Wednesday 26th August, 2020
11:00 – 12:00
Online Networking & Roundtable Discussion
Speeding up LGPS ESG Reform
12:00 – 12:10
Chair’s opening remarks
12:10 – 12:30
Presentation
Bond Returns and Market Expectations
Sponsored by T. Rowe Price
Speaker
Mike Della Vedova
Portfolio Manager, Global High Income Bond Fund
T. Rowe Price
12:30 – 12:35
Break
12:35 – 12:55
Presentation
Forecasting Global Equity Market Volatilities
Sponsored by Harris Associates
Speaker
David G. Herro
Partner, Deputy Chairman, Portfolio Manager and Chief Investment Officer – International Equity
Harris Associates
12:55 – 13:00
Break
13:00 – 13:20
Interview
The Dynamics of China
Sponsored by UBS
13:20 – 13:50
Coffee at your place + Online Networking
13:50 – 14:30
Panel
Assessing Risk in Multi-Asset Strategies
Sponsored by Neuberger Berman
Speaker
Alex Gitnik
Managing Director
Neuberger Berman
14:30 – 14:35
Break
14:35 – 14:55
Presentation
Private Markets: Access to Opportunity
Sponsored by MV Credit
Speaker
Nicola Downer
Managing Partner
MV Credit
14:55 – 15:15
Coffee at your place + Online Networking
15:15 – 16:05
Panel
Alternative Investment Trends
Sponsored by Schroders and LGIM
Speakers
Anthony Doherty
Head of Real Estate Equity Solutions, Real Assets
Legal & General Investment Management
Denise Le Gal
Chair
Brunel Pension Partnership
Andrien Meyers
Head of Treasury and Pensions
London Borough of Lambeth
Speaker TBC
Schroders
16:05 – 16:10
Break
16:10 – 16:30
Presentation
Affordable Housing Investment
Sponsored by BMO Global Asset Management
Speaker
Jamie Kellet
Property Specialist
BMO Global Asset Management
Our speaker will discuss how residential property, as an income-generating asset class, could be prove beneficial at a time when many LGPS funds are cashflow negative. The long-term, inflation-linked cashflows can exhibit a strong correlation to the future liabilities of the LGPS and has the potential to integrate many ESG benefits. But do these benefits come with risk? Our speaker highlight how risk factors traditionally associated with residential investment can be mitigated, taking into consideration the new world we find ourselves in light of Covid-19.
16:30 – 16:35
Break
16:35 – 17:15
Panel
Impact Investing
Sponsored by BlackRock and Robeco
Speakers
Eric Keller
Client Portfolio Manager
Robeco
Eric Rice
Head of Active Equities Impact Investing
BlackRock
Nemashe Sivayogan
Head of Treasury and Pensions, Corporate Services
London Borough of Merton
Further speakers to be announced
17:15 – 17:25
Devil’s Advocate Summary
17:25 – 17:30
Closing Remarks
17:30 – 18:30
Online Sustainable Wine tasting with TV’s Tim Atkin (Master of wine).
Complimentary miniature wine bottles will be posted to your house prior to the event!
Thursday 27th August, 2020
11:00 – 12:00
Online Networking & Roundtable Discussion
Will All Eight Pools Prosper?
12:00 – 12:10
Chair’s opening remarks
12:10 – 12:30
Presentation
Private Equity Solutions and Your Portfolio
Sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Investments
Speaker
Alistair Watson
Senior Investment Director
Aberdeen Standard Investments
Since the global financial crisis, Private Equity has become a consistent and growing component in pension fund portfolios. This session intends to provide insight into the evolving market for private equity solutions. Our speaker will also highlight some of the challenges and opportunities arising out of the Covid-19 crisis, and outline the diffences between this current crisis and the 2008 global financial crisis.
12:30 – 12:35
Break
12:35 – 12:55
Presentation
Private Debt
Sponsored by Pantheon
Speaker
Toni Vainio
Partner
Pantheon
12:55 – 13:00
Break
13:00 – 13:20
Interview
Driving Change in the DGF Market
Sponsored by Newton Investment Management
Speaker
Suzanne Hutchins
Investment Leader, Real Return Team
Newton Investment Management
13:20 – 13:50
Coffee at your place + Online Networking
13:50 – 14:10
Interview
Real Asset Opportunities
Sponsored by Goldman Sachs
14:10 – 14:15
Break
14:15 – 14:35
Interview
Infrastructure Investing Post Covid-19
Sponsored by Columbia Threadneedle Investments
Speaker
To be announced
Social attributes are often overlooked in infrastructure, whilst environmental focus often results in a choice to invest in “green” assets, to the exclusion of other essential infrastructure.
However, we may be entering a period where social investing is no longer treated as the poor relation. Equally, climate change is not going away, but 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.
14:35 – 14:40
Break
14:40 – 15:20
Panel
Infrastructure: Managing the Potential Risks
Sponsored by Aviva Investors, bfinance and IFM Investors
Speaker
Ted Firth
Chief Operating Officer
GLIL Infrastructure
Darryl Murphy
Head of Infrastructure, Real Assets
Aviva Investors
Three key themes as follows:
1. COVID: strong governance supports a global response to a global pandemic
- Managing stakeholder relationships across a global fund
- Active engagement at portfolio company level and sharing best practices swiftly across the entire portfolio
2. The challenges facing long-term stewards of community assets
- We manage real operating companies and people that provide essential services to the wider community
- Balancing portfolio companies’ financial outcome with their social licence during a period where society may well be suffering
3. Other risks have not gone away & may be magnified :
- Climate change has not gone away; infrastructure managers need to continue to support the transition to a lower-carbon economy
- Geo-political tensions will need to be understood and navigated
15:20 – 15:40
Coffee at your place + Online Networking
15:40 – 16:00
Interview
Post-Covid Strategy – Thinking Outside the Box
Sponsored by J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Interviewer
William Bourne, Independent Adviser, East Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Teesside Pension Funds
Interviewee
John Bilton, Head of Global Strategy, Multi Asset Solutions Group, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
We are at a potential turning point in the evolution of capitalism and what has broadly been in place since 1979 almost certainly won’t be in the future. What kind of capitalism will society now accept? What is the role of government? What does the IT revolution and the rise of China imply?
16:00 – 16:05
Break
16:05 – 16:45
Panel
ESG – Emerging Market Debt
Sponsored by Lazard Asset Management
Speaker
Adam Borneleit
Portfolio Manager/Analyst, Emerging Markets Debt Team
Lazard Asset Management
16:45 – 16:50
Break
16:50 – 17:10
Presentation
Bonds and Climate Aware Investing
Sponsored by Fidelity International
Speaker
Kristian Atkinson
Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income
Fidelity International
This session will provide a guide on common pitfalls and recommendations when incorporating better climate risk management in bond portfolios.
Topcis to be covered include:
- Why incorporating climate change makes sense in the fixed income space
- Challenges of current approaches available in the market
- Balancing environmental sustainability and returns: is there a tradeoff?
The audience can expect to take away useful tips in how to better incorporate climate risks in their fixed income allocations, and the best practices to watch out for.
17:10 – 17:20
Devil’s Advocate Summary
Speakers
Eric Lambert
Phil Triggs
17:20 – 17:25
Closing Remarks
