Agenda - 2008 Transition Management Conference
Sample Agenda
8:00 - 8:45am
Registration and Breakfast
Tower Salon AB
8:45 - 9:00am
Opening Remarks
Tower Salon AB
Speakers:
Chris Battaglia
Publisher, Pensions & Investments
Paul Sachs
[Conference Moderator], Principal, Mercer Sentinel Group
9:00 - 9:30am
SPEECH
Smooth Sailing in Choppy Waters
Restructuring a portfolio can be expensive, time-consuming, and risky. Add the recurring recent theme of global volatility and the importance of professionally managing the transition process seems more critical than ever. This presentation will focus on the basics of transition management, an overview of topics that will be covered in today’s conference sessions, your role versus the transition manager’s role, recent changes in the markets and transition management best practices.
Speaker:
Paul Sachs
[Conference Moderator], Principal, Mercer Sentinel Group
9:30 - 10:15am
PANEL PRESENTATION
Lessons Learned From The “Quant Quake” of 2007
2007 was a year in which we saw volatility rise and liquidity evaporate. How have transition managers responded and sponsors faired during this period? How effective was risk management? What have been the unique challenges? What needs to be done differently going forward as we experience the impact of global macroeconomic events such as those we
saw in 2007?
Panelists:
Keith Wilson
Director, Mellon Transition Management
Grant Johnsey
Head of Transition Management, North America, Northern Trust
Gavin W. Watson
Head of Asset Management and Pension Business, RiskMetrics Group
10:15 - 10:35am
Networking Break
Tower Salon AB
10:35 - 11:15am
WORKSHOP
Risk Management and Systematic Risk
How have recent market conditions affected plan sponsors who were looking to transition assets? Can sub-prime related events affect the implementation of a transition project? What is a better method of execution when it comes to managing risk - an agency execution or a
principal transaction?
Speaker:
Hari Achuthan
Director - Pension Strategies & Transition Management, Credit Suisse
Jonathan Blau
Director - Leveraged Finance Strategies, Credit Suisse
Indra Chandra
Managing Director - Leveraged Finance Strategies, Credit Suisse
11:15 - 11:55am
WORKSHOP
Derivatives Role in Transition Management, Interim Exposure Solutions and On-going Investment Strategy
Derivatives are becoming widely accepted by most institutional investors and are valuable tools to reduce plan risk without incurring huge transaction costs. This workshop will discuss the uses of derivatives in transition management and other uses that can reduce plan risk and potentially enhance returns.
Speaker:
Mike Feehily, CFA
Managing Director - Asset Owner Strategies, State Street Global Markets
11:55 - 12:35pm
WORKSHOP
Theory Meets Practice: Transition Case Studies
Northern Trust presents transition management case studies to discuss a variety of relevant topics in real world situations. Case studies will cover elements of trading, risk management, coordination and operations.
Speaker:
Grant Johnsey
Head of Transition Management, North America, Northern Trust
12:35 - 1:45pm
Networking Lunch
Victor’s
1:45 - 2:30pm
PANEL PRESENTATION
The T-Charter: The Most Important Issues Addressed and What they Mean for Plan Sponsors
What are the most critical elements of the industry’s new code of Best Practice for transition managers? Where and how will plan sponsors experience the benefits of the new code? Does the code create greater consistency and transparency? This broad ranging discussion will focus not only on the key elements of the T-Charter but also on implementation and adoption issues, address gaps in the Charter and potential enhancements that we may see in the future.
Panelists:
Hari Achuthan
Director - Pension Strategies & Transition Management, Credit Suisse
Ross McLellan, CFA
Senior Managing Director, State Street Global Markets
2:30 - 3:10pm
WORKSHOP
Transition Management: Challenges and Solutions
Transition events often include a host of challenges such as relatively high tracking error between target and legacy portfolios, illiquid securities, and multiple moving parts from both an investment management and operational/custodial perspective. This session will be a discussion of some of these unique challenges that face a plan sponsor during the course of a transition and how an experienced transition manager develops solutions to these issues.
Speaker:
Patrick Hughes, CFA
Vice President, Mellon Transition Management
3:10 - 3:30pm
Networking Break
Tower Salon AB
3:30 - 4:10pm
WORKSHOP
Revenue Transparency
Transitions can be complicated, but identifying your costs shouldn't be. Full disclosure and transparency are key in understanding the total cost of an asset move---hidden revenue earned by a transition manager translates to hidden costs for investors. In this workshop, BGI will help demystify transition-related revenue by detailing simple ways to identify hidden costs associated with each transition.
Speaker:
Ravi Goutam
Managing Director, Head of U.S. Transition Management, Barclays Global Investors
PANEL PRESENTATION
“The Rise of the Machines”: How Technology Has and Will Impact the Transition Management Business
From communications to post transition analysis, technology changed the way in which transitions are planned, executed and analyzed. Have the changes all been for the good? How has electronic trading changed the sources of liquidity in the fixed income and equity trading markets? What about the human element in the transition management process? Will there continue to be a fine balance between utilizing the efficiencies of modern technologies coupled with the experience of the seasoned transition manager? What are those elements in transition management that will never be replaced by a machine? In this final panel of the day we will discuss where this ever changing, sophisticated world of technology is taking us and what our world could look like in 2010.
Panelists:
Ravi Goutam
Managing Director, Head of U.S. Transition Management, Barclays Global Investors
Steven Glass
Senior Vice President/Head, Plexus Plan Sponsor Group, Inc.
5:00 - 6:30pm
Closing Reception
Tower Salon AB