Bonding Over Fixed Income: Income and Total Return Potential in a Recovering World – NYL – 9.17.21

Summary:

Now On Demand

Fixed income experts from across MacKay Shields will offer insight into how looking outside, inside, and beyond traditional fixed income investments can enhance investor income and total return potential without sacrificing core exposure, liquidity, and downside management. Together, the Team will explore sector developments, structural changes, issuance trends, and ESG factors that are impacting the fixed income investment universe and creating unique alpha opportunities.

Discussion Topics:

• Market review
• Reshaping of benchmarks: Opportunities created and lost
• The case for active management

Speakers:

Stephen Cianci, CFA, is the Head of the Global Fixed Income team and a Senior Portfolio Manager. Stephen is responsible for managing all Multi-Sector and related strategies and in addition, he is responsible for strategic initiatives as the team’s business head. Prior to joining MacKay Shields in January 2018, he was with Aberdeen for 7 years where his responsibilities included Head of US Core Plus and Opportunistic fixed income on the North American Fixed Income team. Before joining with Aberdeen, Stephen worked as Co-Head of Core and Core Plus fixed income strategies, lead portfolio manager for Short Duration products and the Head of Structured Products at Logan Circle Partners. Previously, he held similar roles as a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Delaware Investments. He is an adjunct professor of finance and a member of the Business Advisory Council at Widener University. Stephen graduated with a MBA and BA from Widener University and is a CFA charterholder. He has been working in the investment industry since 1992.

Frances is the Director of Research for MacKay’s Municipal Managers. She joined the team in July 2009. Before joining the firm she was Director of Research for Mariner Municipal Managers and was previously at Merrill Lynch. Frances began her municipal analyst career in 1991 at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers where she was a Senior Fund Analyst covering various sectors of the municipal market, becoming a Director in the Municipal Research Group in 1997. Frances earned an MBA in Finance from Boston University and a BS in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Alexandra is the Deputy Head of Global Credit and a Senior Portfolio Manager. She is a member of the Investment Policy Committee and of the firm’s Responsible Investment Committee. Alexandra serves as a portfolio manager for the Investment Grade Credit, High Yield and ESG strategies, as well as Index and ETF products. She joined the firm’s Global Fixed Income team in June 2015. Prior to joining MacKay Shields, she spent seven years at Vanguard as a Manager on the Taxable Money Market Desk and as Head of Corporate Credit Risk for Vanguard’s fixed income index funds. Alexandra received a BA from Haverford College and a MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. She has been in the investment industry since 2008.

Janelle Woodward joined MacKay as President in 2020. She partners with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer to oversee the firm’s autonomous investment teams, as well as partners with the Head of Global Distribution to further address growing demand for custom investment solutions. Additionally, she sits on the Senior Leadership Team and leads the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. Prior to joining MacKay, she worked at BMO Global Asset Management, where she served as Global Head of Fixed Income. Janelle also served as President and Portfolio Manager of Taplin, Canida & Habacht, LLC (TCH), an independently regulated subsidiary of BMO focused on fixed income strategies and and was executive sponsor and advocate for diversity and inclusion initiatives within BMO and across the financial services industry. She holds an M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, a B.S. in business systems from Taylor University and is a CFA charter holder. She has been working in the investment industry since 2001.