Programme
Programme
| 08:30 | Welcome remarks Musa Mabesa, Principal Executive Officer, Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) |
| 08:40 | Opening Remarks Dondo Mogajane, Chairperson, GEPF |
| 09:00 – 09:30 |
Keynote address Understanding a changing global geopolitical landscape and its implication |
| 09:30 – 11:00 |
Outlook 2023-2033 – Investment management in a changing world – what has changed and how are asset owners and managers changing with it? A discussion on investment management in rapidly changing world. We have moved from an era of low interest rates and strong globalization to one of lower globalization and higher interest rates. Are asset owners and managers geared for this reality Moderator: Joanne Baynham, Moderator Asset TV Discussants: Abel Sithole, Chief Executive Officer, Public Investment Corporation (PIC) Marilyn Watson, Managing Director, Head of the Global Fundamental Fixed Income Strategy Team, and Chief Investment Strategist for Fundamental Fixed Income, within BlackRock’s Global Fixed Income (GFI) group. Bernard Murira, Head: Pension Investments, Pensions & Endowments, World Bank Runa Alam, co-founder & CEO of Development Partners International (DPI) Aymeric Saha, Chief Executive Officer, MiDA Advisors |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Break |
| 11:30 – 13:15 |
Panel Discussion: Disinvestment vs engagement in meeting climate change targets A discussion on the choice of disinvestment or engagement with respect to investments in fossil fuel industries. What are the implications of such approaches or is there a middle ground alternative? Moderator: Elias Masilela, Chairman, DNA Economics Discussants: Sifiso Sibiya, Head of Investments, Government Employees Pension Fund Kenneth Robertson, Head of Sustainable Investing, Robeco Sasha Cook, Head: Sustainable Finance, Standard Bank South Africa Tracey Davies, Executive Director, Just Share Jan Mahlangu, Retirement Fund Policy Coordinator, COSATU |
| 13:15 – 14:15 | Lunch |
| 14:15 – 15:45 |
Panel Discussion: Gender Lens Investing and Funding Despite an increased uptake of ESG principles by asset managers and asset owners, there seems to be a lack of intentional gender lens to their investments beyond diversity. Why and what needs to be done? Moderator: Sarah Whitten, Regional Manager, Financing & Implementation, Sub-Saharan Africa, U.S. Trade and Development AgencySarah Whitten, Regional Manager, Financing & Implementation, Sub-Saharan Africa, U.S. Trade and Development Agency Discussants: Tryphosa Ramano, Independent Non-Executive Director, PIC Helena Conradie, Non-Executive Director, TenFour Partners Thembeka Stemela Dagbo, Fund Manager, M&G Investments Delphine Govender, Owner and Chief Investment Officer, Perpetua Investment Managers Taffi Ayodele, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Emerging Manager Strategy, New York City Comptroller’s Office |
| 15:45 – 16:00 | Break |
| 16:00 – 17:15 |
Keynote address The future of pension fund management Key developments in the past 5 years in pension management and the strategic challenges facing pension funds today and, in the future. Is there still a place for defined benefit funds as there is an increasing number of such schemes converting to defined contribution funds? Speaker: Sebastien Betermier, Executive Director, The International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM) |
| 18:30 | Conference Dinner |
| 08:30 – 09:50 |
Sleepless Nights A “fireside chat” with senior executives of major pension funds on the challenges they face. Moderator: Raazia Ganie, Head of Investments, NMG Investments Discussants: Musa Mabesa, Principal Executive Officer, GEPF Shafeeq Abrahams, Chief Executive and Principal Officer, Eskom Pension Fund Kgomotso Ramokala, Principal Officer, Telkom Retirement/Provident/ Pension Fund Fernando Vinzons, Chief Investment Officer, Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund John Gluszak, Head of Real Estate and Member of the Investment Committee, New York City Comptroller’s Office Rodney June, Chief Investment Officer, Los Angels City Employees’ Retirement System |
| 09:50 – 11:20 |
Panel Discussion: Risks and rewards for pension funds in infrastructure investing A discussion on the practical benefits and risks of infrastructure investing for large and small retirement funds. This discussion includes solutions that can be found for the risks faced by both investor groups. Moderator: Sifiso Sibiya, Head of Investments, GEPF Discussants: Thabo Letlaka, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Eskom Pension Fund & Provident Fund Leslie Ndawana, Principal Executive Officer, National Fund for Municipal Workers Sipho Makhubela, Chief Executive Officer, Harith General Partners Ngatia Kirungie, Managing Director, Spearhead Africa Vuyo Hlompho Ntoi, Joint Managing Director, African Infrastructure Investment Managers (Pty) Limited (AIIM) |
| 11:20 – 11:30 | Break |
| 11:30 – 12:50 |
Panel Discussion: Pension policy and regulatory reforms A discussion on recent and proposed retirement policy and regulatory changes and their impact, unintended consequences and implications for pension and retirement funds and its beneficiaries Moderator: Avishal Seeth, Head Retirements, AlexForbes Discussants: Brian Karidza, Head of Actuarial and Benefit Administration Services, GEPF Jonathan Mort, Director, Jonathan Mort Inc Pension Fund Attorneys Himanshi Jain, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank Zareena Camroodien, Departmental Head for Trustee Conduct and Governance , Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) John Chilman, Chief Executive of Railpen, UK and Chairperson of the Policy Board of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, UK |
| 12:50 – 13:40 |
Closing keynote address Reframing finance: new models for long-term investment management Dr Rajiv Sharma, Research Director for the Long-term Investing Initiative at Stanford and a Visiting Research Associate at the Oxford University Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. |
| 13:40 – 14:00 |
Closing Remarks Musa Mabesa, Principal Executive Officer, GEPF |
| 14:00 | Lunch |