formulation. Following her academic pursuits, Silvia was an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the Technical University in Košice, Slovakia, where she led seminars in Portfolio Analysis and conducted extensive research culminating in her dissertation focused on the “Valuation of Intangible Assets in European Public-listed Companies”. Silvia’s professional journey includes a stint as a Business Data Analyst for a Slovak energy supplier and several long-term internships in Germany.

Silvia received a Ph.D. in Finance and an MSc in Finance, Banking, and Investments both from the Faculty of Economics of the Technical University in Košice, Slovakia. Committed to enriching her academic journey, Silvia pursued research and study exchanges at the University of Wuppertal (Germany), the Berlin School of Economics and Law (Germany), the Prague University of Economics and Business (Czechia), and Humboldt University (Germany).

Roman is the Director of Artificial Intelligence at The IC Research Institute. He is based in Berlin, Germany. He has more than six years of experience in AI, data analysis, and natural language processing. Previously, he was a Data Scientist at Lion Software, responsible for AI-based code analytics for three years. Before that, Roman was part of a graduate program at the Charité Berlin for more than three years and a Student Assistant at Carl Zeiss Meditec AG. Before that, Roman was a Student Assistant at Paul-Drude-Institute, where he developed software for image analysis. Roman has a broad knowledge of how to optimize processes and solve problems in different technical fields such as image analysis, optical spectroscopy, and electrophysiological measurements. Due to his simulation and data analysis experience, he is able to answer questions in advance, before performing physical implementation or testing.

Roman earned a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Technical University Berlin (Germany), specializing in optical and electrical design. During his research, he focused on automating data analysis and simulations to develop skin models in medical devices. Additionally, he holds an MSc in Biophysics from Humboldt University Berlin (Germany), with a concentration in Experimental Biophysics. His studies included fluorescence microscopy and AI-assisted image analysis. He also holds a BSc in Physics from the University of Hamburg (Germany) focussing in Experimental Physics like Optics, Spectroscopy, Photonics, Solid State Physics, and Data Analysis with Wolfram Mathematica.

Greg is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in Chicago, USA. He has more than 25 years of experience in institutional asset management. Greg is a Managing Director, Capital Markets at NexMetro Communities. Previously, he was a Partner, Business Development & Client Service at Evanston Capital Management, Evanston, USA. Evanston Capital is an alternative investment management firm focused on providing multi-manager hedge funds. Prior to that, he was the Head of Distribution at Legal & General Investment Management America (LGIMA), Chicago, USA. Before joining LGIMA, he was President and Senior Managing Director at Mesirow Advanced Strategies where over ten years he served as Head of Portfolio Management and Global Client Relationships. Before that, Greg worked for 13 years at Brinson Partners, later part of UBS Global Asset Management, and held various leadership roles in client service, marketing, and investments, co-leading the launch of the Global Investment Solutions team. He is also a co-author of the book Investment Leadership and Portfolio Management published in 2009, which explores strategies and structures for creating sustainable performance and business results within asset management firms.

Greg received an MBA from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management (USA). He was a Beta Gamma Sigma & Jane Robertson Academic Excellence awards recipient. He also received a BA in Economics and English from the University of Michigan (USA). He is a CFA^© charterholder.

John is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in Chicago, USA. He is a Managing Director at Deerpath Capital. Prior, he had been the Global Head of Sales & Marketing at Gulf International Bank (UK). Prior to GIB, he had been a Managing Director at Piper Jaffray, Chicago, USA leading capital-raising for private alternative investment funds. Previously, he had been the Global Head of Financial Institutions at Aviva Investors, London, UK and a Global Sales Director at BlackRock, London, UK with global leadership responsibility for distribution of all asset classes. Before that, John worked at UBS Global Asset Management, Chicago, USA being responsible for leading the U.S. market launch of the LDI and institutional risk solutions business.

John received an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (USA), and a BSc in Business Administration from Drake University (USA). During his studies at Kellogg he spent visiting semesters at HKUST Business School – Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong), and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management (Germany).

Tom is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is based in Chicago, USA. He has more than 45 years of experience in consulting to institutional investors. Most recently, Tom was an Executive Director at Pavilion Advisory Group. His 25 years of service with Pavilion included 18 years with predecessor investment consulting firm Stratford Advisory Group, where Tom was President for ten years. He was instrumental in developing a team-oriented culture with a focus on value-added client service leading to high client retention and low employee turnover. He led the firm through several organizational changes, propelling the small boutique investment advisory firm into a leading institutional investment consultancy. Previously, Tom was a Principal at Mercer for eight years where he led the development of their asset and liability management practice. He was a Partner at Crossland Investors, a Futures Commission Merchant and Commodity Trading Advisor, and a trader at the Chicago Board of Trade.

Tom received an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management (USA), and a BSc from Bradley University (USA). He is a CFA^© charterholder, a CAIA^© charterholder and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA).

Richard is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in New York, USA. He has more than 25 years of experience in institutional asset management and consultant relations previously being the Head of North America Consultant Relations at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, New York, USA. Prior, Richard had been a Director and the Head of U.S. Consultant Relations at Credit Suisse Asset Management, New York, USA. Before that, he worked at Neuberger Berman, New York, USA as a Vice President, Consultant Relations.

Richard received an MBA in Finance from Pace University, Lubin School of Business (USA), and a BBA in Finance from Pace University (USA).

Bill is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in Boston, USA. He has more than 25 years of experience in institutional asset management and consultant relations. Bill is a Senior Relationship Manager at Polen Capital. Before that, he was the Head of Institutional – North America for Pioneer Investments, Boston, USA where he led all aspects of distribution and relationship management. Prior, he held senior positions in consultant relations and client portfolio management at State Street Global Advisors, Boston, USA. Before that, Bill worked at Scudder Investments, later part of Deutsche Asset Management. He is an Advisory Board Member at Compass Working Capital, a nonprofit organization that provides savings and financial coaching programs to low-income families.

Bill received an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University (USA) and a BA in Political Science and History from St. Lawrence University (USA).

Peter is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in London, UK. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Institutional Adviser, consulting on the institutional investment industry. Peter has over 25 years of experience in business, most recently as a Managing Director and the UK Head of Consultant Relations at State Street Global Advisors (SSGA). Before SSGA, Peter was the Global Head of Consultant Relations at Amundi Asset Management, now Amundi Pioneer Asset Management. Prior, he held positions at American Century Investments and Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Earlier in his career, Peter was a Senior Investment Consultant at Watson Wyatt and Aon, advising pension and charity clients in the creation and implementation of their investment strategy. He has also worked as an adviser to financial institutions whilst at InterSec Research and Euromoney Publications. He is treasurer of two charities.

Peter holds an LLB (Hons) in Law from Warwick University (UK) and is a Barrister at Law, Lincolns Inn. He holds the ASIP designation and is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals (CFA UK).

John is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in London, UK. He has more than 35 years of experience in institutional asset management. He is a former Managing Director and Head of International Distribution and Global Consultant Relations at PGIM Quantitative Solutions. Prior, John was Managing Director and Global Head of BlackRock’s Global Consultant Relations Team, having led the team for over 20 years which grew to over 80 professionals. As well as overseeing the team that develops and maintains relationships with consultants across North America, EMEA, and Asia, John was a member of the Global Institutional Executive Committee. John’s service with BlackRock dates back to 1987, including his years with S.G. Warburg, Mercury Asset Management and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, which merged with BlackRock in 2006. In a career, working with institutional clients and consultants, John held several roles in research, marketing, business and client relationship management before going on to develop one of the first consultant relations teams in the UK and leading it through the three largest mergers in the industry winning three Financial News Team of the Year awards.

John earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from Lancaster University in 1987. He is an associate member of CFA UK and was a Board member of the Association of Investment Management Sales Executive (AIMSE) for over 20 years, which included Chairing AIMSE International from 2006 to 2010.

Ted is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in London, UK. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Blue Ocean Investment Partners, established in 2018. Prior, Ted was a Managing Director and the European Head of Equities at UBS Asset Management in London, UK. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Brinson Partners in Chicago, USA. He started his professional career as a public accountant working with Ernst & Young. He serves on the Board of Directors for the City of London Investment Trust, which was founded in 1891. The Trust manages over GBP 1.8 bn in equities. He also serves on the Investment Committee for the King’s Fund, a charity established by Royal Charter in 1897 for the advancement of healthcare issues in England.

Ted received an MBA from the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business (USA) and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from James Madison University (USA). He is a CFA^® charterholder and a CPA (inactive).

Markus is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and Singapore. He has more than 20 years of experience in institutional asset management as a management consultant. Markus is a Principal at Broadridge Analytics Solutions, tasked with helping Broadridge build out its strategic advisory offer to asset managers. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Greenwich Associates and heading the Investment Management Practice in Europe and Asia ex-Japan advising senior executives among major asset management firms on their sales and distribution strategy. Prior, he was the Head of Corporate Development at Bank Vontobel where he oversaw corporate development, marketing, and communication at the group level. Before that, he had been the Head of Asia ex-Japan at Greenwich Associates and held senior positions in London, UK, and New York, USA. Markus started his career at McKinsey & Company in Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France. He is also an investor and a Non-Executive Director at Izicap, a pioneering startup in payment card-based loyalty solutions.

Markus received an MSc in Finance from London Business School (UK), and a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering from RWTH Aachen (Germany). He is fluent in English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian and has a good level of Portuguese and Chinese.

Mahesh is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Global Advisory Board. He is located in Sydney, Australia. Most recently Mahesh was a Managing Director, Consultant Relations at Manulife Asset Management (Asia) responsible for representing global public and private market capabilities to the investment consultant community in the Asia Pacific ex Japan region and to institutional prospects in Australia/New Zealand as well. Prior, he was a Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Specialist covering core Asian Equities, Asian Small Caps, Greater China as well as regional equities. Before that, Mahesh held various positions in product management at Perpetual Limited, AMP Financial Services and Deutsche Asset Management. He started his carrear at Commonwealth Bank of Australia 20 years ago.

Mahesh received a Master in Applied Finance from Macquarie University (Australia) and a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Banking and Finance from the University of Canberra (Australia).

Rainer is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Corporate Development Board. He is located in Frankfurt, Germany. He is also a Senior Partner at strategy& (Formerly Booz & Company) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He leads the European IT business and supports clients in the financial services industry in restructuring and transformation regarding operational and organizational structures and procedures, business models, and change management. He was a member of the Executive Board of the German Initiative D21 – a joint venture of leading enterprises chaired by Germany’s Chancellor – which promoted the German Information Society. Prior, he worked for IBM in Germany.

Rainer received an MBA after his studies at the Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) and the University of Pamplona (Spain) and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany).

Ralf is Senior Advisor to The IC Research Institute and a Member of the Corporate Development Board. He is located in Frankfurt, Germany. Prior, he has been the CEO and President of the Construction Chemicals division with nearly 8’000 employees at BASF – The Chemical Company – in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Before that, he was a Partner as well as a Director with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Munich, Germany, with long-term postings to Paris, France, and Toronto, Canada. His first position was with IBM in Germany.

Ralf holds a BA in Business Administration and Software Engineering as well as an MBA from IESE in Barcelona, Spain in cooperation with Harvard Business School in Boston (USA).