Tuesday, September 17, 2024
10:00 AM - | Registration Opens
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Opening Keynote: Looking Forward: An Economic Roadmap for Navigating Uncertainty
Volatile financial markets, geopolitical instability, and inflationary pressures remain some of the most pressing concerns for investors. How can investors best position themselves for these macroeconomic challenges, and for the new risks that will emerge in the upcoming years? This keynote will provide their expert analysis on how to navigate through economic uncertainty and market shifts.
Warren Lovely, Managing Director - National Bank Financial11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Spotlight Session: Essential Ground: Why Farmland Belongs in Every Investor’s Portfolio
Institutional investor interest in farmland is at an all-time high driven by its ability to offer strong risk-adjusted returns, inflation protection, and non-correlation to traditional asset classes. By partnering with farmers, investors can also achieve strong ESG outcomes. This session will explore the strategic advantages of investing in farmland and should help investors understand how to approach and invest in the sector, and its principal risks.
Supported by Area One Farms
Joelle Faulkner, CEO - Area One Farms12:00 PM - 12:45 PM | Dynamic Diversification: Smart Strategies for Portfolio Construction
Alternative investments have proved to be a crucial component for portfolios, but how are investors positioning their portfolios for optimal performance? Which assets offer steady returns, and what assets are worth the risk? This panel will discuss their diversification decisions, and offer smart strategies for portfolio construction.
Simon Segall, Trustee - General Synod Pension PlanKale Brown, Director, Finance and Administration - Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO)
Sandeep Kakan, Director, Pension Governance - Unifor
Diego Andrade, VP, Senior Gold Strategist - State Street Global Advisors
12:45 PM - 1:15 PM | Spotlight Session: The Case for Listed Real Assets to Expand Control in Portfolio Management
Infrastructure is a good long-term asset for pension plans, aligning with liabilities and providing insulation in inflationary periods. Lots of attention is devoted to unlisted assets, but listed assets provide several complementary advantages, from access cost & transparency on one hand to liquidity, scalability & capacity on the other.
Combining listed & unlisted assets can strengthen portfolio construction, instituting a total portfolio approach, minimizing the issues that arise when a denominator effect is triggered. The panel will discuss how listed assets expand the control pension plans can exert in their portfolio management.
Supported by BMO Global Asset Management
Mark Webster, Director - BMO GAMMirza Shakir, Portfolio Manager - BMO GAM
1:15 PM - 2:30 PM | Networking Lunch
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Spotlight Session: Investing in a Sustainable Future
Climate change is a global challenge and investors are increasingly looking to gain exposure to industries and companies helping to usher in a low-carbon economy. This session will highlight opportunities, challenges and strategies to investing in the climate transition.
Supported by Goldman Sachs
Jeff Possick, Managing Director - Goldman Sachs Asset Management3:00 PM - 3:45 PM | Private Practices: Unveiling Opportunities in Private Markets
As institutional investors plan to increase their allocations to private markets, which sectors offer the best opportunities? How are investors balancing the risks, such as lower liquidity and higher cost of capital, against the rewards of inflation-hedging? This panel will offer an overview on the outlook of private assets, the emerging opportunities in private markets, and best practices for private allocations.
Ahmad Musa, Portfolio Manager, Private Assets - Canadian Medical Protective Association
Jeff Benson, Vice President - Hamilton Lane
Andrew Zochowski, Associate Portfolio Manager, Private Equity - CAAT Pension Plan
3:45 PM - 4:15 PM | Spotlight Session: Infrastructure Debt - How Does it Fit Within Your Private Credit Portfolio?
Infrastructure debt is a fast-growing sector within private credit. This session will discuss how it is different from other pockets within private credit, what are its merits and risks, and why investors should consider it as part of their broader private credit portfolio.
Supported by Macquarie Group
Harlan Cherniak, Head of Infrastructure Debt and IG Debt - Americas - Macquarie Asset Management4:15 PM - 5:00 PM | Real Assets, Real Returns: Investment Trends in Real Estate & Infrastructure
Real estate and infrastructure remain essential for diversified portfolios, but are not without risk. Where are investors finding new opportunities, and what new tactics are they using to mitigate risks? This panel will discuss how to capitalize on the current invest trends in real assets, and offer their forecasts on where future opportunities will emerge.
Robin Pilkey, Trustee - CWIPP (Canada-Wide Industrial Pension Plan)
Paul Mayer, Executive VP, Investment Sales - Centurion Asset Management Inc.
Greg Finnamore, Chief Financial Officer - Ottawa Community Housing
5:00 PM - 6:15 PM | Networking Reception
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM | VIP Dinner
The hosted VIP Gala Dinner provides attendees with the opportunity to connect in a meaningful way with colleagues and industry experts, and will be held offsite at the charming Pillar & Post’s Barn.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Keynote Address: Looking Ahead: The Current & Future State of Alternative Investments
The landscape of alternative investments continues to evolve as investors adapt to market volatility. This keynote will offer their expert insights into the latest trends and shifts in alternative assets, as well as their predictions for the future outlook of alternative investments.
Moshe Lander, Economist - Concordia University10:30 AM - 11:00 AM | Spotlight Session: Private Equity: Why Investors Are Putting Secondaries First
Over the past two decades, the secondary investment thesis has evolved from a purely opportunistic strategy – bringing liquidity to fund investors seeking to exit predominantly tail end illiquid commitments – to a more constructive strategy, in which both general partners and limited partners can leverage secondaries to better manage their portfolios and generate strong returns. This session will explore this evolution and the increasingly important role secondary transactions are playing in the growing private equity asset class.
Supported by Northleaf Capital Partners
Shane Feeney, Managing Director, Global Head of Secondaries - Northleaf Capital Partners11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | Real Estate Sector Showdown: Strategies for Sector Allocation
As the demand for residential real estate is expected to grow exponentially in the next five years, investors remain optimistic on multifamily. What other sectors will provide opportunities, and what sectors will remain a risk? This panel will provide smart strategies for sector allocations within real estate.
Hooman Tabesh, Founder & Chief Executive Officer - Alliance REITPeter Rizzo, Director of Residential Facilities - University at Buffalo
Aled ab Iorwerth, Deputy Chief Economist - CMHC
Daniel Ger, Chief Executive Officer - Options for Homes
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM | Making An Impact: Aligning Alternatives with ESG Goals
Investors know that every asset class comes with ESG considerations. This panel will provide examples of how they are balancing planet and profit in their alternative allocations.
Erkan Yonder, Associate Professor of Real Estate Finance - Concordia UniversityEoin Callan, Executive Director - Upper Canada Equity Fund
Genevieve Pinto, Partner - Renewal Funds
Elke Rubach, President - Rubach
Ryan Collins-Swartz, Co-Executive Director - Tapestry Community Capital
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | Networking Luncheon
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM | Transforming Today for Tomorrow: Innovations in Infrastructure Investments
This panel will explore the exciting innovations happening in infrastructure investments, including energy transitions, technology advancements, and inventive financing strategies.
Darrin Pickett, Senior Manager, Global Infrastructure Investments - RBC Global Asset ManagementMichael McGowan, General Manager, Infrastructure Investments - Canada Post Pension Plan
Rachel McAllister, CFO - FNFA
Ashley Ng, Head of Infrastructure - Nicola Wealth
Arnold Yuan, Professor - Toronto Metropolitan University
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM | Innovation Outlook: Innovations in Alternative Investing
This panel will explore the innovations happening in the alternative landscape, and provide insight on how these innovations are being integrated in their current investment strategies.
Megan Dover, Principal - Cross Border Impact VenturesOlivia Hornby, Managing Partner - Spring Impact Capital
Lois Morrison-Tullo, Vice Chair/CFRO - Richview Foundation/KuberMIC / Schulich School of Business / GRI
Tracey Robertson, Lead, Innovation - Ontario Trillium Foundation
Samantha Sohal, Principal - Amplify Capital
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM | Spotlight Session: Can Mortgages Improve Portfolio Performance?
Fixed income investments have long been a crucial component of institutional investor portfolios. Although bonds play a significant role, many investors are now seeking to enhance their portfolios with private credit exposure to boost yield, reduce volatility, and diversify their holdings. Canadian mortgages present several benefits that can contribute to building a robust and stable portfolio.
Supported by Institutional Mortgage Capital
Michael Beaupré, Managing Director - Client Relationships - Institutional Mortgage CapitalKen McKinnon, Senior Managing Director - Head of Relationships - Institutional Mortgage Capital
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM | Navigating Headwinds: Strategies for Risks & Returns in Private Equity
While private equity funds faced challenges in the past year, opportunities remain for strong returns. This session will provide an in-depth analysis into private equity and venture capital investments including emerging opportunities, risk mitigation, the role of secondaries, strategies for overcoming challenging fundraising cycles, and best practices for enhancing returns in a competitive environment.
Martin Cheski, Partner & Investment Director - TELUS Global VenturesBryan Marcovici, Co-Founder, CEO & Managing Partner - Koru
Nancy Bertrand, Managing Director, Head of Citi Private Bank, Canada - Citi