Speakers

Bernardus Roelofs has more than 15 years experience in investment banking, including 8 years as a specialized ETF Sales Trader. Until 2000 he worked for Commerzbank, Frankfurt within the ECM division responsible for capital market transaction (IPOs and Capital Increases). At HVB/UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking in Munich, Bernardus started out as a capital market expert within the ECM division, and thereafter from 2003-2008 as an ETF Sales Trading specialist. In 2008, he moved to Flow Traders where he is heading the ETF Sales Trading activities for institutional investors.

Claus Hecher is Managing Director for iShares / BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited – German Branch, based in Munich. In this role, since January 2008 he is responsible for iShares sales in Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe. Claus Hecher has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Until 2003 he worked for Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Zurich and London, holding various senior roles. After spending two years as Head of Sales for Bear Stearns in London, he joined French investment bank Natixis in May 2006 as Head of Sales Equity Derivatives Solutions for Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe.

Richard Vegh is Director of the Business Development Division. He has been working at the Budapest Stock Exchange since 2004. He is responsible for preparing the strategic, market development and business policy decisions of the BSE and for maintaining liaison with the BSE's business partners, clients, investors and the regulatory authorities.

Bahram Sadighian is Director for iShares / BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited – German Branch, based in Vienna. In this role, since October 2008 he is responsible for iShares sales in Austria and Eastern Europe. Bahram Sadighian has more than 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. Until 2004 he worked for Volksbank Group in Vienna holding various roles in asset management. After spending 3 years with Allianz Group he joined the largest Austrian banking group Erste Bank, being responsible for institutional clients for fund and asset management in Austria and Eastern Europe.

Gerhard Schwediauer, CIIA, has worked with Wiener Börse since 1998 in different positions. Amongst other things he was responsible for the creation and the enlargement of the product and index portfolio of Wiener Börse. In his current role as Senior Business Development Officer he is in charge of building business relationships with other stock exchanges and of cooperation in the field of index business.

Aleksandra Kosmulska joined Lyxor AM in May 2007. She is currently in charge of developing ETF business in CEE. Previously, Aleksandra worked for HSBC Investments and as analyst for Barep AM.

Peter Hidvegi is the Regional Manager for Hungary and Southeast Europe at ISI Emerging Markets, based in Budapest with more than 18 years of experience in financial information services. Prior to ISI Peter Hidvegi worked for Dow Jones Telerate as Office and Account Manager and started his career as foreign exchange trader at the Hungarian Credit Bank.

Dr. Markus Thomas, founder of XENIX, is a leading European expert in the field of indices, investment funds and ETFs. He started his career in 1999 at a German asset manager and he worked a couple of years for Siemens Financial Services (SFS) on Investment and Pension related themes. From 2006 to autumn 2009, Markus Thomas was head of sales for two index providers (STOXX Ltd. and Dow Jones Indexes) and responsible for business development in Central- and Eastern Europe. He founded XENIX in September 2009 in Berlin.