24th Annual Securities Lending Conference Summary
Boca Raton, Fla., was the site for this year’s annual RMA Conference on Securities Lending, which once again drew close to 500 securities lending and borrowing professionals from across the industry. RMA wishes to recognize this year’s conference co-chairs for their work in coordinating the business program: Tim Smollen, Global Head, Dresdner Kleinwort, and Rosemarie O’Connor, Principal, Banc of America Securities.
Wednesday, October 10, the first full day of the conference, opened with welcoming remarks from RMA Committee on Securities Lending Chair Tred McIntire, President, Boston Global Advisors, as well as remarks from both conference co-chairs. The first panel of the day was the Industry Leaders Panel, with a lively give-and-take discussion between the moderator and panel members, who answered a series of questions starting with the effect of the subprime mortgage market. This panel was followed by a discussion on the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America, where each panelist addressed his specific market of expertise and where he thought growth opportunities and challenges existed. (RMA and SIFMA will sponsor a Conference on Latin American Securities Lending on Jan. 23–25, 2008, in Coral Gables, Fla.). Speakers at the Collateral Management Panel that followed shared their views on managing collateral in a securities lending program. The issue of transparency—good, bad, or indifferent—continues to be a topic of discussion in the industry and at the panel which closed out Wednesday’s sessions.
Thursday opened with a panel on Understanding the 130/30 Strategy and its Impact on Securities Lending. Speakers talked about how this strategy is used as an investment option, how it affects securities lending, and why it is growing so fast. The Proxy Voting and Governance Panel, which closed the conference, continued the discussion of why these topics continue to garner so much attention from both the media and clients. A highlight of Thursday was the Keynote Address from John C. Bogle, Founder of The Vanguard Group, Inc., and President of the Bogle Financial Market Research Center.
Thanks to all that attended.
RMA also extends a special thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors for their contributions.
Below are links to presentations given at the conference.
Collateral Management Panel
Moderator – Cindy Bernhardt (PDF)
Proxy Voting and Governance
Moderator – Ed Blount (PDF)
Keynote Address
John C. Bogle (PDF)