2025 Agenda

8:15 AM - 9:15 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast

9:15 AM - 9:45 AM | Opening Keynote: Big Picture View on Macro Trends

Unpredictable financial markets and geopolitical instability are known concerns for investors, but what about the unknown risks? What challenges will emerge in the upcoming year, where are the global opportunities, and what lessons can investors learn by looking outside their borders? This expert keynote will delve into these questions, and provide takeaways on current macroeconomic trends and their implications for global investments.

9:45 AM - 10:45 AM | Building Resilient Portfolios: Strategies for Alternative Allocations

This panel of industry experts will explore innovative approaches to integrating alternative assets into traditional portfolios, including effective diversification strategies for balancing risk and opportunity, best practices for evaluating allocations across the asset class, and actionable takeaways for building resilient, high-performing portfolios.

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM | Spotlight Session: Innovations in Active Fixed Income ETFs

Active Fixed Income ETF launches are outpacing Index Fixed Income ETFs.  This session will discuss this new trend and the innovations that are occurring in the space, in particular the inclusion of private credit.

Supported by State Street Investment Management

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

Supported by GWL Realty Advisors

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM | Outlook on Private Markets: Evolutions, Trends and Opportunities

Favorable interest rates, increased deal activity, and anticipated deployment opportunities have investors being publicly optimistic on private markets. This panel will provide a wide lens overview on private markets, including the evolutions in private investing, strategies for capitalizing on the emerging opportunities in private property and infrastructure, and the economic factors shaping private market trends.

12:45 PM - 1:45 PM | Networking Lunch

Supported by Fengate

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM | Real Assets Reimagined: The New Risks and Returns in Real Estate & Infrastructure

Real estate and infrastructure remain essential for diversified portfolios, as creative investors look for opportunities even in challenging markets. This panel will discuss the innovative ways investors are approaching these assets, including renewable infrastructure, private real estate, and niche sectors, as well as provide analysis on how broader economic factors, such as shifting demographics and supply chain dynamics, are shaping the future of real estate and infrastructure investments.

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Positioning Canada: Competitiveness and Value in a Global Portfolio

In this fireside chat, Derek Walker will share perspectives on Canada’s role within a large institutional portfolio, drawing on CPP Investments’ global experience. The discussion will highlight how Canada’s long-term strengths and areas of competitiveness inform portfolio construction, capital allocation, and diversification decisions. Against a shifting macro backdrop, Derek will explore where Canada stands as a source of value, resilience, and opportunity for institutional investors.

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Technology Tools: How to Use AI to Optimize Portfolios

AI is emerging as a game-changer for investors for portfolio optimization and fund management. AI-driven technology is revolutionizing digital tools for the alternative investment space, especially in real estate and private equity investments. These tools are opening up new possibilities in reporting, value creation and deal activity data, but they are also opening up questions on governance, implications, and risk. This panel of experts will analyze how investors are leveraging AI, the emerging opportunities and challenges, and the lessons generated from these digital transformations.

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Indigenous Perspective: Overview on Indigenous Investments Strategies

This session will offer an Indigenous perspective on alternative investments, and explore how First Nations-led projects and Indigenous initiatives are transforming this landscape, especially in infrastructure, real estate, and private equity. Attendees will learn how indigenous groups are partnering with asset managers and institutional investors for co-investment opportunities, and how investors are engaging in reconciliation efforts while still achieving attractive returns.

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Embracing Volatility: How Institutions Should Allocate to Technology Assets

Join us for this presentation where Jeffery Sun, the Director of Multi-strategy Investments for OPTrust, will share how the fund invests in high-growth technology assets despite their inherent volatility. He will highlight best practices for integrating thematic investments like Artificial Intelligence and Digital Assets within a conservative institutional framework and explain how to navigate volatility to capture exponential growth and long-term strategic advantages.

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM | Networking Reception

6:45 PM - 8:45 PM | VIP Dinner

Hosted at the The Hare Wine Co, the VIP Dinner gives attendees the opportunity to connect in a meaningful way with colleagues and industry experts, and provides a luxury dining experience in an exquisite setting.