Breakfast

Opening remarks and interactive activity

Economic outlook: Rollover inflation

In the last two years, interest rates fell after roughly 500 basis points of rate hikes, while the economy has consistently managed to churn out moderate growth. With the U.S. election and geopolitical tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East and potentially beyond, Canada is looking flat while the U.S. economy has remained surprisingly strong. This session will explore how the U.S. Federal Reserve will respond and whether or not the Bank of Canada will follow its lead.

Speaker:

Douglas Porter, chief economist and managing director, BMO Financial Group

Integrating impact and non-impact investments within overall asset allocation

This session will explore a framework for constructing investment portfolios for endowments and foundations, taking into consideration both impact and non-impact investments. It will highlight the benefits of a balanced-plus approach and discuss various models for creating the optimal portfolio.

Speakers:

Pascal Bernier, portfolio manager of strategic asset allocation, Desjardins Global Asset Management

Maxime Chevalier, alternative investments specialist, Desjardins Global Asset Management

Networking break

A moving target: The evolution of sustainable investing

Amid industry-wide discussions on divestment, engagement, energy security and net zero, sustainability-focused institutional investors are facing an increasingly complex landscape, all while extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and intensity. This session will feature an interactive discussion on what’s happening in ESG and climate investing, the key trends that are being overlooked and the opportunities for Canadian institutional investors.

Speakers:

Catherine Jackman, managing director, SLC Management

Kevin Quinlan, senior director of climate and client strategy, SLC Management

Reframing sustainable investing

Activism has created a drain on universities and foundations. The expectations for investing sustainably are effectively framed by those who aren’t fiduciaries. This session will reframe the messaging on sustainable investing by considering trade-offs and how challenges represent potential opportunities as allocators strive to meet decarbonization goals.

Speaker:

Arijit Banik, treasurer, York University

Fireside chat: How current market challenges are impacting E&F investment decision making 

This fireside chat will discuss hot topics for endowment and foundation decision-makers, including divestment requests from stakeholders, impact investing, liquidity concerns, adjusting to an inflationary environment, staying the course during short-term market instability and much more.

Speaker:

Martin Bélanger, director of investments, Western University

Closing lunch