Session PC1

Innovation in Healthcare

Speakers: Alexandra Greenhill, Physician and Founder, Careteam Technologies Inc.
                Kim Lee, Director, Product Development, Group Customer Product & Experience, Great-West Life
                Steve Schlesak, General Manager, Dialogue

Moderator: Dimitra Tsourpis, Associate Vice President, Aon

Innovation and technology are playing an increasingly larger role in how people access and receive medical care. The Canadian Healthcare system is facing tremendous pressures. Lack of access to family doctors and long wait times are barriers to improved health for many. Health related absenteeism also translates into lost productivity, and as a result, impacts our economy. In this panel discussion you’ll hear from a medical doctor, a virtual healthcare provider, and an insurer on how technology in healthcare is improving health outcomes, saving time, and money.

What you will learn

1. An introduction to recent innovations in healthcare delivery
2. An awareness of virtual care and how it is growing
3. The impact of virtual care on absenteeism, productivity, and revenue

Session PC2

Cybersecurity

Speaker: Sandy Treleaven, Vice President, Financial Institutions & Cyber-risk Practice, AON

Cyber risk is no longer considered an emerging risk; trustees and administrators of all pension and benefit plans should assess the potential impact of information security and privacy risk exposures, and consider the following questions:

• Can we identify and quantify the damages from a successful cyber attack, privacy breach incident or cyber-extortion attempt?
• Are we exposed to potential liability or reputational harm arising out of the actions or inactions of our employees, business partners and outside service providers?
• Beyond I.T. infrastructure and contractual risk-transfer solutions, how do we protect ourselves from cyber-risk?
• Having considered the potential financial and reputational cost of cyber-risk, are we comfortable with retaining that risk in-house or do we wish to consider transferring that risk to an insurance company?

The goal of this interactive session is to provide trustees and administrators with an overview of cyber-risk exposures they might be exposed to, and to describe the risk-management and risk-transfer solutions that are available to them.

Session PC3: 

The Rise of AI

Speaker: Pierre Bouchard, Portfolio Manager, Cidel Asset Management Inc. 

Machines are taking on a bigger role in making investment decisions. From analyzing data and learning from it, to choosing long-term stock holdings, A.I. will potentially be taking the place of the people we use to interact with. Time will tell whether A.I. remains a tool, staying subordinate to its human masters or whether it takes control of the investment process and makes final decisions. Anyone with an interest in asset management should pay attention as we need to figure what is a little gimmicky at this point and what will change the market forever.

•  Better understanding what AI is and can do
•  Roles AI play now and in the future

Session PC4

Demystifying Blockchain

Speaker: Kaushik Venkatadri, Sr. Director, Blockchain COE, RBC

Blockchain technology and its possibilities have captured the imagination of professionals across industries. Often mentioned as a technology that may one day transform our economic and social foundations, it is one of the most discussed technologies today. The Demystifying Blockchain presentation is intended to provide attendees with a basic understanding of this technology, why it is considered revolutionary by practitioners, and how it may evolve.

What you will learn:

• A basic understanding of what blockchain is
• A model for how blockchain technology may evolve in the future

S1 - Pension 

Lessons Learnt From The Australian Retirement System

Speakers: David Knox, Senior Partner, Mercer (Australia)
                Matthew Williams, Head of Institutional and Client Service, Franklin Templeton

During his presentation, Dr Knox will review the Australian retirement system, now with more than 25 years of compulsory employer contributions. In the 2018 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index Australia was 4th compared to Canada’s ranking of 10th of the 34 systems that were analysed. David will look at what has worked well in Australia and where improvements are still needed. In particular, he will consider:

• The structural changes that have occurred within the industry
• The evolution of cost effective DC plans
• The ongoing issues relating to coverage of the workforce
• The range of choices that are available to most employees
• The importance of default products
• The form of retirement benefits that are continuing to develop
• The growing member and media engagement within the industry
• The positive and negative impacts of government involvement
• The growing role of regulation

Learning objectives

1. How does a compulsory system become embedded within society?
2. What are the critical roles played by government, industry and the regulator in a successful pension industry?
3. With changes in the contemporary workforce, how should the occupational pension industry operate?
4. What issues has Australia failed to solve?

S2 - Benefits

Cannabis - A New Reality 

Speakers: Maureen Quinlan, Partner, Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP
                Melissa Snider-Adler, MD, CCFP, MRO (AAMRO), DABAM, Chief Medical Review Officer, DriverCheck
                Inc.

Description:  Join us for a panel discussion that considers both the legal and medical issues related to cannabis use and its impact on the workplace.  The panel will review key questions and considerations for employers when dealing with this difficult issue, including:

• Can an employee consume cannabis in the workplace?
• When is medical cannabis appropriate medical treatment?
• What are the potential risks of use of medical cannabis in the workplace?
• What information does an employer need if an employee discloses medical cannabis use?
• What are an employer’s health and safety obligations related to cannabis use?

Sponsored by: 

S3 - Investment  

Canadian venture capital – should that be a part of your investment portfolio?

Speaker: Christopher Walker, Principal, HarbourVest Partners, LLC

During this session, we will learn about what Canadian venture capital is, some history on the asset class and some compelling information on why it should be a part of your investment portfolio.

What you will learn:
1. What is venture capital?
2. How does it differ from other alternative assets classes?
3. What is some of the history behind it?
4. How would my portfolio benefit from having that in it?

Who should attend
Any trustees, managers, administrators or investment personnel

S4 - Pension

Is your workplace savings plan future-ready?

Speaker: Kate Nazar, Vice President, Strategy and Market Development, Group Retirement Services, Sun Life 

The one certainty with the future is change. Technology, client preferences and the workforce continue to evolve at an increasing pace. The emergence of trends that will create a dynamic workforce will soon demand that employers and workplace savings plans adapt and modernize to serve them better in the future. Are you ready to adapt your workplace savings plan to this new reality? 

Simplification, along with a smart mix of behavioral economic principles, artificial intelligence, data analytics and timely nudges can be used to deliver better outcomes with less efforts. This session will explore current workplace trends, presenting concrete ideas on how changes – both large and small – can result in a better tomorrow for plan members and sponsors.

What you will learn:

1. Awareness of trends that should be considered in plan design and workforce management
2. How the right mix of new technology and human connections will be instrumental to demystify many complex elements of plan member engagement, plan design and decision-making
3. How global trends and behavioural economics principles should be considered when crafting plan design
4. How simplification helps plan members understand their workplace savings plan and take action for their future

Who should attend: 

Plans sponsors, consultants, advisors

S5 - Benefits  

Post 65 Age Benefits

Speakers: Scott Sweatman, Partner, Denton LLP
                Paul Kennedy, Chief Actuary, Mercer

Understand how the abolition of mandatory retirement changed the landscape of providing group benefits beyond age 65.

Understand how a recent Ontario Human Rights Tribunal decision has intensified the risks associated with group benefits ceasing based on an attained age.

Understand how age restrictions, or lack thereof, can play out in M&A activities.

Sponsored by: 

S6 - Investment  

Riddle Me This – What are the Behavioural Decision-Making Pitfalls

Speaker: Peter Muldowney, Senior Vice-President, Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group

• Our minds are riddled with a host of behavioural influencers that help us act quickly in the face of danger, but make weighing evidence, assessing probabilities, and making effective decisions pretty difficult.

• Whether as a member of a pension and investment committee, or an individual capital accumulation plan member, you make many decisions, such as which markets to invest in and which investment managers to invest with.

• All your decisions can be negatively impacted by behavioural influencers, some of which you are not even aware of. To make more effective decisions, it’s critical to be aware of potential behavioural pitfalls.

What you will learn:

• Create awareness of the major biases and influencers
• Provide insights on how to manage these distractions
• Give you the tools to improve decision-making dynamics for more positive outcomes.

Who should attend: Anyone who sits on a committee, as well as all individuals making investment decisions.

S7 - Pension   

Decumulation in CAPs: Improving Member Retirement Outcomes

Speakers: Ross Dunlop,FSA, FCIA, CFA, Partner, Ellement       

Sponsored by: 

S8 - Benefits

The Future is Now - 21st Century Health, Wellness & Counselling Services

Speakers: Paul Parnass, M.S.W.R.S.W. Clinical Manager, Online and Telephonic Counselling, Stay at Work Services, Homewood
                Eric Pfeiffer, Senior Health Management Consultant - Team Lead, Manulife 

Do you know what Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is and why it’s beneficial? Do you know how plan providers are using technology and Behavioural Psychology to encourage employees to new levels of health and well-being? Did you know you can now access a physician on your mobile device at any time of the day or night? These are just some of the innovations that we have seen in healthcare in the past few years. Eric and Paul will explore these new delivery modalities and give a bit of a glimpse as to what they anticipate to be the future of health and wellness provision to encourage exceptional levels of employee well-being.

Sponsored by:

S9 - Investment

Advanced Currency Strategies to Reduce Portfolio Risks and Improve Returns

Speaker: James Binny, Managing Director, Global Head of Currency and Head of Investments Ireland, State
              Street Global Advisors

Institutional investors must preserve precious alpha, while mitigating risks from growing allocations to public and private foreign investment mandates. Address your foreign currency exposures taken relative to the Canadian dollar. From simple to sophisticated strategies, learn how to implement advanced techniques in currency management to enhance ROI.

What you will learn:

• Understand the diversification provided by unhedged currency for Canadian Investors – is it the same over the long and short-term?
• Understand the risk of loss that comes with unmanaged currency exposure.
• Techniques to balance capturing diversification benefits while managing the risk.

Who should attend:  Institutional investors with allocations to public and private foreign investment mandates.

S10 - Pension  

Regulatory Panel Pension Outlook

Speakers: Abraham Koomson, Managing Director, Pensions, B.C.
                Angela Mazerolle, Superintendent of Pensions, NB
                Krista McAlister, Supervision Manager in the Private Pension Plans Division, OSFI

Moderator: Jordan N. Fremont, Partner, Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP

Several pension regulators representing different jurisdictions in Canada will highlight recent regulatory activities and initiatives. They will also share their thoughts on what issues and opportunities lie ahead in their respective jurisdictions.

Sponsored by: 

S11 - Benefits

Combatting the Opioid Crisis – Whose Responsibility is it Anyway?

Speaker: Leila Mandlsohn, Senior Pharmacy Strategy Consultant, Green Shield Canada

Canada is facing a national crisis that spans all socioeconomic classes - eleven Canadians die every die because of opioids. The crisis follows exponential growth in use of prescription opioids that has taken place over the past thirty years, during which time opioid sales increased by more than 3000%. The root cause of this problem is complex and multifactorial and despite a series of efforts levied at the provincial and national levels, the crisis is not abating. It is now more essential than ever that all stakeholders – governments, providers, pharmacy benefits managers, insurers and plan sponsor all work together and in synergy to mitigate this crisis.

Learning Objectives:

• Examine the role of plan sponsors and benefits carriers in helping to combat the opioid crisis.
• Compare traditional and new claim management strategies that ensure appropriate opioid utilization.
• Discuss solutions beyond opioid claims management to support plan members’ needs.
• Explore the impact of opioid agonist maintenance treatment on benefits plans as a result of the opioid crisis

Target Audience:  Plan sponsors, plan advisors, brokers, consultants, TPAs

Sponsored by: 

S12 - Investment 

Beyond Equities and Bonds

Speakers: Ben Homsy, CFA, Portfolio Manager, Leith Wheeler
                Dhruv Mallick, CFA, Fixed Income High Yield Manager, Leith Wheeler

Why the US Leveraged Loan market is one of the last debt markets that is under-invested by Canadian pension plans. And why investing through the entire capital structure (including senior secured loans) makes sense in a late-cycle, rising interest rate environment.

A look at the benefits and risks of investing through the capital structure, including high yield and leveraged loans.

What you will learn:

• A better understanding of the risk and reward of high yield and senior loan investing.
• Gaining insight into the benefits of adding the asset class to a balanced portfolio.

Who Should attend: 

Pension plan trustees and managers, CFOs, Investment Managers and Consultants

S13 - Pension

Minding the Gap

Speaker: Matthew Gaudry, Director, Product Support & Management, The Great-West Life Assurance Company

A look into designing products, services, and experiences in consideration of ever changing member needs.  We’ll explore solutions and strategies with a view on total financial wellness and in a way that goes beyond just retirement planning.

S14 - Benefits 

Pursuing Partnership: How consultants are evolving (and innovating) to hit the moving target of client needs

Speakers: Jason Billard, Senior Vice President, West Region Leader, Morneau Shepell
                Kelly Cardwell, Vice President, Human Resources, Bosa Properties

Jason Billard of Morneau Shepell and Kelly Cardwell of Bosa Properties will provide a look from both sides of the table at the evolving expectations and relationships between consultants/insurers and their clients and how these dynamics have changed over the past 10-to-20 years.

Jason and Kelly will conduct in-depth interviews with HR leaders at a variety of major employers along with senior consulting and insurance providers and provide an exclusive overview of their findings to the attendees of the 2019 CPBI Forum. The focus of this research will be on how innovation and technology have changed the way HR professionals do their jobs and their expectations of how their providers/external partners can support their organizations’ ever-evolving business environment.

Delivered in a lively and engaging style, Jason and Kelly will go beyond their research findings and share several real-world examples of how innovation is driving incredible change within the HR industry.

Learning Objectives

1. How HR professionals can best utilize the expertise of resources outside their organization to deliver added value to their employees and their ROI.
2. Valuable insight into what today’s HR leaders expect and need from their consulting and insurance carrier providers.
3. How technology advances (e.g., AI) and economic trends (e.g., gig economy) are transforming how HR services are being delivered and also impacting expectations among today’s employees.
4. A discussion of what constitutes “value added” vs. a “commodity” in the eyes of HR executives today.

Target Audience:

Human resources professionals from employers in all industries (public sector, private sector and multi-employer plans), insurance industry professionals and consultants.

Sponsored by: 

S15 - Investment 

Brexit And Beyond 

Speaker: Peter Lukasiewicz, Chief Executive Officer, Gowling WLG

S16 - Pension  

OCI "Omg": Establishing Best Practices 

Speaker: Bradley N. Rowe, MBA, CFA, Principal, Eckler

As the Outsourced CIO (OCIO) service model continues to gain popularity in Canada, it is important for Plan Stakeholders to avoid blindly jumping on the bandwagon and evaluate the model with an eye on how the model can fit within a good governance model. By considering markets where the OCIO has a longer track-record, and more established "best-practices", we may be able to avoid some pitfalls, escort the conflict of interest elephant out of the room, and move forward with a stronger governance model for OCIO mandates.

This session will focus on what investment outsourcing is and what it is not. Address and perhaps clarify the idea of the OCIO's conflicted interests and provide some guidance to a Plan sponsor for the selection and ongoing evaluation of an OCIO provider.

What you will learn:

1. What is the difference between traditional consulting and outsourcing?
2. What is the OCIO Conflict of Interest, how can it be managed?
3. What should be considered as industry best practices?
4. Is there a role for the regulator?

Who should attend

Plan Sponsors, OCIO Providers, Regulators

Sponsored by: 

S17 - Benefits 

Maximizing Organizational Resilience: Breaking down the barriers to success

Speaker: Jesse Adams, Head of Operations & Strategy, Howatt HR

Jesse Adams (MSc), Former National Lead for Morneau Shepell’s Total Health Index tool and Head of Operation and Strategy at Howatt HR consulting will discuss the key principles and interaction of mental health, stress, and resilience in the workplace. A focus will be placed on considerations for organizations when building their health strategy, how to anchor health as a key priority in your organization, as well as practical steps in helping to support the resilience of employees.

What you will learn
1. Mental health and the impact of stress at work.
2. How to support the resilience of others.
3. Where to start with your strategy.
4. Six organizational barriers to success.

S18 - Investment

Innovations in Equity Risk Management

Speaker: Bradley Hough, FIA, ACIA, CAIA, Consultant, PBI

Plan sponsors are looking at innovative ways to protect pensions against falls in the equity market. Although the use of alternatives is increasing, public equities remain a key return driver for many pension plans. Plan sponsors need ways to mitigate the impact of drops in the equity market volatility while preserving exposure to the asset class. Some European and, more recently, North American, plan sponsors have been purchasing contractual, insurance-type protection against a drop in equities. Investors have then designed strategies to manage or offset the protection costs. These strategies are known as structured equity.

In this session, we will discuss structured equity strategies, review their impact and considerations, and describe how pension plans are using them to manage risk.

Participants will learn:

• The key risks tied to equity investments
• What structured equity is
• How to design structured equity strategies around the unique needs of a pension plan
• What plan sponsors should consider before implementing a structured equity strategy

Who should attend this session:

Defined Benefit plan sponsors, investment committee members, pension trustees, group benefits trustees, administrators involved in setting the asset mix for defined benefit pension plans.