7:30 – 8:30 AM: 

Breakfast (Sovereign Ballroom)

8:30 – 9:00 AM: 

Opening remarks and icebreaker activity (Sovereign Ballroom)

9:00 – 10:00 AM:

Six challenges to democracy

This session will explore the six biggest challenges facing democratic governments today, including a changed post-pandemic landscape, debt and inflation, an ageing population, big geopolitical forces, climate change and artificial intelligence. With deep long-term and multilateral effects, this session will discuss how people can pull together to address the biggest challenges looming over the future.

Speaker:

Andrew Coyne, political journalist

10:00 – 10:30 AM:

Reflecting on 20 years of Canadian retirement

How are Canadians really feeling about retirement today and how has that, along with investment trends, changed over the last 20 years? This session will unpack findings from the last two decades of Fidelity Canada’s retirement reports. It will also identify how plan sponsors can harness this information to develop thoughtful, engaging communication that meet members where they are today.

Speaker:

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

10:30 – 11:00 AM: 

Networking break (Lobby Lounge)

11:00 – 11:30 AM:

Retirement is personal: Navigating the shifting landscape of DC plans

As global economic and political shifts reshape the retirement landscape, defined contribution plan sponsors face mounting challenges in meeting the evolving needs of their members. This session will delve into the critical trends shaping the future of DC plans, including regulatory developments, the shifting focus on retirement income solutions and private market investments. It will also explore the importance of accumulation strategies and personalized advice in building financial security.

Speaker:

Sean M. Kenney, co‐head, global distribution, MFS Investment Management

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM:

Beyond performance: Evolving glide paths to solve for better retirement outcomes

Innovative glide path design, stress-testing and establishing the long-term asset mix are key drivers in delivering better retirement outcomes to defined contribution pension plan members. Including additional stress tests can help plan sponsors measure and track specific pre-retirement and post-retirement risks, while helping them align with CAPSA guidelines and meet their fiduciary responsibilities. This session will discuss how retirement outcome metrics have evolved, as well as how they’re impacted by recent returns and forward-looking expectations.

Speakers:

Farzan Qureshi, director, institutional business development, client relationships, Sun Life Global Investments 

Jason Zhang, portfolio manager, Sun Life Global Investments 

12:00 – 1:00 PM:

Lunch (Sovereign Ballroom)

1:00 – 1:30 PM:

A new frontier: Integrating private assets into target-date funds

This session will share the compelling case for integrating private assets into target-date funds, focusing on the implications of ‘desmoothed’ returns and improved efficient frontier analysis. It will delve into the challenges of liquidity and dynamic funding sources and share timely research on potential solutions. The session will provide a simple yet innovative universal benchmarking framework for target-date funds and leave with ideas to improve member outcomes.

Speaker:

Brett S. Goldstein, senior vice-president, head, asset allocation, portfolio management, Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions

1:30 – 2:00 PM:

Understanding the transition risk zone: Helping plan sponsors understand the 10-year period before retirement

As retirement approaches, nearly half of employees find themselves retiring earlier than expected. This often leads participants to exhibit risk-averse behaviour, making planning for the transition risk zone — the crucial 10-year period leading up to retirement — vital for success. The transition risk zone sheds light on areas where participants may need to reduce risk to prevent locking in losses, whether due to unexpected or early retirement, panic selling or unfavourable market changes. This session will examine the latest survey results from 1,500 plan members and 500 plan sponsors, as well as behavioural tendencies when evaluating solutions.

Speaker:

Glenn Dial, vice-president, retirement thought leadership, research, American Century Investments

This session has been made possible by CIBC Asset Management.

2:00 – 2:30 PM: 

Networking break (Lobby Lounge)

2:30 – 3:00 PM:

Dealing with economic climate change: How private alternatives can improve plan member outcomes

The world has changed and traditional portfolios have struggled.  This session will discuss how to use private alternatives to build resilience into retirement. Private alternatives can enhance diversification, improve risk-adjusted returns and enhance portfolio resilience over the long term.

Speaker:

Nicole Lomax, vice-president, director, lead, institutional asset allocation, TD Asset Management Inc.

3:00 – 3:30 PM:

Redefining the journey: Modern tools, smarter choices, stronger outcomes

This session will explore how KPMG in Canada leveraged a record-keeper transition as a strategic response to economic pressures, regulatory shifts and evolving member expectations, demonstrating how modernization, digital innovation and investment optimization can strengthen resilience and long-term financial outcomes.

Speaker:

Christine McCloskey-Bruno, senior total rewards manager, KPMG Canada

3:30 – 5:00 PM:

Closing cocktail reception (Lobby Lounge)