Thursday 4th February
12:00
Lunch at Your Place & Online Networking
12:30
Discussion
Pooling; where do we go from here?
13:00 – 13:05
Welcome & Opening Remarks and Introduction to The Devil’s Advocates
Speaker
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
13:05 – 13:25
Interview
Bond Market Volatility
Post Trump and Brexit, our speaker will discuss where bond markets are likely to go from here and explore how investors should consider positioning their portfolio against an uncertain backdrop.
Interviewee
Arif Husain
Head of International Fixed Income
T. Rowe Price
13:25 – 13:45
Presentation
ESG 2.0: Building on the Past, Improving for the Future
ESG investment is growing during the global pandemic. Global assets invested in ETFs/ETPs that focus on ESG recently surpassed $100 billion USD as the transition to a sustainable economy continues to gain momentum and lead to attractive investment opportunities. In this session, Martin Grosskopf will explore the evolution of ESG and how it could look in a post-Covid-19 world.
Presenter
Martin Grosskopf
Vice-President and Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investing
AGF Investments
13:45 – 14:30
Roundtable Discussions
Evolving Asset Allocation Goals
Are the factors driving asset allocation decisions – and the responses from investors – the correct ones? In each breakout discussion room, a senior industry figure will manage a debate amongst conference attendees. The roundtable discussions will be followed by a feedback session in the main plenary.
Facilitator
Jeff Houston
Head of Pensions
Local Government Association
Moderators
Adrian Brown
Independent Adviser
Philip Hebson
Independent Adviser
Worcestershire Pension Fund
Eric Lambert
Independent Investment Adviser
Andrien Meyers
Head of Pensions Investments
Sutton & Kingston
Bally Singh
Trustee
West Midlands Pension Fund
Bola Tobun
Finance Manager (Pensions & Treasury)
London Borough of Enfield
14:30 – 14:50
Coffee at Your Place & Online Networking
14:50 – 15:30
Panel
Private Markets – Where is the Value?
In recent times, private markets investment has become increasingly popular with investors. An important source of diversification, the asset class also has the potential to help pension funds meet cashflow requirements. Our panel looks at the benefits and pitfalls of investment in private markets, and examines the opportunities available to investors.
Panellists
Nicole Downer
Managing Director
MV Credit (affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers)
Anthony Fletcher
Independent Adviser
Neil Mason
Strategic Finance Manager
Surrey Pension Fund
Alex Scott
Partner
Pantheon
15:30 – 15:50
Interview
Infrastructure Investing Post Covid-19
Social attributes are often overlooked in infrastructure, whilst an environmental focus often results in a choice to invest in “green” assets, to the exclusion of other essential infrastructure. While climate change is not going away, prompted in part by the Covid-19 pandemic we may be entering a period where social investing is no longer treated as the poor relation. However, the focus needs to evolve to better understand the positive impact of investing in companies that are ‘brown’ today but have a clear ambition to transition to green in the future, whilst delivering essential services to communities.
Interviewee
Ingrid Edmund
Senior Portfolio Manager, Infrastructure Investments Team
Columbia Threadneedle Investments
15:50 – 16:30
Panel
Global Infrastructure Opportunities
How should Local Government Pension Schemes be thinking about their infrastructure investments in a post-pandemic world? Our panel discusses current valuations, expectations for travel and hospitality, inflation, and how ESG considerations are playing a crucial role in shaping the future of infrastructure investment.
Panellists
Philippe Camu
Global Co-Head and Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Infrastructure Investment Group
Goldman Sachs
Eric Lambert
Independent Investment Adviser
Jonathan Ord
Investment Director
Local Pensions Partnership
16:30 – 16:50
Coffee at Your Place & Online Networking
16:50 – 17:10
Interview
Innovation in Sustainable Property Investment
Government regulations and incentives, the potential for cost savings, occupier requirements and the shift toward corporate social responsibility are driving a focus on sustainability in real estate, which is spurring the development of green buildings worldwide. Our speaker outlines the importance of incorporating sustainability and wellness criteria into strategies in order to ensure portfolios align with this long-term trend.
Interviewee
Jeremy Plummer
Global Chief Investment Officer
CBRE Global Investors
17:10 – 17:25
Devil’s Advocate Summary & Questions
Advocates
William Bourne
Independent Adviser
East Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Teesside Pension Funds
Jill Davys
Independent Adviser
Fiona Miller
Chief Operating Officer
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
17:25 – 17:30
Closing Remarks
17:30 – 18:30
Grab your complimentary miniature bottles of wine and sit back and relax as Master of Wine Tim Atkin takes you on a wine adventure!
Friday 5th February
12:00
Lunch at Your Place & Online Networking
12:30
Discussion
RI in the LGPS
Facilitator
Bob Holloway
Pension Secretary
Local Government Association
13:00 – 13:05
Welcome & Opening Remarks and Introduction to The Devil’s Advocates
Speaker
John Harrison
Adviser
Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
13:05 – 13:25
Interview
Private Credit Opportunities
The credit markets have changed dramatically since the Covid-19 crisis began a year ago creating a uniquely constructive investment landscape for distressed and event driven/stressed (Special Situations) investors. What does the Global Special Situations investment opportunity look like today? How have EU and US monetary responses changed the investment landscape? Will the record downgrades and defaults seen in 2020 continue or has central bank and government intervention solved the problem? How will the Covid credit opportunity evolve as we, hopefully, near the end of the crisis?
Interviewee
Leander Christofides
Co-CIO Global Special Situations
J.P. Morgan Asset Management
13:25 – 13:45
Presentation
Affordable Housing Projects
Our speaker will tackle a number of questions potential investors are asking themselves such as how residential property is being impacted in the current pandemic. They will answer questions on areas such as income resilience, reputational risk and changes in correlations with other property sectors.
Presenter
Peter Lowe
Director, Property Funds
BMO Real Estate Partners
13:45 – 14:05
Interview
Stewardship in Infrastructure – Rising to the Carbon Challenge
Our presenter will explain how long-term pension capital can positively impact infrastructure’s carbon emissions through active engagement. The objective is to de-risk the long-term cashflows investors seek from infrastructure whilst protecting – and potentially increasing – future value. We explore the process to reduce emissions, including how to measure, set targets, implement and evaluate outcomes, describing a practical guide to assess, understand and mitigate the carbon challenge within core essential infrastructure, including case studies demonstrating what a long-term steward of infrastructure can achieve for society as a whole.
Interviewee
Clare Baldwin
Global ESG Specialist, Infrastructure
IFM Investors
14:05 – 14:25
Presentation
Invest with Impact
As the number of headlines on impact investing continue to grow, so do the number of pension funds investing through dedicated impact funds. Our presenter examines how impact investing can help pension funds achieve tangible progress on environmental and social goals, while delivering long-term financial returns.
Presenter
Caroline Brady
Vice President, Active Equities Impact Investing
BlackRock
14:25 – 14:45
Coffee at Your Place & Online Networking
14:45 – 15:25
Panel
Global Energy Transition
The increasing contribution of renewable energy to the energy supply mix, the onset of electrification, and improvements in energy storage technology are all key factors behind the energy sector’s shift away from fossil-based systems of energy production. Our panel discusses the drivers behind this shift, the value of the opportunity set, and the opportunities that the transition to renewable energy could uncover for investors.
Panellists
Anish Butani
Senior Director, Private Markets
bfinance
George Graham
Director
South Yorkshire Pensions Authority
Raphael Lance
Head of Mirova Energy Transition Funds
Mirova (affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers)
Alex Monk
Portfolio Manager, Global Resource Equities
Schroders
15:25 – 16:10
Roundtable Discussions
Identifying the Best RI Managers
Responsible investment has become a key part of investment strategy decision making. But how can investors identify the best RI managers? And just what do we mean by “best” anyway? In each breakout discussion room, a senior industry figure will manage a debate amongst conference attendees. The roundtable discussions will be followed by a feedback session in the main plenary.
Facilitator
Karen Shackleton
Independent Investment Adviser
Moderators
Paul Doyle
Director
bfinance
Sam Gervaise-Jones
Head of Client Consulting, UK & Ireland
bfinance
John Gray
Councillor
London Borough of Newham
Silvia Knott-Martin
Client Relations Manager
London CIV
Joana Marfoh
Head of Treasury & Pension Fund Management
London Borough of Islington
Nemashe Sivayogan
Head of Treasury and Pensions
London Borough of Merton
16:10 – 16:30
Coffee at Your Place & Online Networking
16:30 – 17:10
Panel
Global Markets: Going Above and Beyond in ESG – The Neglected S
When pension funds and other institutional investors consider ESG factors as part of their decision making, the ‘E’ and the ‘G’ elements are usually highlighted first. However, if we take the view that a company with a happier workforce doing sustainable business should be an important financial consideration for any long term institutional investor, or a poor record on human rights could discourage investment in a region, the social component of ESG increases in significance. Our panel discusses the importance of a global view for investors seeking to achieve environmental or social goals alongside their return expectations.
Panellists
Faisal Rafi
Head of Investment Research
RisCura
David Vickers
Chief Investment Officer
Brunel Pension Partnership
Mike Weston
Chief Executive Officer
LGPS Central
17:10 – 17:25
Devil’s Advocate Summary & Questions
Advocates
Anthony Fletcher
Independent Adviser
Eric Lambert
Independent Investment Adviser
Dawn Turner
Independent Adviser and NED
17:25 – 17:30
Closing Remarks
17:30 – 18:30
Dr. Hilary Jones will be discussing the long term health and mental health implications of Covid-19, and providing productive tips on working from home.
