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Gil Bender, Charles Dequaire and Robert Williams (Value & Risk): Valuing Complexity
“Investors are on a quest for returns from increasingly complex and illiquid assets” says gil bender, CEO. In their search, they rely on Value & Risk (V&R) to properly price and identify the inherent risks while adhering to rigorous regulation.
Can you present your company in a few words?
Investors are seeking for higher yields which has brought them to more complex investments. This has led to an increase in risk, cost, and a demand for more robust regulation. Value & Risk is Europe's leading service provider for the valuation of complex and illiquid assets. V&R is highly trusted by asset managers, banks, insurance companies and family offices. Customers rely on the company’s expertise and software to evaluate their investments in high-yielding assets. V&R’s innovative tech-enabled approach and a successful 28-year track record has also earned recognition from auditors and regulators. Its valuation team of more than 20 experts have excellent academic backgrounds and decades of experience in banking, trading, treasury and risk management. On top of valuation, the company provides value-added services including transaction cost analysis (TCA) for PRIIPs/KID, independent price validation (IPV) and risk analysis. Compared to other players, V&R is fully independent and thus, free of conflict of interest.
Gil Bender - CEO
“Regulators have identified independent and accurate valuation of investments as one of the most important pillars of financial stability.”
Charles Dequaire Value & Risk
Charles Dequaire - Managing Director Luxembourg
How significant is valuation in today's investment landscape?
Past financial crises could have been avoided by more robust valuations of financial assets. As a result, regulators have identified independent and accurate valuation of investments as one of the most important pillars of financial stability. Funds, insurance, and pension firms - the buy side have invested in increasingly complex asset classes. Regulators’ focus has therefore shifted from the sell side banks - to the buy side, which requires high quality valuation modeling and an independent process. Auditors have to ensure that their clients’ asset valuations meet stringent regulation standards. Valuation not only drives investment decisions but also plays a crucial role in risk management, financial reporting, and liquidity planning. This has become the central focus of the financial industry and regulators to ensure adequate pricing and risk management.
Why have you decided to open a dedicated subsidiary in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg is the world’s second-largest investment center and plays an increasing role in the alternative investments space. V&R has been a major player in the Luxembourg valuation market for more than a decade. The firm has numerous prestigious clients who have been served from the company’s headquarters in Frankfurt until now. V&R’s new subsidiary, led by Charles Dequaire –former EY audit partner - offers the Luxembourg clientele local customer relationship and expert valuation support With a “Luxembourg touch”.
Robert Williams - Director Business Development
HIGHLIGHTS
• The leading European valuation service provider
• Since 1996, privately owned and fully
independent
• Covering all asset classes for valuation and
PRIIPs/KID transaction cost analysis (TCA)