CAiP Alternative Investments Forum 2023
CAiP Alternative Investments Forum 2023
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2023 Agenda

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  • Day One - September 19

  • Day Two - September 20

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

10:00 AM -  | Registration Opens


11:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Opening Keynote: Global Outlook - The Geopolitical Risks and Economic Impact on Your Investments

The volatile financial markets, geopolitical instability and energy crises of the past year were just some of the global macroeconomic trends affecting investment decisions. What geopolitical risks and economic challenges will emerge in the upcoming year to concern investors? This keynote will offer an expert outlook on emerging economic trends and their impact on portfolios.

Speaker: Ross Prusakowski, Director | Country & Sector Intelligence, Export Development Canada


11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Spotlight Session: Opportunities in Credit

This session will provide insights into the public and private credit markets around the world. The discussion will focus on exploiting structural inefficiencies present in the markets as well as thoughts on how to best position portfolios for 2024.

Speaker: Karl Dasher, President, Polen Capital

Supported by: Polen Capital


12:00 PM - 12:45 PM | Balancing Act: Asset Allocation for a Diversified Portfolio

Many investors are questioning the 60/40 model in this volatile market, and are rebalancing their portfolios with alternatives for diversification and hopes of higher yield. As alternative asset allocation increases, which assets are optimal and where are the emerging opportunities? This panel will explore how investors are reallocating their portfolios to strike the balance between risk and reward.

Moderator: Keith MacIsaac, Senior Specialist – Capital Markets Risk, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Speakers:
Christian Hensley, Senior Managing Director, Equities and Credit, IMCO
John Harvey, Manager, Investments, Nunavut Trust
David Tien, Managing Director, Active Portfolio Design, Total Fund Management, CPP Investments

Brennan Basnicki, Partner & Product Specialist, Auspice Capital Advisors 


12:45 PM - 2:00 PM | Networking Lunch


2:00 PM - 2:30 PM | Spotlight Session: Identifying Investment Opportunities Across the Electrification and Decarbonization Eco-System (Battery Materials, Technology, Related Decarbonization Opportunities)

Lithium is at the nexus of the global energy transition and we have now entered the “Lithium Age”. Join President & CEO of Lithium Royalty Corp (TSX: LIRC), Special Advisor to Waratah Electrification & Decarbonization, and London Metal Exchange Lithium Advisory Committee Member, Ernie Ortiz, for a discussion on the rapidly growing electrification and decarbonization investment eco-system.

Speaker: Ernie Ortiz, President & CEO Lithium Royalty Corp., Special Advisor to Waratah Electrification & Decarbonization, London Metal Exchange Lithium Advisory Committee member

Supported by Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd.


2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | Alternative Approach: Private Equity Strategies in a Shifting Market

Market shifts have affected all asset classes, including private equity. Investors need to develop different approaches to their investment strategies, as the role of secondaries rises and fundraising decreases. This session will discuss the emerging trends in private equity, including stretched fundraising cycles and a supply/demand imbalance, and how investors are shifting their approach to find the opportunities in these challenges.

Moderator: Paul Bowes, Country Head for Canada, FTSE Russell / LSEG

Speakers:
Megan Maltby, Manager, Accelerator Programs & Investor Relations, Invest Ottawa
Matthew Sparks, Managing Director, Northleaf Capital Partners
Andrew Urquhart, Executive Director, Pension Fund Management, Carleton University
Salome Makharadze, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Asset Management


3:30 PM - 4:30 PM | Worth the Risk? Valuations and Risk Mitigation in Alternatives

Alternatives often have more complex valuation metrics, so how do investors best weigh the unknown risks against the possible returns? What strategies and parity models are investors utilizing to de-risk their portfolios and manage fluctuating market expectations? This expert panel will answer these questions, and provide examples of how they factor valuations and risk mitigation into their investing decisions.

Moderator: Lucy Chher, Director of Reporting, Performance and Risk, Mavrik Corp

Speakers:
Tom Valks, Chief Investment Officer, University of Ottawa Pension Fund
Dominic Chalifoux, Chief Asset Management and Valuation Officer, Axium Infrastructure


4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Networking Reception


5:45 PM - 8:00 PM | VIP Offsite Dinner


Wednesday, September 20, 2023

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Networking Breakfast


8:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Registration Open


9:00 AM - 9:30 AM | Keynote: Looking Ahead: The Future of Alternative Investments

Economic turmoil has upended traditional investment strategies as investors turn to alternatives to diversify their portfolio. This asset class is predicted to grow exponentially by 2025 as investors try to protect against inflation, but how will rising interest rates, logistics challenges and continued market volatility affect this asset class? This keynote will provide an expert outlook on the future of alternative investments.

Speaker:  Dawn Jia, President & Chief Executive Officer, UBC Investment Management Trust


9:30 AM - 10:00 AM | Spotlight Session: ESG Across Public and Private Markets

How can investors cut through the noise and current politicization of ESG? We’ll examine the established approaches to sustainable investing across public and private markets, whether investors are looking to evaluate material ESG risks, achieve specific environmental and social impacts, or invest along sustainable themes. We’ll address common misconceptions, best practices for when evaluating sustainable investing strategies at the fund level, and useful metrics to assess business risks and management quality in both private and public companies. Our discussion will sort through the analytical frameworks, existing data, and useful case studies available to institutional investors.

Speakers:
Paul Schutzman, Head of Institutional Solutions, Morningstar
Trevor David, Director, Client Relations, Morningstar Sustainalytics
Anikka Villegas, Analyst, Fund Strategies and Sustainable Investing, PitchBook

Supported by:  Morningstar Sustainalytics 


10:00 AM - 10:45 AM | Challenges and Opportunities in Private Debt and Credit

The private debt and credit market has grown to over one trillion, as this asset attracts investors with higher yields, risk-adjusted returns, and better protection against inflationary pressures than traditional assets. As credit and debt assets continue to grow, what sectors and markets are emerging as opportunistic investments? This panel will explore the trends investors should capitalize on and discuss how to navigate the risks of rising default rates, illiquidity and lack of transparent data.

Moderator: Omar Zidan, Finance Professor, Telfer School of Management - University of Ottawa 

Speakers:
Adam Vigna, Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Sagard
Carey Davidson, Partner, Managing Director & Head of Capital Markets, Monroe Capital
Marc Strauss, Managing Director, Crestline Investors, Inc.


10:45 AM - 11:15 AM | Networking Break


11:15 AM - 11:45 AM | Spotlight Session: Dynamic Diversification: Building and Evaluating a Risk Mitigation Strategy

The era of easy money is over. In repositioning portfolios for a new environment of potentially higher volatility, diversification needs to do more. Discover how a multi-layered risk mitigation strategy using hedge funds as foundational building blocks can build highly dynamic diversification capable of adapting to the many different market environments we may see in the future.

Speakers: 
Dan Elsberry, Senior Managing Director, K2 Advisors
Gordon Nicholson, Portfolio Manager, K2 Advisors

Supported by: Franklin Templeton


11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | A Deep Dive into Liquidity: Exploring Opportunities in Liquid Alternatives

Liquid alternatives play an important role in a diversified portfolio, as they offer both a higher degree of flexibility, and low beta and less correlation to traditional markets. As this asset class expands, where are the growth areas, and how can investors maximize on current liquidity cycles? This session will deep dive into the key aspects of liquid alternatives, and provide actionable strategies to amplify returns.

Moderator: Takavada Chitsa, Controller, CBC Pension Fund

Speakers:
John Hurley, Chief Investment Officer - Alternative Investments WorkSafeNB
Judy Hui, Portfolio Manager, Public Market Alternatives, IMCO
Maxwell Gold, Head of Gold Strategy, State Street Global Advisors


12:45 PM - 2:00 PM | Networking Lunch


2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Keeping it Real: Assessing Risks and Returns in Real Assets

Investors are increasing allocations to real estate and infrastructure as they look to diversify their portfolios with inflation sensitive assets. Surging commodity prices are also making natural resources a more attractive asset. However, real assets come with real risks, such as supply issues, high transaction costs, and the impact of geopolitical conflict on global infrastructure. This panel will predict which assets will perform better in a recession, and share best practices on how to assess risks while generating returns.

Moderator: Eric Topolnisky, Regional Director, RioCan REIT

Speakers:
Alexander Chase, Manager, Real Assets, NAV CANADA Pension Plan
Evin Joseph, Analyst, Investments, Oxford Properties Group
Ali Zaidi, Head of Real Assets Research, FTSE Russell
Shoaib Baig, Principal, Investment and Risk Consulting, Telus Health


3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Cocktails and Conversations: Going Global: Macro Fund Strategies for Capitalizing on Unpredictability

Join us for a cocktail as we close out the day with this engaging conversation! Global inflation and rising interest rates have changed the environment of macro fund investing. How have investors positioned their fund differently, and which asset classes should be included in a multi-asset strategy? Where are the new opportunities in currencies, foreign exchange rates, and international linked bonds? This expert panel will offer insight on macro fund investing, and provide strategies for analyzing the political landscape and currency rates to generate absolute returns.

Moderator: Marwa Abdou, Senior Research Director, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Speakers:
Amit Prakash, Chief Fiduciary Management Officer, AIMCo
Angella MacEwen, Senior Economist, Canadian Union of Public Employees
Chika Onyeukwu, Program Coordinator, Pan-African School of Policy Innovation


4:00 PM | Close of Conference


*The above agenda is subject to change.
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FOR PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
PETER HURME 
Phone: 530.206.4592
Email: phurme@alm.com
FOR SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
JENNIFER BLATT
Email: jblatt@alm.com
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