Irish Funds US Seminar Highlights from Greenwich to New York

Greenwich, Connecticut 

The Irish Funds US Seminar kicked off in Greenwich, Connecticut, a major hub for hedge funds and investment firms. The event began with a breakfast sponsored by Northern Trust, setting the stage for a day of insightful discussions and networking.

Irish Funds Chairperson Nicholas Blake-Knox opened the event, emphasising the strong historical connection between Ireland and Greenwich and the importance of US fund managers to the Irish funds and asset management industry. He highlighted significant positive developments, including engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland on private asset strategies and the enhancement of Ireland's offering in private markets.

Blake-Knox also discussed Ireland's continued development of ETF, MMF, and UCITS products, noting that Ireland is the largest domicile of European ETFs, holding 73% of the market with €1.56 trillion ($1.68 trillion) in net assets.

The seminar featured a variety of discussions, including:

• Fireside Chat with Afsar Farman-Farmaian at Man Varagon, interviewed by Irish Funds Vice-Chair Andrea Kelly FCA, Partner, PwC.

• The Evolution of Private Credit with Siobhan McBean (Arthur Cox LLP), Stuart Fross (Foley & Lardner LLP), Joe Lee (Churchill Asset Management), and Conor O'Callaghan CFA (Alter Domus).

• The European Regulatory Landscape with Daniel Forbes (Waystone) and Michael Pedroni (Broadridge Mutual Fund Advisory Committees).

• The Future of Fund Distribution with Niamh Ryan (Simmons & Simmons), Dirk Grosshans (Universal Investment), Rob Kenyon CETF® (KCG Advisory Group), and Jeff Bates (Fermat Capital Management).

New York City

The seminar continued in New York City, connecting with the investment funds community in the heart of the financial world. Nicholas Blake-Knox again opened the event, highlighting the strong bond between Ireland and the US, with US managers playing a pivotal role in the Irish funds industry. He discussed positive developments in the European and Irish landscape, covering competitiveness, private markets, ETFs, MMFs, and innovation. 

Barry Hurley (Caceis), the MC for the day, welcomed Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, Irish Government Minister for Health, who spoke about Ireland’s crucial relationship with the U.S. financial services sector and its commitment to innovation in private asset funds. Olaolu Aganga, U.S. Chief Investment Officer at Mercer, joined for a fireside chat about the evolving investment landscape in 2025, moderated by Des Fullam (Carne).

The regulatory landscape was also a key focus, with updates from Daniel Forbes (Waystone), Michael Barr (A&L Goodbody), and Jane Kirkland (Broadridge). A deep dive into the European ETF market followed, featuring Sandra Testani CFA, CAIA (American Century Investments), Bruce Kavanaugh (Pacer Advisors), David Walsh (Dillon Eustace), and Darren Griffin (Deloitte).

The day concluded with a panel on “The Private Funds Toolkit – Launching from Ireland,” featuring insights from Paul Traynor (EisnerAmper), Scott Parkin (Zeidler Group), Lloyd Collier (JTC Group), and Melíosa O'Caoimh (Northern Trust).

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to all speakers for sharing their insights and expertise, and to our sponsors: BNP Paribas Securities Services, Carne Group, Citi, KPMG, JTC Group, IQ-EQ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, CACEIS, State Street, Universal-Investment, Walkers, IDA Ireland, Cork Chamber, and Northern Trust. Thanks also to our Irish Funds team reps on the ground, Natasha Haugh and David Shirley.