Agenda

Unlocking the ‘AI brain’
Artificial intelligence is reshaping every part of the human experience, from learning and decision-making to employee well-being. However, beneath the headlines, doom and hype lies a deeper transformation: AI is changing how people think, learn, plan and engage with their financial futures. This session will explore the years of AI evolution and unpack the secrets of how technology has shaped the human brain for centuries. It will also provide “AI hacks” that increase brain function and how to train AI, instead of letting it train you.

Speaker:
Sarah Baldeo, AI neuroscientist, entrepreneur

Advice in transition: Human, digital and AI — what’s next for plan members?
This session will explore how advice in group retirement has evolved and whether human advice remains the gold standard for driving confidence and reducing financial stress. It will also examine emerging trends, such as digital and AI, as well as governance challenges, including a live case study comparing AI and human recommendations.

Speaker:
Marc-Antoine Morin, assistant vice-president, group retirement, Manulife

From existential risk to resilience: New insights on gen Z’s stressors
Existential risk is the growing concern about threats to humanity’s long-term survival. But it isn’t just a buzz word. It’s shaping how gen Z approaches workplace savings plan participation, long-term planning and even career decisions. How can plan sponsors help this generation believe the future is still worth investing in? This session will explore scientific insights from an exclusive new study to uncover how existential risk shapes gen Z’s financial behaviours and what employers can do to empower early career employees in an age of uncertainty.

Speaker:
Kate Nazar, vice-president, workplace retirement, Canada Life

A look at the PEPP’s lifetime pension

This session will outline Saskatchewan's Public Employees Pension Plan and its newest decumulation option: the lifetime pension. This variable payment life annuity strategy complements the existing decumulation options: a variable benefit and traditional annuities. It will also outline the PEPP’s investment structure and how Canada’s largest DC plan incorporates illiquid private market exposures into its investment structure to support products like the lifetime pension.

Speaker:

Gary Hutch, chief investment officer and executive vice-president of investments, Plannera Pensions & Benefits

From confusion to confidence: Achieving better retirement outcomes with DC plans
How can plan sponsors improve member understanding and confidence in their defined contribution pension plans? What approaches address retirement risks and optimize income sustainability? How can behavioural factors be managed to enhance DC outcomes in a world where defined benefit plans are on the decline? This session will answer these questions and more.

Speaker:
Peter Bowen, vice-president, tax, retirement, Fidelity Investments Canada

Unveiling member perceptions and motivations in workplace savings plans
This session will explore Sun Life’s latest research from more than 1,900 workplace savings plan members. The research uncovered the perceptions, realities, intentions and motivations that drive patterns observed in plan data and revealed significant differences across member segments, particularly by gender and investor confidence profiles. This session will also explore how plan sponsors can leverage these insights to help close the savings gap to improve the retirement readiness of all employees.

Speaker:
Speaker information to come. This session has been made possible by Sun Life.

Building employee trust through clear communication during a savings program transition
This session will examine how to turn a complex savings plan provider transition into an experience that empowers employees to stay informed, engaged and confident at every step. It will provide simple tools, transparent messaging and bite-sized education that resonate across a generationally diverse workforce. It will also explore how this approach can build trust, reduce uncertainty and keep the transition seamless from start to finish.

Speakers:
Jennifer Katzsch, regional vice-president, group retirement savings, Western Canada, Desjardins Insurance
Christine McCloskey-Bruno, senior total rewards manager, KPMG Canada

Navigating retirement confidence: Canadian insights from the 2025 global retirement savers study
In an era shaped by economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures and shifting retirement expectations, Canadian employers face evolving challenges in supporting their workforce’s long-term financial well-being. This session will present actionable findings from T. Rowe Price’s 2025 global retirement savers study, which surveyed retirement savers across the five largest pension markets, including Canada. The research explores Canadian retirement savers’ financial goals, investment preferences and retirement expectations, as well as the implications of these findings for Canadian employers.

Speaker:
Jessica Sclafani, global retirement strategist, T. Rowe Price

Panel: Unpacking the myriad challenges of DC plan communications, engagement
As Canada’s DC plans mature, the numerous challenges around communicating the plan and engaging with members continue to pile up. Employees have competing financial priorities depending on their life stage, as well as varying levels of financial literacy. Employers have several generations in their workforces that are spread out globally and nationally, with many still balancing a legacy DB plan alongside a DC plan. And along come technology and AI developments, evolving so quickly, it’s a challenge to keep up. In this panel session, three plan sponsors will explore these challenges, offering real-life examples and experiences, as well as lessons and takeaways for other DC plan sponsors.

Panellists:
Simon Cabral, director, global DC plans, Scotiabank
Jennifer Gottfriedson, senior manager, benefits, pension and disability, PwC Canada
Cristina Lisita, assistant vice-president, finance, Honda Canada Inc.

Moderator:
Jennifer Paterson, editor, Benefits Canada

Designing decision supports that drive appreciation and informed action (Victoria Ballroom)
Imagine a future where every defined contribution plan feels simple, intuitive and aligned with a member’s goals. This session will explore that world: where behavioural insights shape every interaction and where research-informed choice architecture helps empower members to act with confidence. The result? Plan members who not only make better choices but truly value their pension plan as a cornerstone of their retirement well-being.

Speaker:
Barbara Sanders, associate professor, statistics and actuarial science, Simon Fraser University

The silent risk shift: How the evolution of default funds is threatening retirement security
Default investment funds have shifted from thoughtful, age-based diversification to higher equity exposure and more concentrated risks — often without members’ awareness. This session will uncover how these hidden vulnerabilities can impact retirement outcomes, the unintentional risks of “set and forget” investing and what steps plan sponsors and members should take to protect retirement security in today’s evolving market.

Speaker:
Jafer Naqvi, managing director, head, client portfolio management, TD Asset Management Inc.

What’s important, what helps and what hinders DC plan members’ investment decisions?
This session will explore survey feedback from Canadian and global defined contribution pension plan members, illustrating what’s most important and top of mind in key demographic segments. It will also examine key pervasive barriers to sound investing, which contribute to a discernible behaviour gap between potential and actual investment results and why (and how) well-constructed investment solutions narrow the gap.

Speaker:
Speaker information to come. This session has been made possible by CIBC Asset Management.

How CPP Investments is implementing CAPSA’s CAP guideline across a global DC framework
When the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities modernized the capital accumulation plan guideline, it reshaped expectations for governance, oversight and member outcomes. This session will share practical lessons learned by CPP Investments in applying the updated guideline within a multinational defined contribution governance framework. It will explore how CAPSA served as a catalyst for reassessing roles and responsibilities, strengthening oversight and aligning governance across global pension arrangements while balancing local regulatory requirements. It will also provide real-world insight into what worked, what proved challenging and where flexibility was required in practice.

Speaker:
Marina Lodyga, director, pension, benefits, CPP Investments

DC Plan Summit

February 18, 2025

February 19, 2025

February 20, 2025

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING?

SPONSORS

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AGENDA?