8:15 - 9:15am - Pension Basics

This session will provide an overview of retirement programs including registered pension plans, RRSPs, government programs and the many other different types of retirement programs available today. 

Ashley Kapustiak - Canada Life

Communication and Education Manager, Group Retirement Services, Canada Life

Ashley joined the Canada Life team in 2021 and is bringing with her over 15 years of experie in the finance industry with a focus on wealth management and financial planning. In her role as Communication & Education Manager within our organization, Ashley is responsible for coordinating and conducting education sessions that are tailored to the plan member’s needs.

9:30 - 10:30am - Actuarial Basics

This session will give attendees a look inside the pension actuary's tool box, examining the fundamental principles of actuarial assumptions and how they affect funding and solvency valuations as well as commuted value calculations.

Kyle Meilleur - Ellement Consulting Group

Kyle is the Senior Vice President, Actuarial Services with Ellement Consulting Group. Kyle provides consulting for plan sponsors and boards on actuarial and funding related matters, specializing in actuarial projection valuations, plan design review, and providing strategic retirement solutions for clients in the public, private, and multi-employer sectors. In his role, he is responsible for leading a team of actuarial analysts and managing retirement services with a specific focus on pension, health, and executive retirement programs.

Kyle is a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree, with a major in Actuarial Science. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (FCIA) and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA). Kyle also serves on the Society of Actuaries Design and Accounting Exam committee.

10:45 - 12:15pm - Pension Regulations

This session will focus on provincial and federal legislation that governs the administration of the pension plans.

Jared Mickall - Wealth Leader, Mercer

Jared is the Wealth leader in Mercer's Winnipeg office and is a Principal and an actuary with over 20 years of experience in the pension industry. Jared manages client relationships and has consulted on the full lifecycle of both defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans. Jared’s experience includes communicating all aspects of pension plans to a wide range of audiences, including boards of directors, pension committees, plan members and regulators.

Jared is the former Chair of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries’ Committee for Pension Plan Financial Reporting. Jared is also a leading expert in Manitoba pension legislation. Jared has been a presenter for the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute Pension Fundamentals program on pension standards.

1:30pm - 2:30pm - Investment Basics

This session will provide an overview of basic investment principles and how they relate to pension fund management. The session will also include looking at different types of investments, asset mix and diversification

2:45 - 3:45pm - Legal Review

An update on the latest legal and regulatory items impacting pension plans.

Johanna Caithness - Partner, Fillmore Riley

Johanna is a partner who practises primarily in the area of taxation law. She provides advice to a wide variety of clients concerning the following: Estate planning, including planning for high net worth individuals and cross-border planning, Business succession planning, Corporate reorganizations, Trusts, Business structuring (including professional corporations), Complex estate administration, including post-mortem tax strategies, Provincial retail sales tax and GST.

Johanna understands that providing proper legal advice requires knowledge of and experience in many different areas of the law. She is able to draw on her experience involving real estate, corporate governance, transactional matters, and family law and engage other lawyers at Fillmore Riley so that her clients receive reliable and trusted advice in an efficient manner.

Johanna is a frequent presenter to lawyers and other professionals through the Law Society of Manitoba, the Manitoba Bar Association, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Canadian Tax Foundation and CPA Manitoba.