Investment committee meetings, a governance cornerstone at every asset owner organisation, run the risk of amplifying group biases and social dynamics, and can push the IC towards recommending more extreme investment positions collectively than the average of their individual views. Bernhard Scherer, head of portfolio implementation at ADIA, unpacks the thesis in a new paper.
The UK’s Competition and Market Authority has put forward several changes to the investment consultant and fiduciary manager markets designed to ensure competition improves outcomes for pension schemes and other institutional investors. A competitive tender process would be required, as would clear distinctions between advice and marketing.
The Cost Transparency Initiative has entered its pilot phase, in which five of its templates will be tested in coming weeks. Data from the testing will be used to rationalise templates across the industry. The idea is to provide consistency of clarity of fees and costs, so trustees can compare funds easily.
An Australian case brought by a millennial against his pension fund is a world first and will make law on whether trustees breach their fiduciary duties when they ignore climate change.
The sheer weight of money behind the world’s largest 100 asset owners represents a huge opportunity to show leadership in the allocation of capital. A Willis Towers Watson report reveals the 100 largest and which ones are meeting the challenge.
The C$60 billion ($48 billion) Investment Management Corporation of Ontario, the latest kid on the block in Canada’s pension scene, is planning its asset allocation 2.0, which will involve more private and direct investments, more internalisation and lower costs. Amanda White spoke to chief executive Bert Clark and chief investment officer Jean Michel.
At the recent #actionsnotwords event in London, executives told of addressing philosophical blindspots, setting up flexible work hours, adding more drivers for recruitment and more.
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