The current coronavirus crisis has created investment governance challenges for Australia’s superannuation funds – with regard to liquidity requirements – that are relevant to any DC scheme which invests in illiquid assets. It highlights the potential impact of agency issues on decision-making during a crisis environment.
Boards and investment committees must rise to the current challenge, with governance models needing a pivot to respond to the new social distancing norm. Roger Urwin outlines a virtual investment committee model.
Marlene Puffer, president and chief executive at the $18 billion pension fund for Canadian National, says the fund has some natural advantages in the hunt for talent.
The largest asset owners should care about the stewardship difficulties facing asset owners with less than £20 billion in assets.
Speaking at the PRI in Person in Paris in a panel to highlight the role of finance in addressing social issues, Ghanaian James Kofi Annan, sold into slavery at the age of six, told his story.
It is difficult to see how the world will cap emissions in line with the Paris agreement unless asset owners drive change, aligning their portfolios to net zero and demanding more from their managers, delegates at PRI in Person heard.
Top1000funds.com is the market leading news and analysis site for the world’s largest institutional investors. It focuses on leading the global investment industry to continuous improvement through case studies of best practice in governance and decision making, portfolio construction and efficient portfolio management, fees and costs, and sustainable investing.
The publication pushes the industry to question whether status quo processes and behaviours to tackle risks and opportunities will be sufficient in the future, and actively campaigns for diversity, sustainability, transparency, innovation and better alignment of fees in the investment industry.
Top1000funds.com is read by investment professionals in more than 40 countries.
COVID-19