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Monica Defend

Monica Defend

  • Head of the Amundi Investment Institute

Monica Defend, Head of Amundi Investment Institute.

Monica is Head of the Amundi Investment Institute, which was created in February 2022, and a member of Amundi's Executive Committee. Embedded in the heart of the global investment process, the Amundi Investment Institute provides thought leadership, advice, and training for all its clients. Monica’s team offers geopolitics expertise, quantitative research, macro and market strategy and asset allocation advisory activities. She leads the creation of engaging and accessible proprietary research that delivers cross-asset thought leadership and investment strategy ideas to internal and external clients.

A distinctive feature of her approach is the close collaboration that she has forged with the investment division to generate actionable investment ideas. She is also director of Amundi Japan, member of Amundi Japan and Amundi SGR Advisory Boards. Monica has led research strategy functions since 2001. Before becoming the head of the Institute, Monica was Global Head of Research, a member of the Global Investment Committee and the Advisory Board at Amundi. She was appointed Deputy Head of Group Research and a member of the Global Investment Committee of Amundi in 2017, and was responsible for defining Amundi’s investment strategy on financial markets.

Prior to that, she was Global Head of Asset Allocation Research and previously Head of Quantitative Research at Pioneer Investments.

Monica started her career in the investment industry in 1997 following a role as University teaching assistant for the Advanced Econometrics department at Bocconi University.

Monica graduated at Bocconi University (DES). She holds a Masters’ degree in Economics (Bocconi University) and a Masters’ degree in Financial Economics from the London Business School and Bocconi University. She was selected for the UniCredit Young Talents Program and the Management and Banking Academy, obtaining an MBA award at the London Business School.

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About Amundi

About Amundi

Amundi, the leading European asset manager, ranking among the top 10 global players[1], offers its 100 million clients - retail, institutional and corporate – a complete range of savings and investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional or real assets. This offering is enhanced with IT tools and services to cover the entire savings value chain. A subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole group and listed on the stock exchange, Amundi currently manages more than €2.2 trillion of assets[2].

With its six international investment hubs[3], financial and extra-financial research capabilities and long-standing commitment to responsible investment, Amundi is a key player in the asset management landscape.

Amundi clients benefit from the expertise and advice of 5,700 employees in 35 countries.

Amundi, a trusted partner, working every day in the interest of its clients and society.

www.amundi.com 

Footnotes

 

  1. ^ [1] Source: IPE "Top 500 Asset Managers" published in June 2024 based on assets under management as of 31/12/2023
  2. ^ [2] Amundi data as at 31/03/2025
  3. ^ [3] Paris, London, Dublin, Milan, Tokyo and San Antonio (via our strategic partnership with Victory Capital)

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