FUNDS EUROPE WEBINAR
In a market shaped by volatility, liquidity challenges, and evolving asset classes, how can institutional investors win the long game in private markets? Our exclusive CIO roundtable explored how top allocators are managing increasingly complex multi-asset portfolios — blending private credit, equity, and real assets with governance structures, liquidity frameworks, and sustainability goals. This session offered practical insights, real case studies, and key considerations for long-term private market success from leading voices in the industry.
During the session, our industry experts explored:
- Private Markets in a Volatile World
- Multi-Asset Portfolio Construction
- Governance & Decision-Making Frameworks
- Liquidity Management in Private Markets
- Sustainability and ESG Integration
- Future Outlook for Institutional Allocators
The panel:
Antoine Colson, CEO & Managing Partner, IPEM
A passionate entrepreneur in the tradeshow and event industry, Antoine Colson joined the IPEM adventure in 2017, following his encounter with Gilles Barissat, founder of the event in 2016. Since then, he has served as CEO and Managing Partner, overseeing the IPEM brand and its growth in Cannes, Paris, and internationally.
Before joining IPEM, Antoine founded and led several event ventures, most notably France Attractive — an annual conference and awards dedicated to local economic development. Earlier in his career, he worked with French private equity firm Eurazeo, and held various roles at Saint-Gobain and The Walt Disney Company.
Antoine is a graduate of HEC Paris and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School (Class of 2005). He is married and the proud father of four children.
Garvan McCarthy, Partner and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) in Europe and AMEA, Mercer
Garvan’s experience includes over 20 years at Mercer in a variety of leadership roles within our Investments platform. He joined Mercer in 2003, where he worked on the investment consulting team advising institutional investors on investment strategy and manager selection.
He has been instrumental in growing our Investment Solutions business in Europe since its foundation in 2006 and has held a number of leadership roles within our investment and portfolio management teams over this time. Garvan currently leads our Alternatives activities across the International region.
Garvan graduated with a first class honours degree in Actuarial and Financial Studies from University College Dublin, Ireland. Garvan is a Fellow of both the Institute of Actuaries in the UK (FIA) and the Society of Actuaries in Ireland (FSAI) as well as a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
Nick Fitzpatrick, Editor, Funds Europe & Funds Global
Nick has been a financial journalist for over 20 years and most recently has specialised in private markets and technology. A previous winner of a State Street media award for investor-services coverage, Nick has also extensively covered the asset-servicing industry in the UK, Ireland and Luxembourg. He helped launch Funds Europe’s sister website, fundstech.com, as well as the inaugural FundsTech Forum conference in 2024. The conference runs annually.
Nick has worked as a researcher on the book Great Parliamentary Scandals by Matthew Parris. He has a degree in Spanish and spent one year studying at the University of Havana.
