Program Outline
To download a print ready version, please click HERE.
Please note that the program outline below indicates those sessions in which there are speaking positions still available. If you are interested in speaking or presenting at one of these sessions, please contact the IPEBLA Management Office at ipebla@managingmatters.com or call +1 416 693 7775. A more detailed program, with the names of confirmed presenters will be posted in early 2012.
Date: April 22-24, 2012
Venue: Half Moon Conference Centre, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Special Conference Rate effective April 19-27, see below.
Theme: Building Bridges: Connecting Law, Regulation and Actuarial Practice
The purpose of this conference is to provide an international forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience among different professionals whose overlapping expertise contributes to global development, implementation and supervision of pension systems.
Program Partners:
• International Pension and Employee Benefit Lawyers Association
• Caribbean Actuarial Association
Supporting Partners:
• Caribbean Association of Pension Supervisors
• International Association of Actuaries
• International Monetary Fund
Program
Sunday, April 22, 2012
4:00pm – 8:00pm -- Registration Half Moon Conference Centre
7:00pm – 10:00pm -- Welcome Reception Half Moon Conference Centre (Outdoor location)
DAY 1
Monday, April 23, 2012
8:30 am -- Opening Remarks from Co-Chairs
8:45 am -- 9:45am -- PLENARY #1 -- Improving Retirement Coverage and Adequacy
This session will address the policy reasons for promoting enhanced coverage and adequacy of post-retirement income, with emphasis on coordination and development of pension policies within a multi-jurisdictional economic zone.
9:45 – 10:45am -- PLENARY #2 -- Pension Reform in Developing Countries
This session will present the results of a survey of the status of current pension laws in developing countries. The purpose is to encourage discussion of experience in other countries including proposals for reform.
10:45am – 12:00pm -- Group 1 -- Concurrent Workshops
W1 Executive Compensation: Comparing Incentives
This session will examine the use of equity, cash and carried interest alternatives.
W2 Pension Fund Governance and Financial Regulation
An interactive session using case studies relating to the administration of pension funds which involve a professional responsibility, ethics or practice management decision, challenge, opportunity or issue faced by a lawyer or actuary.
W3 Socially Responsible Investment [Speakers Required]
A session to explore SRI and ESG in the context of pension fund investment.
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W4 Bargaining Trends in Pension and Benefit Provision
In-house and external advisors involved with recent high profile pension and benefit negotiations will discuss recent cases and trends.
12:00pm – 1:30pm -- Lunch
1:00pm – 1:20pm -- Lunch Address [Speaker to be announced]
1:45pm – 2:45pm PLENARY #3 -- Key Issues in Pension Regulation
This session will examine some key issues in pension fund supervision from the perspective of the regulator, the lawyer and the actuary
3:00pm to 4:00pm -- Group 2 -- Concurrent Workshops
W5 Plan Disclosure and Communications Best Practices
In an industry dominated by legal and technical jargon, what are best practices for communication and risk management?
W6 Employer Responsibility for Plan Administration [Additional Speakers Required]
This session will examine manner in which systemic conflicts of interest are addressed in those jurisdictions in which employers are permitted to be the administrators of the plans they sponsor and how employers and their advisors participate in plan administration in other jurisdictions.
W7 Default Investment Strategies for Defined Contribution Plans [Additional Speakers Required]
This session will look at legal, regulatory and actuarial issues, including use of lifecycle and target date funds.
W8 Liability Driven Investment (LDI) [Additional Speakers Required]
A workshop to discuss legal, regulatory and actuarial issues associated with LDI and asset liability modelling.
4:00pm to 5:00pm -- Group 3 -- Concurrent Workshops
W9 Pension Litigation
This session will examine recent global trends in pension litigation including class litigation relating to benefit rights and plan investment.
W10 How to Conduct a Governance Audit
This workshop will explore how pension plan governance performance can be assessed, and identify key elements of a good governance structure.
W11 Communication and Client Relations
This is a professionalism session lead by Delee Fromm, a lawyer and psychologist who has taught and coached to critical acclaim for over 25 years. The purpose of this interactive session is to help professionals avoid or deal with communication breakdowns.
W12 Beyond DB and DC: Alternative Plan Designs [Speakers Required]
Much has been written about the questionable long-term viability of DB plans and the trend to DC plans. Are these the only alternatives? Is there a sustainable middle ground that more fairly allocates risk between employers, employees and pensioners?
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Cocktails in the Pavilion
7:30pm – 10:00pm -- Gala Dinner
DAY 2
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
8:45am -- 10:00am -- PLENARY #4 –Protecting the Pension Promise: Pension Protection and Guarantee Systems
This session will examine the policy reasons for adopting or rejecting pension protection systems, as well as an overview of how the systems that are in place are performing, from regulatory, actuarial and legal perspectives.
10:15am – 11:15am -- Group 4 Concurrent Workshops
W13 When the Pension Promise Fails – Unilateral or forced reduction of accrued pension entitlements [Additional Speakers Required]
What happens when there are insufficient funds to meet the pensions promised? What regulatory, legal and actuarial considerations come to bear in determining how best to reduce pension obligations to conform to available funding?
W14 Managing and Assessing Service Providers in Pension Provision [Additional Speakers Required]
A session to examine best practices in purchasing pension services.
W15 Recharging and Stress Management
This is a professionalism session lead by Delee Fromm, a lawyer and psychologist who has taught and coached to critical acclaim for over 25 years. The purpose of this interactive session is to provide tips to help you recharge as you work, know your energy sources, maximize what energizes you, relax, manage thoughts and mange your stress.
W16 Investment Challenges for Pension Funds
Discussion of the keys to good governance of pension fund investments in both a DC and DB context
11:15am – 12:15pm -- Group 5 Concurrent Workshops
W17 Funding Issues for Private Pensions [Additional Speakers Required]
Discussion of “funding policies”, design alternatives to address funding issues and legislative responses to funding issues, including solvency funding requirements and solvency funding relief measures
W18 Plan Sponsor Perspectives: Challenges in Meeting Fiduciary and Administrative Compliance Obligations
Speakers from private company occupational pension plan sponsors as well as government entities will provide an overview of how they deal with fiduciary and administrative compliance issues and what they expect of their service providers.
W19 Pension Plan Discontinuance and Winding-Up [Additional Speakers Required]
Consideration of a broad range of legal issues arising on plan wind up, including verification of members, claims by former members, surplus and deficit issues
W20 – Pension Splitting on Marital Breakdown [Additional Speakers Required]
This session will provide a case study to explore different practices for splitting pensions in different jurisdictions, and the duties and powers of plan administrators and regulators.
12:30 – 1:45pm -- Lunch
1:45pm – 3:15pm PLENARY #5 -- Unit Pricing Governance and Remediation
This session will provide an overview of the topic, identification of key challenges and practical recommendations to improve governance and risk management in unit pricing practices, including discussion of the Enterprise Management White Paper on Unit Pricing Principles, with its lead author, Dr. Jules Gribble.
3:15pm – 3:30pm Conference Wrap Up
General Rules for Speakers/Presenters
- The expenses of speakers and workshop leaders are not reimbursed (limited exceptions for dignitaries and public figures with permission of the Committee).
- Conference Rate effective April 19-27: Without breakfast $175 single and double plus 25% for tax and service. With breakfast $200 single/$225 double, plus 25% for tax and service. For more detail please go to http://booking.ihotelier.com/istay/istay.jsp?hotelID=74264&userType=GRP and to book on-line, please use Group Attendee Code: 539490
- Speakers and workshop leaders must pay conference registration fees (limited exceptions for dignitaries and public figures with permission of the Committee, and for preset financial sponsors). Conference registration fee $500 (early) $600 (late)
- Preference will be given to presenters who are members of IPEBLA and the CAA, and to regulators.
- Generally, one presenter per firm, unless there are good reasons otherwise.
- A short paper (5 to 10 pages) for each session. (Each speaker or workshop leader may submit a paper or there may be one paper per session co-authored by all or some presenters of the same session.) It must be submitted by March 2, 2012.
- A one page summary of your session must be submitted by March 16, 2012. Other materials you wish to include, such as power point, or "pre-read" material should also be submitted by March 16, 2012.
- Each speaker or workshop leader must grant non-exclusive permission to IPEBLA and CAA to use the material submitted, with credit to the author(s), e.g., for publication in CAA or IPEBLA Journals, or posting on their websites.
- Workshop leaders are strongly encouraged to promote interaction and exchange of information among participants. Most workshops should not be lectures, but may start with a short presentation to encourage discussion.
