[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]
Given the disruption and chaos currently facing the world, society and economies, this session looks at what an imagined future would look like and what the role of finance could be in a more informed and sustainable world.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Stewart%20Brentnall%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20investment%20officer%2C%20TCorp%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Stewart%20Brentnall%20joined%20TCorp%20as%20its%20first%20Chief%20Investment%20Officer%20in%20March%202017.%20The%20position%20was%20created%20following%20a%20merger%20between%20TCorp%20and%20two%20other%20NSW%20funds%20(State%20Super%20and%20iCare%2C%20formerly%20NSW%20WorkCover).%20He%20oversees%20TCorp%E2%80%99s%20end%20to%20end%20investment%20process.%20In%20this%20position%2C%20Mr%20Brentnall%20is%20responsible%20for%20running%20an%20aggregate%20portfolio%20of%20%24110bn%2C%20representing%20defined%20benefit%20pension%20assets%2C%20insurance%20reserves%2C%20an%20infrastructure%20recycling%20fund%20and%20an%20intergenerational%20sovereign%20wealth%20fund.%20%20Mr%20Brentnall%20has%20led%20the%20evolution%20of%20TCorp%E2%80%99s%20investment%20model%20to%20a%20risk%20based%20Total%20Portfolio%20Approach.%5CnFrom%202010-2017%2C%20Mr.%20Brentnall%20was%20Chief%20Investment%20Officer%20for%20ANZ%2C%20one%20of%20the%20large%20Australian%20banks.%20In%202009%2C%20ANZ%20bought%20out%20its%20joint%20venture%20with%20ING%20to%20strengthen%20its%20position%20in%20wealth%20management.%20He%20was%20brought%20in%20to%20oversee%20the%20transition%2C%20and%20to%20design%20and%20implement%20its%20asset%20management%20strategy.%5CnMr.%20Brentnall%20was%20previously%20Head%20of%20Investment%20Solutions%20at%20BT%20Financial%20Group%2C%20a%20newly%20created%20business%20unit%20to%20manage%20external%20funds.%20He%20also%20held%20various%20leadership%20roles%20in%20asset%20management%20at%20Queensland%20Investment%20Corporation%20(QIC)%2C%20Goldman%20Sachs%20and%20Schroders.%20He%20began%20his%20career%20as%20an%20auditor%20with%20Deloitte.%5Cn%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2231895%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fstewart-brentnall%2F%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Angela%20Roddell%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20executive%2C%20Alaska%20Permanent%20Fund%20(United%20States)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Angela%20M.%20Rodell%20serves%20as%20the%20chief%20executive%20%2F%20executive%20director%20of%20the%20Alaska%20Permanent%20Fund%20Corporation%2C%20having%20been%20selected%20in%20October%20of%202015%20by%20the%20board%20of%20trustees.%20The%20APFC%20is%20a%20state-owned%20corporation%2C%20based%20in%20Juneau%2C%20Alaska%2C%20that%20manages%20and%20invests%20the%20assets%20of%20the%20%2455%20billion%20Alaska%20Permanent%20Fund%20and%20other%20funds%20designated%20by%20law.%20As%20the%20chief%20executive%20Rodell%20is%20leading%20the%20APFC%20at%20a%20pivotal%20time%20in%20history%20as%20it%20continues%20to%20emerge%20as%20a%20revenue%20generating%20center%20for%20the%20State%20of%20Alaska.%5CnRodell%20also%20served%20on%20the%20APFC%E2%80%99s%20board%20of%20trustees%20as%20a%20cabinet%20member%2C%20having%20been%20appointed%20commissioner%20of%20the%20department%20of%20revenue%20in%20August%2C%202013%20by%20Governor%20Sean%20Parnell.%20In%20addition%20to%20serving%20as%20a%20trustee%2C%20Rodell%20enjoyed%20the%20oversight%20role%20in%20working%20with%20the%20divisions%20and%20900%20employees%20within%20revenue%2C%20and%20participated%20as%20a%20member%20of%20several%20boards%2C%20including%20the%20Alaska%20Retirement%20Management%20Board%2C%20the%20Alaska%20Housing%20Finance%20Corporation%20Board%2C%20the%20Alaska%20State%20Bond%20Committee%20and%20the%20Alaska%20Industrial%20Development%20and%20Export%20Authority%2C%20among%20others.%5CnRodell%20first%20joined%20the%20State%20of%20Alaska%20in%20September%2C%202011%2C%20as%20State%20Treasurer%20and%20deputy%20commissioner%20over%20Revenue’s%20Treasury%20Division%2C%20Permanent%20Fund%20Dividend%20Division%20and%20the%20Child%20Support%20Services%20Division.%20Formerly%2C%20Rodell%20served%20as%20financial%20advisor%20to%20more%20than%20%2430%20billion%20of%20transactions%20for%20state%20and%20state%20authorities%20in%20more%20than%20nine%20states%2C%20including%20Alaska.%20Transactions%20included%20general%20obligation%2C%20pension%20obligation%2C%20public%20power%2C%20tobacco%20securitisation%2C%20affordable%20housing%2C%20and%20toll%20road%20and%20transportation%20financing.%20Prior%20to%20becoming%20a%20financial%20advisor%2C%20Rodell%20served%20as%20the%20finance%20officer%20to%20Kentucky%20Housing%20Corporation.%5CnRodell%20has%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Arts%20degree%20from%20Marquette%20University%20in%20Milwaukee%2C%20Wisconsin%20and%20a%20Masters%20in%20Public%20Administration%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Kentucky%20in%20Lexington%2C%20Kentucky.%5Cn%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2231896%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fangela-rodell-a3b5597%2F%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Geoffrey%20Rubin%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20investment%20strategist%2C%20CPP%20Investments%20(Canada)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Geoff%20Rubin%20is%20responsible%20for%20overall%20fund-level%20investment%20strategy%20and%20heads%20the%20total%20portfolio%20management%20(TPM)%20department%20%E2%80%93%20the%20operational%20arm%20of%20CPP%20Investments%E2%80%99%20investment%20planning%20committee%2C%20with%20overall%20management%20accountability%20for%20the%20oversight%20and%20management%20of%20the%20fund%E2%80%99s%20investment%20portfolio.%5CnHe%20joined%20CPP%20Investments%20in%202011%2C%20with%20the%20inception%20of%20TPM%2C%20and%20has%20helped%20shape%20its%20growth%20and%20evolution%2C%20and%20to%20define%20and%20execute%20CPP%20Investments%E2%80%99%20total%20portfolio%20approach.%5CnPreviously%2C%20he%20held%20finance%20roles%20with%20Fannie%20Mae%20and%20Capital%20One%20Financial%20where%20he%20managed%20the%20global%20balance%20sheet.%20Rubin%20also%20ran%20a%20consulting%20practice%20and%20was%20Adjunct%20Professor%20at%20American%20University%E2%80%99s%20Kogod%20School%20of%20Business%20in%20Washington%2C%20DC.%5CnHe%20holds%20a%20BA%20in%20Economics%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Virginia%20and%20a%20PhD%20in%20Economics%20from%20Princeton%20University.%5Cn%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2231897%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fgeoffrey-rubin-43713814%2F%22%7D%5D” title=”Speakers” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Amanda%20White%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%20of%20institutional%20content%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Amanda%20White%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20content%20across%20all%20Conexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%20institutional%20media%20and%20events.%20In%20addition%20to%20being%20the%20editor%20of%20Top1000funds.com%2C%20she%20is%20responsible%20for%20directing%20the%20global%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium%20which%20challenges%20global%20investors%20on%20investment%20best%20practice%20and%20aims%20to%20place%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20investors%20in%20wider%20societal%2C%20and%20political%20contexts.%20She%20holds%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Economics%20and%20a%20Masters%20of%20Art%20in%20Journalism%20and%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20journalist%20for%20more%20than%2025%20years.%20She%20is%20currently%20a%20fellow%20in%20the%20Finance%20Leaders%20Fellowship%20at%20the%20Aspen%20Institute.%20The%20two-year%20program%20seeks%20to%20develop%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20responsible%2C%20community-spirited%20leaders%20in%20the%20global%20finance%20industry.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2231861%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Famanda-white-101a7515%2F%22%7D%5D” title=”Moderator” el_class=””][vc_empty_space height=”10px”]
Key takeaways
Stewart
The future is about risk allocation, not asset allocation. COVID-19 makes the distinction clearer between mature and less mature economies.
In the future we should approach benchmarks with caution as they will look very different.
Supply chains will be more spread across countries to reduce geographic concentration risk.
The future will see an acceleration of sustainability investing and a rising heat around the demand for social justice. Questions around mission and governance will arise with a greater resolve to implement greater horizon strategies.
A true long horizon portfolio may move away from 60/40 or 70/30 and move much closer to 100/0.
Angela
The future looks brighter if we invest in technological infrastructure such as broadband.
The future will see greater investment in the smaller cities.
Perhaps moving forward we will think very differently about investing in commodities or cryptocurrencies, or risk being left behind.
Geoff
Reassuringly, in the long-term the future growth trajectory will look a lot like the past; the combination of labour, capital and technology has been an incredibly resilient and consistent engine of growth and has survived World Wars and pandemics.
The Florida State Board of Administration has made some strategic moves to take advantage of opportunities in the dislocation, including in private equity, distressed debt and active listed equities.. But CIO, Ash Williams, is concerned about the underlying real economy.
This paper argues that the COVID-19 pandemic is an inevitable result of globalisation and that the pandemic, in turn, has seriously threatened the world’s globalisation, but adverse effects on globalisation will be temporary.
Although governments everywhere are scrambling to contain the economic fallout from COVID-19, some are approaching the task more strategically than others. The European Union and China, in particular, are focusing on long-term investments in clean energy, whereas America is doubling down on the past.
While some degree of deglobalisation may be desirable today, this process also carries grave risks, from skyrocketing production costs to geopolitical conflict. The only way to mitigate those risks is through enhanced multilateral cooperation.
China's decision to demolish the "one country, two systems" arrangement in Hong Kong appears to be a fait accompli, and in fact seems to have been preordained. Viewed in a broader context, the move represents a major salvo in a new cold war that is already playing out across three critical dimensions.
There is a lack of understanding in investment decision-making about how big the climate crisis is which could lead to investments and risks being mis-directed, according to Professor Cameron Hepburn, Professor of Environmental Economics at Oxford University.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Login