Portfolio Innovation and Resilience Forum
November 2 – 4
Contents delivered virtually
Networking Reception at Vantage Venues, Toronto
Investing in the new paradigm of rising inflation
Investing in Asia: Geopolitical risks, opportunities and complications
Applications of Data and technology innovations in investment decisions
Managing multifaceted risks in continued uncertainty
Unchartered path to achieving energy transition goals
Virtual Experience: The all-in-one virtual platform enables attendees to view presentations and connect with fellow attendees, at the convenience of home or office.
Live contents: 10+ hours of live sessions throughout 3 days, curated by industry practitioners
Virtual networking: Exchange messages and schedule meetings directly on event platform
As a Head of Research at FCLTGlobal (Focusing Capital on the Long Term), Ariel Fromer Babcock’s work has focused on how frictions stemming from the intersection of public companies with their shareholders may drive longer- or shorter-term behaviors on both sides of the aisle. Among other publications, she is the author of: The Long-term Habits of a Highly Effective Corporate Board, Driving the Conversation: Long-term Roadmaps for Long-term Success, and Moving Beyond Quarterly Guidance: A Relic of the Past. Her research on the investor-corporate dialogue and use of long-term shareholder communications as a tool to better align public companies and their long-term institutional shareholders earned her recognition among the inaugural class of the National Investor Relations Institute’s 40 Under 40 in 2019.
After starting her career as a trader and research analyst at a long-short financial sector focused hedge fund, she moved on to managing value- and equity-income focused mutual fund strategies at both American Independence Financial Services and Calamos Investments. Most recently Ariel worked with clean energy company Tecogen Inc. (NASDAQ: TGEN) as Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications. While at Tecogen she was instrumental in establishing a unified corporate communications platform and in developing the company’s growth strategy alongside executive management.
Ariel holds a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Tufts University, holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, and is an active member of CFA Society Boston where she is a Financial Literacy Alliance Leader.
Alison Schneider is Vice President, Responsible Investing at AlMCo in Edmonton, Alberta. She is a recipient of both the Canada Clean 50 Award and it’s Top Project Award, chairs the GRESB Infrastructure advisory board and the shareholder responsibility committee of ICGN. She sits on committees for CSA Group, CCGG, the G7 ILN and PRI. Alison is a published author, (The New Frontiers of Sovereign Investment 2017), co-authored ICGN’s Guidance on Diversity (2016), ICGN’s Guidance on Fiduciary Duty (2018) and actively contributes to the development of national and global sustainable finance frameworks. Alison is a volunteer instructor for the Canadian Climate Law Initiative, Institute of Corporate Directors ILN’s Sustainable Infrastructure Fellowship program. She enjoys organizing local International Women’s Day events and is past-president and founder of Edmonton’s professional chapter of Net Impact (2011)
Digitalization and Innovation are key themes in APG Asset Management, to maintain and enhance the position as a leading global long term responsible investor. Peter Strikwerda is responsible for the definition and execution of the digitalization and innovation agenda’s, adding up to a business transformation including people, process, tech, data.
Peter joined APG Group in 2013 and APG Asset Management in 2017, after a career in (strategy) consulting within Financial Services and in between working at Rabobank and ING, a.o. heading the strategy and analytics department.
Peter holds a university degree in Business Administration.
CFA
Kevin Zhu is Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Construction at OPTrust, one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension funds with net assets of over C$25 billion.
Kevin has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, including both central banking and total portfolio investment framework and strategy design for large Canadian defined benefit pension plans.
Kevin joined OPTrust in 2016 where he has been leading Total Fund portfolio management functions, including portfolio construction research and innovation, capital and risk allocation across asset classes and strategies, total portfolio management framework design, and dynamic total portfolio management.
Prior to joining OPTrust, Kevin held the position of Director, Strategy & Asset Mix at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Prior to this appointment, Kevin was Senior Economist at the Bank of Canada focusing on monetary policy research and model development. He holds a MA in Economics from Carleton University and is a CFA Charterholder. In 2017, Kevin was named to Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute’s Public Investor 100.
Aviva Investors is a global asset manager with integrated expertise across all major asset classes. As part of the Aviva Group – the UK’s largest insurance company – we are uniquely positioned to combine our insurance heritage with our investment capabilities to deliver the outcomes that matter most to today’s investor.
Aviva Investors has global operations that span 19 locations, employ over 1,500 employees, including over 400 investment professionals, and manage more than $600 billion CAD in assets under management as of March 31, 2021.
Our clients gain value from our extensive world-wide investment resources in addition to the significant local knowledge that we retain.
At Wells Fargo Asset Management, we put the client at the center of everything we do. Our commitment: Help clients achieve what matters most to them on their path to financial well-being. We do this by channeling the collective wisdom of our specialized investment teams (backed by over 480 investment professionals) into solutions designed to help meet clients’ goals.
We place a relentless focus on pursuing consistent and positive risk-adjusted returns, with the support of our independent risk management teams. Together, we strive to help our clients build portfolios aimed at generating successful outcomes and defending them against uncertainty.
With more than $604 billion in assets under management* and offices around the world, Wells Fargo Asset Management has the resources and reach to help clients across the globe—be it institutions or intermediaries whose focus on the client is akin to our own.
*As of June 30, 2021
Wells Fargo Asset Management is the trade name for certain investment advisory/management firms owned by Wells Fargo & Company. These firms include but are not limited to Wells Capital Management Incorporated and Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. Certain products managed by WFAM entities are distributed by Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC (a broker-dealer and Member FINRA). Associated with WFAM is Galliard Capital Management, Inc. (an investment advisor that is not part of the WFAM trade name/GIPS firm).
Amundi, ranking among the top 10 global players, offers its clients a complete range of investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional or real assets.
With its six international investment hubs, research capabilities and long-standing commitment to responsible investment, Amundi is a key player in the asset management landscape.
Created in 2010 and listed on the stock exchange in 2015, Amundi currently manages more than $2.1 trillion of assets.
**Source Amundi as of June 30, 2021
BNP Paribas Asset Management (‘BNPP AM’) is the investment arm of BNP Paribas, a leading banking with international reach. BNPP AM aims to generate long-term sustainable investment returns for its clients, based on a unique sustainability-driven philosophy. BNPP AM’s investment capabilities are focused around five key strategies: High Conviction Strategies, Private Debt & Real Assets, Multi-Asset, Quantitative & Solutions (MAQS), Emerging markets and Liquidity Solutions, with investment processes incorporating quantitative and fundamental analysis.
Sustainability is embedded within BNPP AM’s strategy and investment decision-making. Among the leaders in thematic investment in Europe, BNPP AM contributes to the energy transition, environmental sustainability and the promotion of equality and inclusive growth. BNPP AM has assets under management of USD 580 billion, with 500 investment professionals and over 400 client servicing specialists, serving individual, corporate and institutional clients in 69 countries.
Source: BNPP AM, as at 30 June 2021
Validus is a leading independent financial services firm, advising and providing solutions to institutional investors and fund managers with a specific focus on alternative, private and illiquid assets. For the past ten years our core expertise has been to deliver effective and efficient risk management solutions to these clients globally, mitigating market risks such as foreign currency, inflation, or interest rate exposures.
Our award-winning service also includes turnkey solutions to the operational challenge of implementing, managing, and monitoring hedging programmes, through dedicated resources and proprietary technology.
We also provide advisory services related to fund finance, global macro strategies, and dynamic as well as passive overlay strategies. We manage more than $300bn worth of hedges every year and process more than 2,000 transactions every month. Our clients include some of the largest institutional investors and fund managers in the world, controlling more than $2 trillion in combined assets under management.
To learn more, visit https://validusrm.com/