Asian Asset Management Conference Scheduled in Singapore

Washington, DC, September 4, 2002 - The Investment Company Institute will sponsor its second Asian asset management and mutual fund conference, the “2002 Mutual Funds and Investment Management in Asia” conference, on November 12 through 14 in Singapore at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia.

The conference offers panel discussions examining various regulatory developments and current issues in the Asian asset management industry. The panels feature speakers representing securities regulators from key Asian countries, global industry leaders, senior business executives, and securities attorneys.

The conference sessions begin on the morning of Wednesday, November 13, when featured keynote speaker David C. Weinstein, Chief of Administration at Fidelity Investments, offers his perspective on current developments in the Asian markets. Tharman Shahmugaratnam, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Education, will give the luncheon address. Following the keynote address, a panel of senior regulators from Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore will discuss challenges that globalization poses for regulators, including topical issues in their markets and their current inspection programs. Other sessions in Wednesday’s program will focus on the mutual fund industry in Japan, portfolio investing, and mutual fund markets in three newer markets in Asia—Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Moderators for Wednesday’s panel discussions include: Mary S. Podesta, Senior Counsel at the Investment Company Institute; John Alkire, President and CIO of Morgan Stanley in Toyko; Michael Downer, Senior Vice President–Fund Business Management Group of Capital Research and Management Company in Los Angeles; and, Peter Douglas, Principal of GFIA in Singapore.

On Thursday, informal breakfast discussions will focus on current issues and developments in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. Following the discussion groups, a series of panels will examine China’s growing mutual fund industry, how international markets influence one another, and pension developments in Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.

Moderators and speakers for Thursday’s sessions include:

• Anthony Neoh, member of the Hong Kong Bar and former Chair of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission;
• Qi Bin, Deputy Director, Department of Supervision, China Securities Regulatory Commission;
• Murray L. Simpson, Executive Vice President & General Counsel at Franklin Resources in San Mateo, CA; and
• Alan EC Lim CFA, Deputy Chairman of the Investment Management Association of Singapore.

All conference events are open to the media. Members of the news media interested in covering this event should register with the Institute’s Public Information Department by contacting James Doyle at jdoyle@ici.org or 202-326-8317.