Volatility is the theme of this year’s Risk Management Conference, which is being held August 10-12 in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. As Canadian pension funds grapple with volatility on just about every level, the conference will offer a fresh perspective and new ideas on how to manage it. As part of this year’s agenda, we are also pleased to highlight sessions on two important topics – energy and annuities.
Our keynote session on geopolitics, oil and gas markets will be delivered by global energy expert, Meghan O’Sullivan, who is the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and director of the Geopolitics of Energy Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University. Her talk will address the link between geopolitics and today’s energy markets, including the recent plunge in oil prices. As O’Sullivan will explain, the price drop has shaped political landscapes from Venezuela to Russia, to Saudi Arabia to Japan, triggering developments that could have their own implications for energy supply. In her talk, she will explore the intimate relationship between geopolitics and energy markets, giving participants insights into how politics could further unsettle markets in the months and years ahead.
We are also pleased to announce a special keynote panel on the rise of annuities in the Canadian pension landscape. As plan sponsors seek to de-risk, many are looking for ways to get out of the pension game altogether—annuitization is one exit strategy. This panel discussion will explore plan sponsor experiences with annuities and the benefits and risks of using them. Speakers on the panel include John Poos, group head, pensions and benefits, George Weston Ltd. and Loblaw Companies Ltd., Julien Ranger, partner, pensions and benefits, Osler and Andrew Whale, senior associate and annuity strategist, Mercer.
You can find out more about the Risk Management Conference here.