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.