GAAM to discuss investment opportunities from Megapolis plan

Guardian Acuity Asset Management (GAAM), a unit trust management firm licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, will conduct a stimulating discussion on September 14 on ‘Investment Opportunities from the Proposed Megapolis Development Plan’ at Oak Room, Cinnamon Grand. 
The guest speaker on this occasion will be Western Region Megapolis Project Head of Investments Nayana Mawilmada. His speech will follow a panel discussion. 
“The Western Region Megapolis Plan envisions a major transformation in Colombo and the Western Province at large. It is one of the most ambitious programmes of the government, which expects to unlock major investment opportunities. Hence, we feel that it is very topical,” said GAAM CEO Ruvini Fernando.
The focus of the discussion will be mainly on broader investment opportunities from the Megapolis plan and the resulting impact on property prices and development.  
“We believe this would be a great opportunity for people to clear any clarifications they may have regarding the project from Mawilmada and the panel of experts on the subject,” said Fernando. 
Mawilmada has extensive experience in planning, facilitating and managing large-scale urban development, real estate and infrastructure projects across 15 countries. His diverse experience ranges from leading numerous urban sector investments for the Asian Development Bank to planning major urban projects for the private sector internationally. 
Before his current position, he served as Director General of Urban Development Authority. Immediately prior to joining the government, Mawilmada was Managing Director at York Street Partners (Pvt.) Ltd, a boutique investment bank, and TMS Company (Pvt.) Ltd, a development-focused consulting firm. 
His academic training includes an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master of City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Bachelor of Architecture from Hampton University in the USA. 
GAAM was formed in 2011 as a collaboration between Ceylon Guardian Investment Trust PLC (subsidiary of Carson Cumberbatch PLC) and investment bank Acuity Partners, which is a joint venture between DFCC and HNB Banks. GAAM offers three unit trust funds to investors, namely Guardian Acuity Equity Fund, Guardian Acuity Money Market Fund and Guardian Acuity Gilt Fund. Currently, GAAM has a total of over Rs.6 billion assets under management.
The Guardian Acuity Money Market Fund won Silver at the recently concluded CFA Awards night in the category of Mutual Funds. This was the first time that the mutual funds industry was recognized for its performance at this awards ceremony. The evaluation committee had laid out stringent criteria such as disclosure policies, risk management and compliance, investment process, trading practices and last but not least, formalizing practices that put the client first. 
Guardian Acuity, given the fact that it is part of two banks and a conglomerate, values its duty of care towards its investors and ensures their investment selection, decision-making, trading and reporting processes are objective, transparent and driven purely by what is good for their investors. 
The team at GAAM will be conducting similar discussions and forums on topics that are both current and thought-provoking, thus positioning them as a responsible Corporate Citizen.