Defined Benefit pension plans rely on investment earnings to fund as much as 75% of their members’ pensions. This means that delivering strong and reliable investment returns is critical to the long-term stability of their plans. At the same time, the characteristics of the liabilities can’t be ignored. Constructing an investment portfolio that can deliver on these goals isn’t an easy task, but it usually starts with good diversification. But are pension plans truly as diversified as they think? Is how they have invested in the past the right strategy for ongoing success in the future, or is there a better way?
The team at the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund (ATRF) has spent the last year seeking answers to these questions. Follow their journey of self-reflection, share in what they learned, and hear how ATRF is adopting a new approach to pension portfolio construction.
About the speaker
Derek Brodersen, Chief Investment Officer – Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund Board
Derek Brodersen is Chief Investment Officer of the Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund Board (ATRF), an independent corporation that administers the pension plans for teachers in the province of Alberta, Canada. Derek is responsible for the development and implementation of investment policies and strategies, as well as the overall management of ATRF’s globally-diversified portfolio of pension assets. Derek joined ATRF in 1997 as Portfolio Manager, Equities, and assumed the role of Chief Investment Officer in 2008.
Prior to joining ATRF, Derek was Vice President, Equities at Crown Life Investment Management, and also managed investments in the firm’s fixed income and private equity areas. Derek holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba, an M.B.A. from York University, the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and the ICD.D designation. He is a member of the Pension Investment Association of Canada, the Institute of Corporate Directors and the CFA Society. He also serves on the board of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance and the Board Investment Committee of the University of Alberta.