S1 - Pension - Broadcasted Live

Decumulation: What’s your plan?  

Karen Wachal, Senior Pension & Benefits Manager, Bell
Blair Richards, CIO, Halifax Port ILA/HEA
Janice Holman, Principal, Eckler

A growing interest in the transition from work to retirement has heightened attention to the decumulation phase of life. Demand for more products and services which better reflect and enable a multitude of scenarios has followed. There are new and modern alternatives available now which warrant consideration by plan sponsors for incorporation. Join the three person panel to see both what is possible due to legislative/regulatory developments and what is popular with employees.

Two very different plan sponsors present their member retirement packages which include the latest options.

Follow up the presentation session with a workshop to explore your particular situation. Are you confused with all the different options and which would be best for you and your members? Come with questions and comments relative to the pension plan you’re involved with. Thinking from both the sponsor perspective and about your own future we can look at the flexibility, reduced costs, and risk mitigation strategies at your disposal that make so many more decumulation options possible today.

S2-  Benefits - On-Demand

Embracing the Grey Tsunami - What Benefit Plan Sponsors Can Do to Adapt to an Aging Workforce

Gerrit Marais, Consultant, PBI

Statistics show that the Canadian workforce is aging, but how does this affect plan design and costs? By demographically projecting sample workforces, this session will explain how a plan's funding can be impacted and what trustees and fiduciaries can do today to ensure plan sustainability in the future.

Attend to: 

• Discover the potential impacts of an aging membership on your Plans and how you can adapt to them
• Learn about the importance of workforce planning
• Learn how to use demographics modelling to ensure your plan’s sustainability

S3 - Pension - Broadcasted Live

Climate Change, Are We Doing Enough?

Toby Heaps, CEO, Corporate Knights 
Kevin Thomas, CEO, Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)
Dee Henne, CEO, Lead (Learn | Excel | Adapt | Deliver)

Moderator: Randy Bauslaugh, Partner, Bauslaugh Pensions & Benefits Law

Last fall the UN warned that current reduction efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C are not enough to prevent our planet from warming by at least 2.5°C,  a level deemed catastrophic by scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Despite interest by pension funds in “sustainable investments” Implementation strategies vary dramatically. Why?  This session will identify what pension funds are doing, the barriers that exist, and the supports pension funds may need to increase allocations to the financing of reduction, removal, resilience, and remediation efforts.  This includes the role of plan size, education, availability of investment vehicles, pension fund governance policy, and the role of regulators, plan administrators and plan members.

S4-  Benefits On-Demand

What Millennials expect from you (and from us)

Charmaine Alexander, Plan Sponsor Service Advisor - Disability Management and Prevention, Desjardins Insurance
Kara Macdonald,  Human Resources Manager, Myers LLP
Katrina Young,  Benefits Consultant, BFL CANADA

Moderator: Melody Helleouet,Account Executive, Desjardins Insurance

Millennials make up a third of the Canadian workforce today. Attracting and retaining these workers is key to addressing the labour shortage.

A recent study into overall health by Desjardins Insurance revealed that 40% of Millennials feel disconnected from their work, and that 43% are considering leaving their job in the next year. Can we change their minds? If so, how?

Attend to learn

• What millennial employees expect from their employers
• What types of benefits can improve their mental, financial, physical, social and environmental well-being
• How managers’ roles need to change to engage (or re-engage) Millennials at work
• How employers can leverage their benefits plan to attract and retain Millenials

S5 - Pension On-Demand

Engaging Members Starts at Day One

Pam Bristol - Director, Public Employees Benefits Agency
Tola Oduntan - Manager, Member and Stakeholder Relations, Public Employees Benefits Agency

In this session you will hear highlights of the engagement tactics PEBA is using successfully throughout the member journey to drive member engagement across these plans.

PEPP is Canada’s largest define contribution plan, and MEPP is a defined benefits plan. Both plans have different member information needs and rates of engagement. In 2022, PEBA doubled down on member engagement to ensure members are educated about their pension plans and aware of PEBA’s services to help them achieve the best retirement outcomes. PEBA’s retirement information consultants (RICs), who are certified financial planners, deliver in-person workshops and one-on-one meetings to help members make the best choices for their financial and retirement goals. In 2022, PEBA’s communication team began a targeted marketing campaign based on member age and stage to drive members to the RICs’ workshops and one-on-one meetings. The campaign also provided information to help members navigate current market volatility. The results have been increased demand from members which will lead to better plan awareness and member retention as the agency transitions to a not-for-profit corporation.

S6 - Benefits Broadcasted Live

Panel on Private Drug Benefits: Ensuring Value for Plan Sponsors

Joe Farago, Executive Director, Private Payers and Investment, Innovative Medicines Canada
Bianca Brooks, Senior Pharmaceutical Benefits Strategist, Sun Life
Frédéric Leblanc, Strategic Advisor, Drug Program Management iA Group

Moderator: Kim Siddall,  National Vice President, Account Management, Mid-Large Business, People Corporation 

This session will review key drug trends and discuss approaches to consider to maintain coverage of new medicines, including a national pooling mechanism. Cross-industry collaboration will be discussed, including innovative reimbursement solutions such as outcome-based agreements.

S7 - Investment  On-Demand

Oversight of ESG investing

Bonnie Foley-Wong, Sustainable Investment Leader, Canada, Mercer
Paul Fahey, Head of Investment Data Science, Asset Servicing, Americas, Northern Trust

Session Description:
Institutional investors are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainable investing, but integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into investment approaches can be challenging. In this session, we will explore how pension managers can start their sustainability journey and take actionable steps to achieve their strategic, financial, and sustainability objectives. We will also discuss how data science can be leveraged to streamline the broad and growing world of ESG data analytics, including crafting a data-supported investment strategy, analyzing screening and risk and performance, portfolio optimization and simulation, and reporting/benchmarking. We will explore how institutional investors can efficiently support their sustainability investing goals and access the ESG data needed to drive decisions. Additionally, we will address the importance of staying ahead of regulatory changes by focusing now on how to put ESG data to work.

Attend to Learn:

• Understand the challenges of integrating sustainability into investment approaches and learn initial steps to take when starting a sustainability journey.
• Learn how data science can be used to develop a data-supported investment strategy and how screening, risk and performance analysis, portfolio optimization and simulation, and reporting/benchmarking factor into a strategy.
• Explore how institutional investors can efficiently support their sustainability investing goals and access the ESG data needed to drive decisions, while also staying ahead of likely regulatory changes.

S8 - Pension - Broadcasted Live

Pension Transformation : Defining Thresholds for change

Niki Zaphiratos, Managing Director, RBC Investor & Treasury Services
Barney Nelson, CEO, The Value Exchange
David Asselstine, SVP & CFO, Teacher Retirement Allowances Fund (TRAF)

As pension funds pursue transformation projects this year, many are leveraging data to make decisions about the optimal operating model for their business. In this presentation, Niki Zaphiratos, Head of Asset Owners, Client Coverage at RBC Investor & Treasury Services, will share the latest findings of the Asset Owner Transformation research series, led by RBC with global partners, with insights from over 150 pension funds globally. The series explore how asset owners are pursuing change, where they are succeeding, and which projects are getting left behind.

Attend to learn:

• Why existing pension operating models are no longer working
• What pension funds are doing to transform their operational infrastructures
• How pension funds are mapping their change journey, including their common obstacles and challenges in realizing transformation
• How new technologies are performing in practice

S9 - Benefits  On-Demand

Include me as I am. Perspectives on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Mental Health in the Workplace.

Alex Boucher, Consultant, Total Health Management, Mercer
Stephanie Lue-Kim, Consultant, Total Health Management, Mercer

Within the last few years Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) has surfaced as a top agenda across all industries, across the country, and one could say across the globe. Social forces such as various social rights movements, the pandemic, inflation, and the global labour shortage to name a few have increasingly put a spotlight on DEI. Mental health experts have applied DEI tactics throughout their practice and it’s time to shine a spotlight on the consistent agenda each topic emphasizes – the benefits to the workplace, and the greater society, will have if every individual is accepted and included as they are.

• The business case, and cost of doing nothing for DEI and mental health
• Strategies to support an inclusive culture
• Steps for implementation

S10 - Investment  On-Demand

Bringing Alternative Investments to DC Plan

Gary Hutch, Executive Director, Investment Services, Public Employees Benefits Agency (PEBA)
Jafer Naqvi, Vice President & Director, Lead of Institutional Asset Allocation Team, TD Asset Management Inc.

Historically, Defined Benefit Pension Plans have benefited from exposure to alternative asset classes, to provide diversification benefits, preserving the upside while mitigating the downside. With a growing number of DC plans, how can we bring DB investment structures to DC members to help achieve retirement objectives? This session will explore how DC solutions can be designed to optimize plan member outcomes and meet plan member needs, and how PEBA, the Public Employees Pension Plan (PEPP), and PEPP’s sister plan, the Municipal Employee’s Pension Plan (MEPP) worked together to target a combined portfolio of $2 billion in private equity and infrastructure investments between the two plans.

S11 - Pension On-Demand

Innovative Decumulation solutions: What DC Plan Members Need

Dino Bourdos, CFA, CIM, Portfolio Manager, Head of Investment Solutions - Guardian Capital LP
Pat Leo, Vice President, Longevity Retirement Solutions, Purpose Investments

Session description

Decumulation presents defined contribution plan members with additional challenges and questions they didn’t face during their working years as they accumulated assets. This session will cover what makes this phase of an employee’s financial lifecycle uniquely difficult, will provide an overview of Longevity Risk Pooling, highlight some innovative Canadian decumulation solutions, and provide plan sponsors ideas around how to implement a decumulation strategy to help their members tackle the decumulation phase.

Attend to:

1. Understand longevity risk and longevity risk pooling
2. How longevity pooling can enhance returns and provide income for life
3. Learn about the benefits of modern tontines as well as advanced life deferred annuities

Target Audience

DC Plan sponsors, administrators and members.

Record keepers

Consultants

S12 - Benefits  Broadcasted Live

Disability re-Imagined : A people-first Approach to Plan Member Ability

Christine Hildebrand, VP Health and Ability Strategy, Canada Life
Leanne Taylor, Canadian Elite Paratriathlete and Compliance Officer, Medicure Inc.
Paula Bonham, Human Resources Generalist, Medicure Inc.

Moderator: Laurel Mansfield, National Practice Leader of Wellbeing, Canada Life

When life-changing events like injuries and illnesses happen, they don’t just impact the plan member, they also affect their family and their plan sponsor. It takes more than a one-size-fits-all approach to support a successful recovery and return to work.

After a cycling accident in 2018 left Leanne Taylor paralyzed from the waist down at twenty-five years old, she had to rebuild her life from the ground up. Determined to create a fulfilling life and move forward, Leanne set a lofty goal of completing a triathlon, using only her arms, just eight months after her injury. And she did it. Fast-forward four years, Leanne has become one of the top-ranked paratriathletes in the world, while adapting to life in a wheelchair. Leanne also excels in her day job as a compliance officer at a pharmaceutical company where she won an award as one of the Top 25 Women in Biotechnology in 2022.

Join Canada Life for holistic panel conversation with plan sponsor Medicure and plan member Leanne as they discuss how their people-first approach to disability management helped everyone see what Leanne can do, not what she can’t do.

Attend to learn

• Why employers should incorporate well-being into their plan to take a proactive approach to disability
• How employers can take a holistic people-first approach to create a more resilient employee
• What’s the best way to ensure an employee returns to work ready to win and make a positive contribution for the organization

S13 - Investment - On-Demand

Impact of higher interest rates on future investment opportunities

Graeme Hay, CIO of Teachers’ Retirement Allowances Fund (TRAF)
Peter Muldowney, Head of Institutional and Multi-Asset Strategy, Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group

The multi-decade decline in interest rates saw many investors reduce allocations to traditional fixed income, and move to private market assets, such as commercial real estate and infrastructure, to benefit from higher yields. The speed and magnitude of the rise in interest in 2022 was a surprise to most investors and resulted in negative fixed income returns for the calendar year, perhaps further alienating investors However, the past is the past. As investors look forward, to what extent does the higher interest rate change the dynamics for fixed income investing, as well as asset class return-drivers in general?

Attend to:

• Hear how the next 10-years could be different for the return-opportunity set.
• Learn what asset classes will benefit from the current rate environment.
• Hear first-hand from the CIO of a major fund on how they navigated the last several years and the future outlook.

Who should attend:

Investment and pension committee members

S14 - Pension  Broadcasted Live

What's this Obsession with Single Employer Pension Plans? 

Lilach Frenkel, Director, Product Innovation, CAAT Pension Plan
Dawn Marchand, President & CEO Lawyers Financial
Stefán Halldórsson, Project Manager, Icelandic Pension Funds Association
Randy Bauslaugh, Bauslaugh Pensions & Benefits Law

Canada’s workplace pension system is often held up in other parts of the world as a model to emulate.  Canada’s “Maple Leaf Plans” are revered for risk-adjusted performance, asset-liability management, private market investing, ESG transition, transparency, and cost-efficient benefit delivery.   Sadly, these plans represent less than half of one percent of our more than 16,300 registered pension plans.  Most of our plans are single employer plans with fewer than 10 members and all our registered plans only cover less than 40% of the Canadian workforce. The Maple Leaf Plans tend to have thousands of members.  All are sector-wide or multi-employer plans.  This session will examine whether its time to move away from the inefficient single employer model by examining the success of multi-employer and industry-wide models in Canada and elsewhere.  

S15 - Benefits On-Demand

Health, Wellness and Support: Employment Relationship in the Face of Change

Dan Licoppe, Director Maximum Benefit, Johnston Group
Sharon Au, Counsel, MLT Aikins LLP
Kristin Gibson, Partner, MLT Aikins LLP

Moderator: Marnie Klimack, Manager, Group Sales, Manitoba Blue Cross

Session description

Recent times have brought about significant changes, whether it is a once in a lifetime pandemic, global supply chain issues, or state conflict. Through all this change, the employer’s obligation to accommodate their employees remained the same – or did it?

Following the Covid-19 pandemic the number of employees working fully remotely is expected to nearly double from pre-pandemic levels by 2025. While hybrid and remote work offers advantages for employees and employers, there are unique challenges that companies must now address.

This session will address the fundamental principles of accommodation, how change may affect the relationship between the employer and employee, and how this may impact an employee’s right to return to work, receive benefits, and remain an employee.

Looking beyond the pandemic, companies now must re-evaluate their health, wellness and benefits programs to meet these challenges, and their employees' changing needs as a remote or hybrid worker.

Attend to learn

1. The fundamental principles of accommodation,
2. how change may affect the relationship between the employer and employee, and how this may impact an employee’s right to return to work, receive benefits, and remain an employee.
3. How remote work has impacted employees' mental health, engagement, retention, attraction, and the impact on disability claims incidence and duration.
4. Plan design options and group benefits solutions to support a remote and hybrid workforce

S16 - Investment On-Demand

Revisiting Emerging Markets Equity  

Dimitar Shapov, Vice President, Portfolio Manager – Emerging Markets, Burgundy Asset Management LT
Leon Eidelman Managing Director, Portfolio manager - Emerging Markets JP Morgan

Join us for an in-depth discussion on Emerging Market (EM) equities with portfolio managers Leon Eidelman, CFA (J.P. Morgan Asset Management) and Dimitar Shapov, CFA (Burgundy Asset Management), moderated by Robert LeDoux, CFA (J.P. Morgan Asset Management). The conversation will include the panelists views on opportunities within sectors and countries, the accompanying risks, thoughts on China and India, as well as portfolio construction and geopolitics more broadly.

S17 - Pension On-Demand

Designed for Savings

Designed for Savings is Sun Life’s flagship report on capital accumulation plans in Canada. Using Sun Life’s unparalleled database of group retirement savings participants, this comprehensive report is the most authoritative look at group retirement savings in Canada.

This session will offer key insights from the newly released 2023 report. We’ll discuss the latest trends in plan member behavior during challenging economic conditions, the impact of market volatility on investments, decumulation, or how retirees are drawing down their savings and investments, and much more. Sponsors will be provided key takeaways on how they can evolve their workplace plans to be future-ready, to better meet the evolving needs of plan members.

S18 - Benefits On-Demand

Investigative Tools to Confirm Claim Diagnosis and Mitigate Financial Risk

Jason Dumbreck, Senior Vice President, Xpera Risk Mitigation & Investigation

What are the red flags I need to be mindful of in order to mitigate risk? What information can I use to verify the facts? And when inconsistences arise, how can I discover the truth?

Investigative tools can help you find the answers you need.

In this session, you will gain proficiency in the key investigative tools for mitigating claims fraud. You will learn and understand how evidence is captured through Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), including potential privacy issues and ethical/legal considerations. We will review potential red flags relating to the claimant, policy, or circumstances of a claim, and bring you up to speed on the use of surveillance for gathering intelligence. We will also work through real case studies, from initial reconnaissance to final evidence and reporting, and show you first-hand how investigators collect information and translate it into meaningful intelligence.

S19 - Investment Broadcasted Live

Fixed Income Panel

Tamsin Wilding, FIxed Income Analyst, Vice President, Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd
Ryan Domsy, Executive Vice President & Portfolio Manager, Head of Fixed Income, Foyston, Gordon & Payne Inc. (FGP)
Rodrigo Trelles, Co-chef, O’Connor Capital Solutions / Co-Head, O’Connor Capital Solutions

Moderator: Chris Richard, Head of Fixed Income Investing & Portfolio Manager, Bcv Asset Management

S20 - Pension  Broadcasted Live

Cross Country Legal update 

Caroline L. Helbronner, Partner, Blakes LLP

Pension and employee benefit updates for 2023: This session will provide an overview of key recent legislative, regulatory and caselaw updates across the country for pension and employee benefits for employers and plan administrators. In particular, this session will cover trends in the industry as well as recent releases from the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, and the federal Department of Finance on a number of topics.

S21 - Benefits On-Demand

Building Resilient Vaccine Coverage and Uptake Policies for Plan Sponsors 

Dr. Jia Hu, Public Health & Preventive Medicine Physician, CEO of 19 To Zero, Adjunct Professor" University of Calgary
Johnny Ma, President & COO Mapol Inc.

Attend this session to

• Discuss the value of vaccines
• Identify the gaps between public and private payer policies on vaccine coverage
• Share claims data to highlight how group benefits plans can play a critical role in improving access and uptake to vaccines

S22 - Investment - On-Demand

Real Estate Investing: The long game on capital preservation and growth

Kristin Ramlal VP, Institutional Investment, Canada Life
Steven Marino,  Executive Vice President, Portfolio Management GWL Reality Advisors

Session description

Whether planning for retirement or seeking long-term capital appreciation, we believe real estate is a foundational component of a long-term diversified portfolio, providing attractive real and risk-adjusted returns for investors. In the wake of both secular and structural changes related to the demand for real estate, the combination of a thoughtful investment strategy and tactical execution are paramount to success.

In this session Kristin Ramlal (VP, Institutional Investment Sales, Canada Life) and Steven Marino (EVP, Portfolio Management, GWL Realty Advisors) will discuss discuss how exposure to this cornerstone asset class can provide growth and resiliency in these uncertain times, while responsibly advancing environmental, social and governance agendas.

Attend to:

• Understand real estate property exposure (Pro/con)
• Learn the ifference between real estate property asset classes (Retail/office/industrial/residential/multi-use…)
• Understand private vs. public market real estate investing
• Understand ESG in real estate