Making Portfolios Great Again: Solving for a Lower Expected Return, Higher Risk World
In this session we will address top-of-mind concerns for asset owners in the current complex market environment, and will examine solutions that could help “make portfolios great again.” Specifically, we will explore opportunities with the potential to reduce risk, enhance returns and flexibility, and lower cost ratios.

Speakers:
Erik Knutzen, CFA, CAIA, CIO, Multi-Asset Class, Neuberger Berman 
Doug Kramer, Co-Head of Quantitative & Multi-Asset Class Investments, Neuberger Berman 

Fireside Chat: Constructing Liability-Aware Investment Strategies across the Institutional Investment Landscape
Nuveen’s Dave Wilson believes institutional investors always have a liability to manage against. These liabilities may be well-defined as is the case with pension plans or implied as is the case with endowments or foundations. Regardless, customized, outcome-based investment strategies should be constructed to maximize the probability of meeting liabilities in almost every situation. Dave offers his unique perspective on a number of new and innovative strategies that are succeeding in different types of institutional portfolios.
Interviewer: Eric Laursen, Contributing Editor, Chief Investment Officer
Presenter: David Wilson, Head of Institutional Solutions Group, Nuveen Investments

Macro Investing in a Trumped Up World
Political risk is emerging as a critical factor in every global investment decision. What happens to forecasters who make grand macro projections? How important is macro? Some people reorganized their whole portfolio because of the Trump administration. Were they overreacting to macro changes?

Moderator
Mark Baumgartner, Ph.D., CIO, Institute for Advanced Study

Panelists
Erin Browne, Managing Director and Head of Macro Investments, UBS O’Connor, UBS Asset Management
Charles Van Vleet, Assistant Treasurer and CIO, Textron
Danielle Singer, Portfolio Director, Multi Asset Team, Invesco

Fireside Chat: Regime Change: Portfolio Implications from Shifting Global Policies (and Policymakers)
PineBridge Investments’ Steven Oh will discuss the transitions taking place around the world and how it will affect institutional investors in the months and years to come, including shifts in:
– Monetary policies among global central banks
– Political developments and fiscal policies
– Credit market and economic cycle
Interviewer: Jonathan Watkins, Global Editor, Strategic Insight
Presenter: Steven Oh, CFA, Global Head of Credit and Fixed Income, PineBridge Investments

How Does the Board Benchmark the Success of a CIO’s Plan
Taking an insider’s look at the objectives and requirements boards are demanding in today’s CIO executive searches. Insight from major CIO recruitment executives.

Moderator
Eric Laursen, Contributing Editor, Chief Investment Officer

Panelists
Elizabeth Havens, Partner, David Barrett Partners
Deb Brown, Managing Director, Asset and Wealth Management Recruiting Practice, Russell Reynolds Associates
Jane Marcus, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry

Fireside Chat: Being Flexible When Markets Get Volatile
A 60/40 portfolio may only generate 5.5% to 6% returns over the long term. That’s not only challenging relative to history but also low relative to return targets. In this Q&A session, Jeff Geller will discuss some of the return levers his team employs and risk management tools to help investors meet their objectives.
Interviewer: Jonathan Watkins, Global Editor, Strategic Insight
Presenter: Jeff Geller, CIO of Multi-Asset Solutions, J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Fireside Chat: The New Frontier Investors: How Pension Funds, Sovereign Funds and Endowments are Changing the Business of Investment Management and Long-Term Investing
Hosted by: Amrita Sareen, Contributing Editor, Chief Investment Officer
A casual conversation with Jagdeep Singh Bachher, Chief Investment Officer and Vice President of Investments, University of California Office of the President

Building High-Performing Investment Offices
There is a defined set of qualities in which most great institutions have in common—and several that failed ones share as well. How do you find great talent, keep it, and make a team more than a sum of its parts when investing beneficial assets?
Moderator
Christine Giordano, Editor, Chief Investment Officer

Panelists
Brian Pellegrino, CIO, United Parcel Service
Jeanmarie Grisi, CIO, Alcatel-Lucent Investment Management Corporation, U.S.
Scott Evans, Deputy Comptroller-Asset Management & CIO, New York City Pension Funds
Jason Klein, SVP and CIO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center