(Half-Day pm) Pension Forum: Governance and Pension Plan Communications

Pension Forum - Governance and Communication

Schedule:

Pension Plan Governance Rules and Implementation – D Mulyk, Alberta Treasury Board and Finance and C Brown, Alberta Local Authorities Pension Plan Corp.

This session will provide an overview of best pension plan governance practices, including resources available through CAPSA (Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities) and the Employment Pensions Plan Act. The presenters will also discuss strategies which go beyond the written rules to identify how to navigate some of the real challenges of pension governance which comes with managing pension plans. 

Dave Mulyk is the Senior Manager, Public Sector Pension Policy and works in the Financial Sector Regulation and Policy division with Treasury Board and Finance. Previous to his current role, he was an Alberta lead on the rewrite of the Employment Pension Plans Act. He has been with Alberta Finance since 2001 and in his current role since June 2014. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Math and Economics, as well as an MBA, both of which were earned from the University of Alberta.

Christopher Brown is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Alberta Local Authorities Pension Plan Corp., overseeing the organization which provides high-level strategic guidance of the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP) and supports the LAPP Board of Trustees. Chris is a leading pension expert who has worked with regulators and policy makers at both provincial and national levels. He is currently a member of ACPM’s National Board of Directors, Executive Committee, National Policy Committee and National Conference Planning Committee. Chris holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University and is an active member of the Law Society of Alberta.

Pension Plan Communications - K Hall, T E Wealth and B Mullen, Belay Advisory 

This session will cover the importance of communications to properly manage risk for all types of workplace pension plans, including the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, the challenges posed by financial awareness and pension literacy, plus the need for better education and engagement of plan members.

Karen Hall is T E Wealth’s Vice President of Financial Education and Employer Services. She takes a holistic approach to employee financial wellness, designing comprehensive financial education programs aimed at bolstering employee financial well-being. Karen brings more than 20 years of training, financial education program development and consulting experience to her role. She is both a Registered Financial Planner (RFP) and CFP professional. Karen is a long-term member of the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners and the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute, where she is a council member of the Southern Alberta chapter. Karen has a BSc in Geology from the University of Calgary.

Brenda Mullen joined Belay Advisory nine years ago. In her lead role  as employee retirement plan consultant she brings over 20 years of expertise, creativity and service experience to the employers who engage Belay Advisory and the employees who benefit from having an employee retirement plan. Prior to joining Belay Advisory, Brenda grew Great-West Life’s local Group Retirement Services office into their leading Canadian office for several years and her industry experience was gained at Sun Life, Standard Life and Great-West Life. Brenda has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, holds the Retirement Planning Associate designation and regularly participates in industry-affiliated educational opportunities, including CPBI.