Why are Pension Funds increasingly choosing Alternative strategies? This conference will consider the issues currently facing Pension Funds and look at how Alternative Investments can enable Funds to diversify their Risks and improve their Returns. We will focus on Return in the Risk/Return equation and will normally include a selection of alternative strategies such as High Yield, Absolute Return, Private Equity, Property, Currency, Commodities and other approaches, either as direct investments or Fund of Funds.
Is it just about diversification? Can the benefits outweigh the fees and extra monitoring time? Where can alternatives make a difference? Are alternatives a strategic or a tactical weapon? What looks attractive at the present time?
Robert Brown, Senior Investment Consultant, Watson Wyatt
9.30
The Place of Alternatives
Moderated by: Dean Wetton, Senior Consultant, P-Solve
"Efficiently Accessing Alternative Investments"
Overcoming governance obstacles; Ensuring a robust investment strategy; How to capture tactical investment opportunites.
Paul Craven, Head of UK and Irish Business, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
"Case Studies of Allocating to Alternatives: Examples and Practical Considerations of Navigating the Path to Adding Alternative to a Pension Portfolio" Choosing the correct alternatives' characteristics; How best to model an allocation, execute its implementation and what amount to apportion to the Governance budget; Overcoming the complexities of monitoring and post implementation.
Joseph McDonnell, Head of Global Portfolio Solutions EMEA, Morgan Stanley Investment Management
10.45
Coffee/Tea
11.10
Looking for Return
"What are the Key Operational Challenges Related to OTC Derivatives?"
Independent valuations versus counterparty prices; Maintaining pace with new instruments and regulatory developments; Managing multi-manager trade capture interfaces; Lifecycle management and the importance of the prime record
Jon Lloyd, Senior Vice President, JPMorgan Europe
"Trends in Active Currency Management"
Recent performance of active currency managers; The search for breadth – the impact of lower returns; Currency manager performance assessment; Role of currency management within traditional asset classes; Drawing some conclusions.
W. Parker King, CFA, Managing Director Team Leader, Currency Management, Putnam Investments
Can Emerging Markets really become mainstream? What can Emerging Markets do for a Pension Fund? Equities; Debt; What next?
Peter Marber, Global Head of GEM Fixed Income and Currencies, Halbis - Part of HSBC Global Asset Management
13.00
Drinks And Lunch
14.30
Hedge Fund Issues
"Hedge Funds in Volatile Market Environments: Sustainable Alpha Strategies"
Was last August the beginning of a new paradigm for financial markets? Is volatility here to stay? How to generate sustainable alpha in volatile environments: Tradable and Systematic. Why is Risk Management of crucial importance?
Piers Westerman, Head of Investor Relations and Principal, BlueCrest Capital Management Limited
"Single Strategy versus Fund of Hedge Funds"
The advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.
How to choose between the two? MGAI’s experiences with selecting single strategy managers. Examples of the good, the bad and the ugly. Managing portfolios of hedge funds – Resources, infrastructure experience.
Derek Stewart, Director, Mellon Global Alternative Investment
Panel Session
A panel will talk about their experiences of investing in Alternative Assets. Panellists:
Brian Bailey, Director of Pensions, West Midland Met Authority Pension Fund
Geoff Reader, Head of Pensions and Treasury Management, Bedfordshire County Council
