7:30 – 8:30 AM: 

Breakfast (Lobby Lounge)

8:30 – 9:00 AM: 

Opening remarks and icebreaker activity (Sovereign Ballroom)

9:00 – 10:00 AM:

How the ‘boomer bulge’ is impacting private, public pension policy

The failure of previous federal governments to devise revenue plans that support healthy retirements for baby boomers now threatens younger Canadians, who struggle with rent and home ownership costs that have outpaced their earnings. These workers have little left over to contribute to their retirement savings and count on DC pension plan sponsors to make excellent decisions — when they’re lucky enough to be in jobs that offer these plans. This session will explore the historical policy decisions that have led to this point as well as possible solutions to improve younger workers’ retirement prospects.

Speaker:

Paul Kershaw, founder, Generation Squeeze and policy professor, University of British Columbia

10:00 – 10:30 AM:

Three tips for evaluating a target-date solution

Navigating today’s retirement landscape to meet the diverse needs of Canadian members is complicated. This session will explore three actionable steps in the target-date assessment process, marrying the nuances of Canadian DC plan demographics and investment strategy towards better retirement outcomes.

Speaker:

Wyatt Lee, portfolio manager and head of target-date strategies, T. Rowe Price

10:30 – 11:00 AM: 

Networking break (Lobby Lounge)

11:00 – 11:30 AM:

Exploring Canadian investor trends and their impacts on strategic investment design

Retirement outcomes for defined contribution plan members are driven by plan design, member behaviour and investment returns earned over decades. This session will review recent trends across several investor attributes, expanding the conversation to highlight ways this data can influence the investment design process for a target-date fund.

Speaker:

Jon Knowles, institutional portfolio manager in global asset allocation, Fidelity Investments  

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM:

Road to better outcomes

In an ever-changing defined contribution landscape, understanding the diverse needs and goals of plan members is crucial. This session will discuss critical topics for plan members, including retirement confidence and income, target-date funds and sustainable investing.

Speaker:

Nick DeLisi, relationship director, institutional relationship management, MFS Investment Management

12:00 – 1:00 PM:

Lunch (Lobby Lounge)

1:00 – 1:30 PM:

Why sustainability risks matter in global bond markets

Economic indicators and sustainability factors are inextricably linked. Solving for food, energy and housing prices matter to governments and global bond investors. This session will present the case on why environmental and social considerations should be mainstream for all institutional investors.

Speaker:

Reina Berlien, head of environmental, social and governance, Brandywine Global Investment Management

This session has been made possible by Franklin Templeton

1:30 – 2:00 PM:

Simplifying retirement: Introducing a new category in decumulation solutions

To live their best retirement, plan members need reliable income, flexibility and simplicity. This session will introduce target-age solutions, a new decumulation category that meets the complex needs of plan members in retirement — while keeping it simple to understand and use.

Speakers:

Michael Carter, assistant vice-president of product development and sponsor experience, group retirement services, Sun Life 

Anne Meloche, head of institutional business, Sun Life Global Investments

2:00 – 2:30 PM: 

Networking break (Lobby Lounge)

2:30 – 3:00 PM:

Managing inflation through a lifecycle framework

Lifecycle investment strategies seek to manage a variety of risks plan members face over their lifetimes. This session will introduce a framework for lifecycle investment and expand on how it can be used to manage inflation risk and improve retirement outcomes.

Speaker:

Nick Nefouse, managing director, global head of retirement solutions and head of LifePath, multi-asset strategies and solutions, BlackRock

3:00 – 3:30 PM:

Supporting DC plan members’ investment decisions amid rising cost of living

The rising cost of living in the post-pandemic era has impacted all aspects of employees’ financial wellness, including retirement savings. In this panel session, three DC plan sponsors will discuss how they’re helping plan members achieve stronger retirement outcomes through investment options, technology and innovative savings plans.

Panellists:

Debra Hall, director, total rewards and HR operations, Enercare

Rob Jackett, senior director of finance and administration, Canadian Baptist Ministries

Rana Kassab, director, people, rewards and recognition, Hoffmann-La Roche Limited

3:30 – 5:00 PM:

Closing cocktail reception (Sovereign Ballroom)