Scientific Beta

Eric Shirbini, Global Research and Investment Solutions Director at ERI Scientific Beta, was a speaker in the panel session on "Equity Factors and Smart Beta" at the inaugural IPE Equities Conference 2018, held on Wednesday 27 June in London. Navigating the equity factor zoo has been a consistent concern for pension funds interested in smart beta and this session presented some of the latest research and thinking on factor investing.

Eric Shirbini, Global Research and Investment Solutions Director at ERI Scientific Beta, was a speaker in the panel session on "Equity Factors and Smart Beta" at the inaugural IPE Equities Conference 2018, held on Wednesday 27 June in London. Navigating the equity factor zoo has been a consistent concern for pension funds interested in smart beta and this session presented some of the latest research and thinking on factor investing.

IPE's first equities focused conference targeted an audience of senior investment leaders at pension plans in Europe and beyond. Demographics and regulation may have required pension investors to dial back on their equity exposures overall, but equities remain a key return driver and source of diversification for funds and their beneficiaries. As well as rethinking the balance of equities in their portfolio overall, pension investors have also been retooling the shape of that exposure, rightly questioning the role of traditional active, quant, smart beta and passive strategies altogether and how to combine them to the optimum. The conference skillfully drew together the complex strands of these closely interrelated topics, with a top-class bench of international speakers.

Prior to joining EDHEC-Risk Institute, Eric Shirbini was a quantitative analyst at UBS, BNP Paribas and Nomura International. During this time he worked on a diverse range of topics including multi-factor models, fundamental stock valuation, equity market indices, portfolio construction and portfolio trading. At BNP Paribas Eric managed a team of analysts who were responsible for the Global Equity Research Database. Mr. Shirbini holds a BSc and PhD from University College London and an MBA from CASS Business School.