Conference Programme - Presentations

Scheme health check
Trustees need an accurate measurement of their scheme’s liabilities before they can implement an appropriate investment strategy. How can they ensure that their funding valuations are reliable?
Con Keating, Head of Research, BrightonRock Group
Presentation

Buy-out: considerations for trustees and sponsoring employers
For those considering defined benefit pension buy-out there are a range of factors that will influence the decision, including price, funding, timing and legal aspects. Not least of these is the choice of provider. This session will be addressing the options that are available.
Mark Wood, Chief Executive, Paternoster
Presentation

LDI and the credit crisis – threat or opportunity?
Will weakness in the banking sector undermine the rapid growth in Liability Driven Investment strategies? Or are they even more important than ever? Hear how a successful LDI strategy can mitigate potential credit risk and significantly reduce the impact of a bank defaulting on its obligations even before the first swap is traded.
Shalin Bhagwan, Derivative Structurer, Legal & General Investment Management
Presentation

Real Assets: Preparing for an Inflationary Regime
How should investors manage their strategic asset allocation in readiness for the secular, macro expectation for increasing inflationary pressures? We look at how real assets can diversify and protect your portfolio during this regime shift, if applied before the shift has completed.
Antoinette Eltz; Product Manager, European and UK Real Return strategies, Pimco
Presentation

Absolute return strategies moving mainstream
In a more uncertain and volatile environment for equity markets there is a growing desire by pension funds to diversify. Increasingly, alternative assets are being used to meet future liabilities and provide a more stable profile of returns. Various forces are coming together that are accelerating interest in absolute return strategies.
Andy Sowerby, Managing Director, Martin Currie Investment Management
Presentation

Private Equity – Numbers Demystified
Private equity has become a foundational asset class for many corporate and public pension funds. However, measures of private equity performance, benchmarks, allocations and exposure remain inconsistent and confusing. This session will provide practical quantitative approaches to help you measure your private equity exposure.
Marwan Naja, Head of Private Equity, Pictet Asset Management
Presentation

Emerging Market Equities: Issues and Opportunities
Is it still a good time to be investing in emerging markets? What are the issues facing investors looking to enter these markets? And what are the factors involved in the selection of managers?
These are just a few of the questions that will be addressed during this session.
Mark Roxburgh, Executive Officer, Nomura Asset Management
Presentation

Hedge Fund Indexing, a viable alternative to hedge fund of funds
• The attraction of hedge fund indices: trends in the alternative investment market
• Index Tracking vs. Investable Indices
• Hedge Fund Indexing as a core allocation
Michelle Dunne, Director, Credit Suisse Alternative Investm ents, Credit Suisse
Presentation

Investment options for DC members
With the majority of member contributions being directed into the default option, trustees should be considering a new breed of Total Return Funds and Alternatives as the scheme default option. As DC schemes are gaining critical mass, better alternatives to the default options that are currently available should be considered.
Olivia Mayell Vice President, Portfolio Manager for the Global Multi-Asset Group, JP Morgan Asset Management
Presentation

Keynote Speaker
Roy Carr, Director, Foresight Trustees
Presentation
Followed by Panel Discussion
Monica Ma, Partner, Pensions and Employee Benefits, Simmons & Simmons
Steve Artingstall, Investment Manager, Railpen