Building effective pension investment management skills is more important than ever in the challenging environment of defined benefit fund management. Both the capital markets and the pension regulatory regime are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic.

To assist in improving the governance and management of pension fund assets, Mercer and the Schulich School of Business, York University have established The School of Pension Investment Management (SPIM), which is built on the success of its predecessor, Pension Investment Management School (PIMS).

This is an intensive two days seminar designed to provide pension plan fiduciaries with the knowledge to improve the overall governance and management of their defined benefit pension fund.

Who should attend?

This program is designed for individuals who are involved in the pension investment decision-making process and who have fiduciary responsibilities for the pension fund. These include trustees, investment committee members, pension fund managers, and senior human resource and finance/treasury personnel.

Key benefits

Attendees will:

• Improve their knowledge of the pension investment management system as it applies to defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
• Enhance their understanding of pension finance and asset/liability integration.
• Increase their effectiveness in structuring, selecting and monitoring investment managers.
• Make more informed and confident decisions.

Program content

The two days event will be comprised of the following core areas of study:

• Fiduciary responsibility and prudent governance.
•  Principles of pension finance and investment.
• Asset mix policy and risk management.
• Investment policy implementation – manager structure, currency management, active and passive management.
• Investment monitoring and oversight.

The curriculum will also feature these relevant and timely topics:

• Alternative investments.
• Sustainable investing.
• Group decision-making.