Ernst & Young Luxembourg launches its Alternative Investment Funds Club

  • Share

Luxembourg, 3 February 2011

Ernst & Young, Luxembourg is launching the AIF Club (Alternative Investment Funds Club) which is dedicated to the alternative asset practices of Real Estate, Private Equity and Hedge Funds for professionals active in these industries.

The Alternative Investment Fund Club’s mission is to:

  • Provide the Alternative Industry professionals with a platform to meet, exchange views and network
  • Provide insight into the Alternative Sectors of the Financial Industry: Private Equity, Real Estate and Hedge Funds
  • Provide education and trainings for the industry practitioners to better serve and understand the industry.
    This is enabled through a range of different activities, such as trainings, industry briefings, peer-to-peer workshops, conferences, surveys and technical guides, webcasts, articles but also through social activities and networking evenings. 
    Luxembourg has taken 20 years to establish its reputation as the world’s number one UCITS fund jurisdiction.

In contrast, the alternative asset industry has developed rapidly in Luxembourg over the last 10 years.  The availability and refinement of appropriate structures such as the SICAR and the SIF in 2004 and 2007 respectively, provided the market with flexible, tax neutral vehicles, launched to structure international alternative products.

“The challenge for Luxembourg today is to successfully transpose its expertise and reputation in the non-alternative sector to the lightly regulated alternative sector. The objective is to enable Luxembourg to become a jurisdiction that provides services to the entire value chain of such fund structures; not only hosting back-offices but also middle offices” explains Alain Kinsch, Country Managing Partner and EMEIA Private Equity Funds Leader.

This transformation is still ongoing today. The AIF Club’s objective is to accelerate this transformation by providing advice, thought leadership and education.

As a leading service provider in the alternative funds sector, Ernst & Young shares the passion with its clients to monitor the latest developments and challenges shaping this industry. By establishing the Club, Ernst & Young hopes that participants will better keep abreast of the rapid changes in market conditions and be able to share experiences and points of view with other market participants.

The fact that the three leaders of Ernst & Young’s EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India and Africa) fund practices for Real Estate Funds (Mike Hornsby), Private Equity (Alain Kinsch) and Regulated Funds (Michael Ferguson) are based in Luxembourg demonstrates Ernst & Young’s recognition of the growing importance of the Luxembourg financial centre for alternative investment funds.

Training and industry briefings
Trainings, workshops, breakfast events and industry briefings will provide all participants with the necessary knowledge to be able to cope with challenges related to managing and servicing new asset classes. The content of the program will reflect the ongoing developments and hot topics related to front, middle and back office environments of alternative funds.  

Conferences and workshops
The AIF Club will organize alternative asset-related events in which both international specialists from Ernst & Young or other organizations will participate.

Networking and Social Events
Through the Club, Ernst & Young will make it possible for professionals in the industry to meet and share insights. Many of Ernst & Young’s educational events will be followed by networking drinks. The AIF Club will also organize more specific social events to enhance networking on a more informal basis. Social events will be organized on an invitation base only. Members will consist of Ernst & Young’s clients but also of other professionals and service providers to the alternative asset management industry.

The AIF Club … an Ernst & Young initiative

Ernst & Young is the leading audit and advisory firm in terms of Alternative Assets – we have fully integrated and multi-disciplinary Private Equity, Real Estate and Hedge Fund teams comprising advisory, audit, tax and regulatory professionals.

The Ernst & Young teams in Luxembourg comprise more than 250 professionals in the alternative sectors, led by 3 partners: Alain Kinsch (country managing partner and EMEIA Private Equity leader), Michael Ferguson (Partner, EMEIA regulated funds leader, Hedge Funds and alternative strategies) and Michael Hornsby (EMEIA Real Estate leader). Our team members provide trainings, audits, advisory, valuation services to clients, both fund promoters and to service providers. Ernst & Young Luxembourg audits around 40% of all Luxembourg hedge funds, 40% of all Luxembourg private equity funds by assets under management and 37% of all Luxembourg real estate funds and have been elected No. 1 Private Equity Advisory Firm in Luxembourg in 2010 by three independent specialized magazines.

Posted on 7 February 2011