The Third Annual II Connect 2024 event (click here to register) will take place later this week on Thursday May 23, at the Cavendish Conference Centre (Hallam) in London's Marylebone/West End and today we chat to one of our lead sponsors at the event - Marlborough.

1, Who are your speakers/panelists?

Sheldon MacDonald, pictured above, Marlborough’s CIO, is taking part in the CIO panel Q&A. Nathan Sweeney, Marlborough’s CIO of Multi-Asset, and Danny Knight, Commercial Director of the Marlborough Group, will take part in the main session hosted by Marlborough. They’ll cover group, capability and positioning.

2, What will they be speaking about?

Nathan and Danny will summarise the Marlborough multi-asset team’s view on the investment outlook and explain where they are identifying the most attractive opportunities. They will highlight why Marlborough sees the international market as a key one and discuss the group’s partnership approach to working with advisers to help them grow their businesses.

3, How does Marlborough view the markets this year?

We believe the prospect of interest rate cuts could be a significant positive for assets that showed lacklustre performance in 2023. In the US equity market we have reduced exposure to mega-cap technology stocks in favour of large and mid-cap equities, which we anticipate will fare better as central banks move to cut interest rates.

Similarly, in the UK equity market we have trimmed exposure to large-cap quality stocks to reallocate towards smaller companies, which are poised to capitalise on the reduced financing costs resulting from lower rates. In fixed interest, we believe government bonds are strongly positioned to benefit from falling rates and have increased our allocation. We particularly favour longer-dated government bonds because they typically benefit more from lower rates.

4, What plans do Marlborough have for growth in 2024 in both the UK and international spaces.

Marlborough is one of the UK’s leading independently owned investment managers. In addition to working in partnership with a growing number of advice firms in the UK, Marlborough has ambitious plans for growth in the international market. This growth strategy is based on working in partnership with adviser businesses who share our entrepreneurial spirit.

5, Tell us about your links with international advisory firms and how there’s a mutual benefit etc 

What sets us apart is our partnership approach to working with adviser firms, and the exceptional level of service and support we provide. We forge strong long-term relationships built on listening, openness and trust. We’re committed to sharing the wealth of experience and expertise within the Marlborough group to support the growth of like-minded businesses in what is a genuine partnership.

In February, Marlborough announced a ‘significant’ investment in IFA firm Carrick Wealth, which has its headquarters in South Africa.

"We are extremely happy to welcome Marlborough for the first time to our II Connect event," II Publisher Gary Robinson, pictured left speaking at last year's II Connect event, said. "A fantastic company that has consistently held its own against the bigger fund houses with outperformance and service. The company's support for advisers is something that has not gone unnoticed and it appears to have helped them grow both in the UK and internationally. We look forward to their presentations at the event.

To register your interest in attending this event, click here,

II Connect 2024 (click here to register) has a very limited number of free delegate passes left. The event will continue its innovative and highly participatory format with the popular live on-stage case study returning and some pertinent speaker/sponsor sessions from Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, Canada Life, Finance Isle of Man, Marlborough, QB Partners, UAP Group & Block Asset Management.

Also among themes at this years event a particular highlight is set to be an on stage debate where the very existence of cross border advice is questioned by a panel featuring some key names from within the biggest advisory companies. The keynote is prominent political and former Labour frontbencher Lord Hutton.

Click here to view a highlights reel from last year's event.