Canadian Investment Institute

Global Investment Strategies in a Shifting Political Landscape

As Canada experiences political change, investors must assess its impact on both domestic and global markets. This session begins with a look at the global political landscape and its implications for institutional portfolios. Experts will share how different regions are managing political risk and where opportunities may lie for long-term growth amid ongoing uncertainty.

A Strategic Look at Canada’s Economic Future

With a new prime minister, shifting interest rates and volatility south of the border, Canadian pension plans face a rapidly evolving investment landscape. This session explores the key challenges and emerging opportunities that could impact your portfolio in the near term.

Morning Open Forum

Take the conversation further with this open Q&A featuring the speakers from the two morning sessions. This is your opportunity to dive deeper into key topics and ask follow up questions on what matters most to your funds.

Advanced Asset Allocation: Building Resilient Portfolios

Explore advanced strategies in diversification, rebalancing and liquidity management to help your plan meet its long-term goals. This session will examine how different asset classes contribute to performance as well as how to manage risk amid market swings and regulatory change.

The Success Ratio of Superhuman Investors

A two-thirds success ratio is often seen as the hallmark of world-class investors. This session explores why achieving this is even harder than it sounds, looking at how to distinguish luck from skill and what trustees can do to tilt the odds in their favor.

Partnering for Growth: Indigenous Investment Opportunities

This panel will explore the growing opportunities for pension plans to invest in Indigenous-led businesses—supporting economic growth while generating healthy, long-term returns. Hear from Indigenous leaders and investment professionals on how these partnerships deliver value to both communities and plan portfolios.

Unlocking Artificial Intelligence: A New Frontier for Pension Investors

AI is transforming industries, offering investors access to innovation, efficiency gains and long-term growth potential. But with rapid change comes uncertainty—valuation risk, regulatory scrutiny and ethical concerns. This session explores the opportunities and challenges of investing in AI-driven companies as well as what trustees should consider as this technology reshapes markets.

Canada’s Real Estate Outlook: What Does the Future Look Like for Real Estate Sectors?

What’s next for Canada’s real estate market over the next 18-24 months? This session will highlight key demographic and geographic trends, along with opportunities and risks across sectors like office, multi-residential and industrial—helping trustees better position their portfolios for the years ahead.

Farmland and Renewable Resources—The Next Infrastructure?

As pension funds seek long-term, stable returns, farmland and renewable resources are gaining traction as potential pillars of modern portfolios. This session explores how these real assets can offer inflation protection and sustainability while examining their place in diversified strategies—and their potential to define the next frontier in infrastructure investing for Canadian plans.

The Role of Energy Transition in the Battle Against Climate Change

The global shift toward lower carbon emissions is reshaping industries—and investment strategies. This session explores what the energy transition really means, how public energy companies and infrastructure asset managers are evolving, and where asset owners can find long-term opportunity in supporting a more sustainable economy.

Private Equity Evolved: The Strategic Role of Secondaries

Private equity secondaries offer investors a unique way to access seasoned assets with reduced risk, faster liquidity and greater portfolio stability. This session breaks down how secondaries work, why they typically outperform other private equity strategies on a risk-adjusted basis and what investors need to know—from manager selection to new structures making entry more accessible.

Fixed Income Perspectives

In a shifting rate and inflationary environment, how should pension funds think about fixed income? This session explores evolving strategies, inflation protection and the role of fixed income in today’s portfolios.

Diversification 2.0—Adding Alternatives to Your Target Date Plans

Canadian plan sponsors are rethinking traditional target date strategies by integrating alternatives to enhance diversification, manage downside risk and support long-term outcomes. This session explores the pros and cons of this approach, de-risking strategies and innovations that help maintain liquidity without sacrificing performance.

Evolving Exposure: Cryptocurrency’s Role in Today’s Portfolios

The Low Volatility Effect: Protecting in Inflationary Environments and Recessions

Low volatility strategies aim to reduce downside risk without sacrificing long-term returns—a potential advantage during inflation, slowdowns and recessions. This session will explain how these portfolios work, review their historical performance and help trustees evaluate whether they fit within a broader asset allocation strategy focused on stability and resilience