The pace of change in AI models poses a significant challenge to the due diligence frameworks employed by asset owners, whose own ability to adapt is being outstripped by the technological advancements they’re being asked to assess.
Top1000funds.com double clicks on CPP Investments' technology strategy exploring a new user-centric focus on modular design so technology can evolve alongside investments; how in the not too distant future teams will include “non human” intelligence; and how to answer the question of value added from technology deployment.
Sweden’s largest pension fund, the $126 billion Alecta, has spent much of the last year continuing to work on improving governance, risk management, competence and culture in the wake of a $2 billion loss in 2023 attributable to investments in US regional banks, including Silicon Valley Bank, turning sour.
The UK’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves just returned from a trip to Toronto where was gleaning ideas from Maple 8 bosses on how to emulate a “Canadian style” pension model. But it will require a governance overhaul to create a Maple 8 in the UK.
The semi annual report of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund is testament to its commitment to transparency, unambiguously outlining the half year results which came in 0.04% under benchmark. The fund did benefit from a nearly 15% exposure to tech stocks, but was let down by returns in renewable energy infrastructure.
Co-founder of the Thinking Ahead Institute, Tim Hodgson, thinks your investment beliefs are out of date. He says if they were written five or more years ago they aren’t grounded in a 2024 reality and inadequately consider climate risk and systems thinking, both essential for a modern day asset owner.
The funds that use TPA added 1.8 per cent pa for 10 years above those using SAA in a recent Thinking Ahead Institute study of 26 asset owners. And the systems-thinking TPA approach, with the benefits of dynamism and joined-upness, will help asset owners in an environment of increasing complexity.
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