With the regulator promoting integrated risk management as a pivotal tool for pension funds, our speakers will provide practical guidance and a framework within which to implement this effectively. What are the key governance issues and how are trustees facing the key implementation challenges including assessing sponsor covenant?

Moderator: Keith Nunn, Trustee Director & Chair of Investment Committee, The Pensions Trust

Martin Mannion, Head of Trustee Services, John Lewis Partnership Pensions Trust

Paul Brice, Director of Trustee & Client Services, RPMI

With its plethora of names and approaches, can responsible investing really make a difference in terms of better risk adjusted returns? What exactly is sustainable investing and what does it look like in practice? Is it different to ESG?  How can it be aligned to long-term investment decision-making? Can an ESG/SRI strategy really deliver better returns? Could it conflict with return maximisation and trustee fiduciary duties?  Can trustees consider non-financial factors and evaluate an ESG policy differently from other investment policies? How can pension funds practically integrate responsible and sustainable policies into their strategy? What governance challenges do trustees face when adopting an active shareholder policy?

Moderator: The Lord Balfe, Chairman of the Board, MEPs Pension Fund

Aled Jones, Head of Responsible Investment – EMEA, Mercer

With the financial crisis highlighting inherent flaws in many of the financial, investment and risk management models which experts were using, what lessons have been learnt? Are today’s models used by pension funds for making risk management, strategic asset allocations and investment decisions fit for purpose? Are we still confusing volatility with risk? How should we best set asset allocation policy? How effective are models at setting strategy across different time horizons? Our speakers will provide practical guidance for trustees on the usefulness of models and how they might become a more effective tool for investment decision-making going forward.

Moderator: Eric Stobart, Trustee, Anglian Water Group Pension Scheme

Sorca Kelly-Scholte, Head of Pensions Solutions & Advisory EMEA, JPMorgan Asset Management

With the new ‘Pensions Freedom’ legislation radically changing the options available to members as they approach retirement, what should trustees and employers do to ensure members make better informed choices and get the best possible value for their hard earned savings?  How are the leading pension schemes now re-evaluating the post retirement options they provide? What are members doing at the moment and what might we expect them to choose in the future? What is the latest thinking on target date funds, annuity products, drawdown and other post-retirement solutions?

Moderator: Michael Samuel, Trustee, Unilever Pensions

Toby Nangle, Head of Multi-Asset Allocation, Columbia Threadneedle Investments

David Bird, Senior Consultant, Defined Contribution Consulting Team, Willis Towers Watson