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.

Brett Becker, CFA - (former) Regional Vice President, Coughlin & Associates Ltd.

Brett was responsible for providing general oversight and strategic direction of the Coughlin Winnipeg operations in addition to investment, pension and insurance consulting services and administrative liaison for clients. He joined Coughlin in 1994 and was appointed Vice President and Partner as well as a member of the Coughlin Board of Directors in 2012. Subsequently, with Coughlin joining People Corporation in 2016, Brett was appointed Regional Vice President and additionally provided liaison and strategic planning with People Corporation on their Benefits Solutions division leadership team. He retired from Coughlin & Associates Ltd at the end of 2023. Brett currently serves on the Investment Commitee for HEPP/HEBP, as well as on the Investment Commitee for the Accident and Retirement Funds of the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of Manitoba. Brett is also a former board member of the CFA Winnipeg, the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute (CPBI Manitoba) and the CEBS Advisory Commitee of Manitoba. Brett received the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1997 and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Manitoba.

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.