Defence funding forum
With defence spending rising year on year, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global defence funding landscape.
Join OMFIF for the Defence funding forum, a must-attend half-day programme of expert-led panel discussions that brings together key stakeholders from across the defence, finance and policy communities. The forum convenes leading figures from the defence ecosystem for high-level conversations on the most pressing issues shaping the sector, including securing resilient supply chains, defence as an emerging asset class, financing strategic autonomy and strengthening long-term investment frameworks.
The event is held strictly off the record, ensuring an environment of openness and authentic dialogue. Attendees can expect candid, forward-looking conversations and networking opportunities with peers helping to catalyse the evolution of and shape the future of defence capital markets.
View the 2026 agenda here.
Speakers
Vernon Bogdanor
Professor, Institute of Contemporary British History
King's College London
Vernon Bogdanor
Professor, Institute of Contemporary British History
King's College London
Angela Brusas
Director, Funding & Investor Relations
Nordic Investment Bank
Angela Brusas
Director, Funding & Investor Relations
Nordic Investment Bank
Yuriy Butsa
Government Commissioner
Public Debt Management, Ukraine
Yuriy Butsa
Government Commissioner
Public Debt Management, Ukraine
Mihail Calinescu
Managing Director
BlackRock
Mihail Calinescu
Managing Director
BlackRock
Sarah Carlson
Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group
Moody’s Ratings
Sarah Carlson
Senior Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group
Moody’s Ratings
Sarah Carlson is senior vice president of sovereign risk at Moody’s Ratings. She is currently lead analyst for Spain, Greece and the European Union’s rating. She also worked at the Financial Services Authority where she headed the regulator’s risk analysis area. She is also a former lead analyst for France, Italy, the UK and the US.
Oliver Cusworth
Senior Policy Adviser, Security and Defence Office
European Investment Bank
Oliver Cusworth
Senior Policy Adviser, Security and Defence Office
European Investment Bank
Annabel Dunne
Head of Institutional Relations
OMFIF
Annabel Dunne
Head of Institutional Relations
OMFIF
Christian Engelen
Head, Borrowing and Lending Operations
European Commission
Christian Engelen
Head, Borrowing and Lending Operations
European Commission
André Figueira de Sousa
Fixed Income Fund Manager
Degroof Petercam AM
André Figueira de Sousa
Fixed Income Fund Manager
Degroof Petercam AM
Christopher Garnett
Senior Adviser
OMFIF
Christopher Garnett
Senior Adviser
OMFIF
Christopher Garnett is senior adviser at OMFIF. He also runs his the consultancy ChuteCourt Asesores. He is the principal permanent adviser for the UK to the executive president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. He worked for Euromoney from 1988-2016. He was the director of their conferences business and a group executive committee member and remained consultant to the business for five years.
Jonathan Lewis
Of Counsel
Clifford Chance
Jonathan Lewis
Of Counsel
Clifford Chance
Damien Mariette
Senior Fund Manager, Global Equities
CPR Asset Management
Damien Mariette
Senior Fund Manager, Global Equities
CPR Asset Management
David Marsh
Chairman
OMFIF
David Marsh
Chairman
OMFIF
David Marsh is Chairman and Co-Founder of OMFIF. Before starting at OMFIF in late 2009, he worked for City merchant bank Robert Fleming, corporate finance boutique Hawkpoint, German management consultancy Droege and London investment firm London & Oxford. Marsh took over the chairmanship from John Plender on 1 January 2018 having been Managing Director since 2014. He moved to a non-executive role following John Orchard’s appointment as Chief Executive effective 1 January 2020.
Rob Murray
Chair
DSRB Charter Negotiations
Rob Murray
Chair
DSRB Charter Negotiations
Marie-Sophie Pastant
Head of Index, ETF & Synthetic Systematic Strategies, Portfolio Management
BNP Paribas Asset Management
Marie-Sophie Pastant
Head of Index, ETF & Synthetic Systematic Strategies, Portfolio Management
BNP Paribas Asset Management
Sven Reinke
Managing Director, Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Ratings
Sven Reinke
Managing Director, Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Ratings
Mike Richter
Executive Director
DZ Bank AG
Mike Richter
Executive Director
DZ Bank AG
Peter Sedgwick
Vice President (2000-06)
European Investment Bank
Peter Sedgwick
Vice President (2000-06)
European Investment Bank
Linus Terhorst
Research Fellow, Defence Industries & Society Programme
Royal United Services Institute
Linus Terhorst
Research Fellow, Defence Industries & Society Programme
Royal United Services Institute
Jens Ulbrich
Director General, Economics
Deutsche Bundesbank
Jens Ulbrich
Director General, Economics
Deutsche Bundesbank
Sponsors
