Mercer is appointing Monika Freyman as Canadian head of responsible investment and David Fanger in the same role for the U.S. In the roles, Freyman and Fanger will lead the delivery of sustainable investment advisory and solutions services to institutional investors. “David and Monika each bring decades of institutional knowledge and passion for social and environmental […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario has issued new guidance on transferring commuted values and purchasing annuities when a pension plan’s transfer ratio has declined since the most recently filed valuation report by 10 per cent and is now below 0.9. If the defined benefit plan’s transfer ratio is less than 1.0 the plan […]
The value of total global assets under management grew by 15 per cent in 2019, with institutional investors’ assets reaching $52 trillion, according to a report from the Boston Consulting Group. The growth was primarily driven by market performance, contributing to about three-quarters of the expansion in 2019. Looking to specific asset classes, alternative products […]
With volatility rattling public markets, fundraising for private equity deals took a tumble during the first quarter of 2020, according to a new report by the Callan Institute, which found fund closing dropped 39 per cent since the last quarter of 2019, while commitments were down 37 per cent. Many institutional investors suddenly find themselves over-allocated to […]
The Winnipeg Public Service is recommending the reversal of amendments to the City of Winnipeg’s police pension bylaw. The amendments, which took effect April 1, 2020, were the subject of a grievance filed by the Winnipeg Police Association and the Winnipeg Police Senior Officer’s Association in November 2019 after the City of Winnipeg attempted to make alterations […]
The funded status of the Segal Group Inc.’s model multi-employer pension plan fell from 95 per cent to 86 per cent during the first quarter of 2020, according to a new report by the firm. The model’s portfolio is comprised of 55 per cent equities and 45 per cent bonds. Overall, its investments saw dismal […]
People Corp. has appointed Brevan Canning as president, effective May 21. Since joining the organization when it was created in 2007, Canning has held senior management positions across third-party administration, collective benefits consulting and shared services. Most recently, he was executive vice-president and head of benefits solutions. Read: People Corp. acquires Sirius Benefit Plans for $15M “[Canning] […]
Sustainable indexes largely outperformed during the first quarter of 2020 amid market turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to BlackRock Inc.’s latest sustainability report. “While this short time period is not determinative, it aligns with the resilience we have seen in sustainable strategies during prior downturns,” said the report. The big question for institutional […]
Shopify Inc. is moving the majority of its employees to permanent work-from-home arrangements and closing its offices until 2021. “Until recently, work happened in the office,” tweeted Tobi Lutke, chief executive officer of Shopify on Thursday. “We’ve always had some people remote, but they used the internet as a bridge to the office. This will […]
Canadians workers are proving resilient in the face of the hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the Environics Institute for Survey Research in partnership with the Future Skills Centre and Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute. Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of Canadians said they feel confident in their abilities after the pandemic was […]