FUTURE
CONFERENCES
Programme
09.00
Registration
09.30
Session 1: Evolving Geopolitical and Macro Backdrop & Coping with Negative Interest Rate Environment again! - Understanding the environment before rebuilding the portfolio
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Geopolitical Risks on the horizon
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Global macroeconomic outlook: growth, inflation, geopolitical risk, and mounting sovereign debt stress
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The SNB's return to near-zero rates and the implications for CHF fixed income allocation and liability discounting
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The rising cost of currency hedging and how funds are responding
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The safe-haven role of government bonds under question - what can the domestic bond market realistically offer Swiss pension funds?
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10.40
Coffee/Tea
11.10
Session 2: Re-thinking Asset Allocation, Concentration Risks & Implication of Swiss Currency Strength - Building resilience in asset allocation
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Equities now the largest asset class in Swiss pension portfolios at historic highs - is this sustainable?
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Concentration risk in global indices dominated by a handful of mega-cap technology names
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The true and rising cost of CHF currency hedging as the franc continues to strengthen
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ALM and delivering returns that Swiss Pension funds now need
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Liquidity management: with nearly a third of portfolios in illiquid or complex assets, how should funds stress-test their liquid sleeve against a sharp equity drawdown?
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12.20
Lunch
13.00
Session 3: Real Assets, Alternatives & the Search for Diversification - Where are the diversifiers and can alternatives continue to deliver robust returns
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Why Swiss pension funds are increasingly turning to real assets and alternatives for diversification, income and inflation protection
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Domestic Swiss real estate under the microscope: 85% of pension fund property exposure remains concentrated at home, with rising vacancy rates and valuation pressures in both residential and commercial segments
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Infrastructure, private credit, and private equity as portfolio diversifiers - opportunities and risks
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Governance challenges of managing an increasingly illiquid and complex portfolio
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Commodities and Real Assets - their role now in portfolios
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14.10
Coffee/Tea
14.40
Session 4: Swiss-Specific Challenges - BVG Reform, Changing ESG Environment & Governance - Navigating the issues that are uniquely Swiss
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The aftermath of the failed BVG/LPP reform referendum: implications for conversion rates, the redistribution problem between active members and retirees, and long-term return targets
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ESG and sustainability obligations: regulatory expectations, beneficiary pressure, and the practical challenges of climate-related disclosure and exclusion policies in a Swiss context
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Should defence investing be on the agenda now - navigating ESG considerations and a changing tide
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Investment governance and risk capacity; evidence that a significant proportion of Swiss funds remain systematically under-risked relative to their capacity - what should boards and investment committees do about it?
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15.50
Close of Conference and Drinks Reception
Speakers so far:
Partner
Flexstone Partners
From Morgarten to Silicon Valley: The Swiss Innovation and Financing
Switzerland consistently ranks among the world’s leading innovation ecosystems, yet the financing of its most successful companies remains disproportionately reliant on foreign capital. For long term institutional investors, this represents a structural misalignment between domestic savings pools and domestic value creation, but also a financing gap.
Anchored in Switzerland’s long standing principles of independence, prudence, and long term stewardship of capital, it argues that increasing exposure to domestic venture and growth assets is not a political statement, but a rational portfolio consideration.
For pension funds and other long horizon investors, reallocating some capital toward Swiss innovation can enhance diversification, improve access to long duration growth, and better align investment outcomes with the long term interests of beneficiaries and the real economy.
CFA, CAIA - Senior Investment-Consultant / Controller
Complementa
Real Assets, Alternatives & the Search for Diversification: Observations from the Swiss pension fund market
Head of Investment Consulting
Mercer
Macro risk view in light of evolving geopolitical developements
Member of the ALM team and Senior Investment Consultant
PPCmetrics
Strategic Asset Allocation: Trends and Challenges for Swiss Pension Funds
• The average investment strategy of Swiss pension funds has changed over time, with a growing strategic allocation to equities.
• Global equity indices show increasing concentration in U.S. technology stocks, while home bias remains relevant for Swiss pension funds.
• The strategic share of risk bearing and illiquid investments has increased, thereby intensifying risk management challenges for Swiss pension funds.
• Currency hedging affects Swiss pension funds—what does theory say, and what does practice show?
Economist
Oberaufsichtskommission BV (OAK BV)
How Swiss pension funds are adapting their investment strategies by calibrating risk, staying invested through volatility, and building buffers to weather future downturns.
Cost
The conference is by invitation only for pension funds and other institutional investors and we welcome new attendees from these investors. Therefore if you are not already receiving an invitation please contact us. A limited number of Complimentary invitations are available to genuine pension fund representatives (executives and trustees) and other approved institutional investors. However, to ensure we have room for as many funds as possible, we have to limit free places to 3 attendees per approved organisation thereafter a reduced rate fee is payable per delegate. Furthermore, SPS always reserves the right of admission (free or paid) and our decision is final.
Venue
Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel
Turbinenstrasse 20,
8005 Zürich
Switzerland
Tel: +41 44-630 30 30
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https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/zrhbr-renaissance-zurich-tower-hotel/overview/
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