Canadian Pension Certificate Program - Spring 2025

Canadian Pension Certificate Program - Spring 2025

February 26 - March 7, 2025 9:30 AM to 4:30 PMOnline - Eastern Time
Area of Interest: Pensions Format: Web



Program offered in partnership with

the Human Resources Professionals Association

Starts: February 26, 2025 at 9:30 AM - Ends: March 7, 2025 4:30 PM - 23 CPD Hour(s)

Pensions and retirement savings used to be a relatively straightforward area for HR professionals. Not anymore.

While still a very important element of employee compensation, the landscape of pension and retirement savings has become much more complex.
Longer life expectancies and workplace demographics that often skew toward the more mature end of the spectrum are also complicating factors.

And as pension law and regulation continue to evolve, a good understanding of the legal framework, best practices and risk management is critical to successful plan administration.

In this certificate course, master one of the most important elements of employee compensation and learn how to make your firm's programs as efficient as possible.

This is an invaluable opportunity to further your career and enhance your company's effectiveness by becoming an expert in the area of pension and retirement savings.

What will I learn?

After completing the certificate program, participants will have the skills and information required to:

  • Gain an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that applies to pension and other retirement savings plans.
  • Learn tips on best practices in plan administration and governance.
  • Get strategies to reduce risk and liability in plan administration.
  • Develop an understanding of investment and plan structure principles across different plan types
This program will not be recorded.  This is an intact program in which attendees must attend all of the sessions in order to qualify for the certificate. To receive a certificate of completion at the end of the program, the candidate  must successfully complete an online assessment after each scheduled module.
Price

CPBI Members: 1,970 cad + taxes
Non-Members: 2,450 cad + taxes

Join CPBI-ICRA  to save  $ 480  and much more! (regular membership   $ 345 + taxes)
*** CPBI Members can email [email protected] to receive their coupon code.

The promo code entitles you to the HRPA Member rate. If you are an HRPA member, you will automatically receive the HRPA Member rate without having to apply the promo code. Registrants are allowed only one discount per registration, equivalent to the HRPA Member rate.
What is covered?

Module 1 – Plan Overview and Statutory Requirements

  • Overview of defined contribution plans, defined benefit plans, and other registered plans
  • Pension standards registration and compliance requirements
  • Tax registration and reporting requirements (e.g., plan registration requirements, advantages of registration, T4 reporting, pension adjustments, etc.)

Module 2 – Key Concepts – Defined Benefit Plans

  • Plan funding
  • Investment rules (30%/10%) and regulations
  • Actuarial funding, valuations and assumptions
  • SIPPs
  • DB limits under ITA
 

Module 3 – Key Concepts -Defined Contribution Plans

  • Service providers and investment options (risk appetites)
  • Default investments
  • Fees
  • DC/money purchase limits under the ITA
 Module 4 – Investment Concepts Explained – for DB & DC Plans
  • Investment managers
  • Alternative investments
  • Global & Canada investment trends
 Module 5 – Best Practices in Communications & Record Keeping
  • Best practices for all organization types & size
  • Common communication pitfalls
  • The importance of clear and accurate communications
  • Communications in a post-COVID world
 Module 6 – Administrative Guidelines for Life Events
  • Beneficiary Designations
  • Leaves of Absence
  • Separation of Employment
  • Marital Equalization Payments
  • Employer Bankruptcy
 Module 7 – Plan Member’s transition to Retirement
  • Helping your members address the retirement gap
  • Decumulation product trends and insights
  • Improving Member outcomes
 Module 8 – Governance & Risk Management
  • Principles of plan governance
  • Risk management (including de-risking) and best practices in plan governance
Who should attend?

HR professionals/Executives, VPs/Directors/Managers of Human Resources, HR generalists, Pension Committee Members, Boards of Trustees, C-suite Executives. Head of Finance, Finance Managers, Analysts, Pension Specialists, HR Consultants, Business Owners.

What is the course format?

This certificate program combines live virtual instruction with hands-on experiential learning through case studies, scenarios, group work/break out discussions and simulations.

Live Virtual Sessions:

There will be online instructor-led modules, during which practical examples and experiences will be shared.

Materials:

Participants will be provided with session workbooks to follow along with the content covered in each module and to take notes, as well as additional pre-session readings and post-session assignments.

Peer Learning and Group Work:

Participants will have the opportunity to learn from each other while answering questions and sharing experiences and observations during the modules, as well as through practical, hands-on exercises and simulations based on real-world labour relations events and processes.

Time Commitment:

This four-day certificate program will be delivered in eight modules. Participants will spend four (4.5) hours each day participating in the virtual sessions and accompanying exercises and simulation activities. Over the duration of the course, participants can expect to spend an additional five (5) hours completing offline independent work (outside of the daily sessions).

The in-class virtual modules will be held as follows:

Schedule:

Introduction - February 26, 2025 (9:30am - 10:00am EST)
Module 1 – February 26, 2025 (10:00 am – 12:00 pm EST)
Module 2 – February 26, 2025  (2:00 pm – 4:30 pm EST)
Module 3 – February 28, 2025 (10:00 am – 12:00 pm EST)
Module 4 – February 28, 2025 (2:00 pm – 4:30 pm EST)
Module 5 – March 5, 2025 (10:00 am – 12:00 pm EST)
Module 6 -  March 5, 2025 (2:00 pm – 4:30 pm EST)
Module 7 – March 7, 2025 (10:00 am – 12:00 pm EST)
Module 8 - March 7, 2025 (2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST)
Note: 
  • To receive a certificate of completion at the end of the program, the candidate must successfully complete an online assessment after each scheduled module.
  • This program will not be recorded. This is an intact program in which attendees must attend all of the sessions in order to qualify for the certificate.
  • Registration Difficulties/Questions: Please reach out to the Professional Development team at [email protected].
  • For more information please Call the Toll-free number:   888 788-3185  Choose 1 for Region, then Ext. 3email [email protected]
 
 

Cancellation Policy 

Course Facilitators

 
Jason Paquette

Counsel, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada

 
Jason Vary

President, Actuarial Solutions Inc.

Jason is a pension and benefits lawyer supporting Sun Life’s Group Retirement Services and Group Benefits businesses.  These businesses serve the needs of Canadians by providing retirement and savings plan asset administrative services, and life and health insurance benefits and administrative services.  Prior to joining Sun Life, Jason was in private practice, where he provided advice to clients in the public and private sectors on a wide range of pension and benefits issues. Jason has practiced in defined benefit pension and retiree health plans for over twenty-five years. He has experience with many plan designs including single-employer, multi-employer, jointly-sponsored, private sector, government, unionized, non-unionized, as well as registered and non-registered executive plans.  

Jason joined Actuarial Solutions Inc. in 2006 and is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries.  Jason is an active volunteer with the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, the International Actuarial Association, and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.

   

 
Paul Rossi

Director, Investments and DC, Eckler Ltd.

 
Natasha Monkman

Partner, Hicks Morley’s Pension Benefits and Executive Compensation practice group

A Director in Eckler’s investment consulting practice, Paul has 20 years of experience working with clients of all sizes with defined contribution (DC) or defined benefit (DB) plans. He works with clients in a variety of areas, ranging from governance, to investments, to record keeper selection and plan design. 

Paul has been primarily focused on DC over his entire career and has extensive knowledge of investment managers and record keepers, leading various research efforts on both fronts over his tenure at Eckler. He brings a detailed approach to all his clients and specializes in helping manage their DC plans effectively. Paul has also contributed to the industry through conference speaking engagements. Paul also co-leads Eckler’s university co-op hiring program for their investment team.

Paul graduated from Ryerson University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and has completed level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

 

Natasha regularly advises private and public sector employers on a variety of plan administration, compliance and governance matters relating to their employee benefit plans and pension plans, including with respect to the administration of marriage breakdown and death benefit entitlements. She also regularly advises employers under going significant transactions and with respect to pension plan funding issues.

   
 
Pamela Chan Ebejer

Partner, Dentons

 
Salina Shariff

Senior Director, Retirement Solutions and Financial Wellness, People Corporation

Pam Chan Ebejer is a partner in the Employment, Labour and Pensions group of Dentons’ Toronto office.
Pam regularly provides strategic and legal advice to plan sponsors and administrators on all aspects of defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, including design and amendment, fiduciary responsibilities, governance and funding issues, and regulatory compliance. Pam also has extensive experience advising on pensions, retirement and savings plans, and employee benefit matters in corporate transactions, including asset and share transactions, and in assisting clients develop and amend executive and deferred compensation plans.
Pam supports local, national and international employers in all labour, employment and human rights law areas.
Organizations also regularly retain Pam as an independent investigator of allegations regarding workplace harassment and sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying.
 

Salina is the principal consultant for several major retirement clients at People Corporation. She also leads a team of managing consultants and support specialists while overseeing the Financial Wellness solution. Salina and her team provide comprehensive support for sponsor and member retirement solutions, including plan governance, legislative and investment guidance, and member support.

With over 30 years in the retirement solutions industry, including 15 years in leadership roles, Salina possesses extensive expertise in business development, retirement administration, client relationship management, and financial education.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, the Retirement Plan Associate (RPA) designation, is Life Licensed (LLQP), and has passed the Investment Funds institute of Canada (IFIC) and Canadian Securities Course (CSC) exams. 

    
 
Dimitri Poliak

Principal, Savings, Normandin Beaudry

 
Kelleher Lynch

Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Dimitri has practiced in defined benefit and defined contribution consulting for 14 years.

Dimitri consults on investment manager search and selection, plan re-design, mergers and acquisitions due diligence and, has developed proprietary organizational retirement readiness diagnostics to help plan sponsors design more effective retirement programs. 

 

Kelleher is an Associate with McCarthy Tétrault’s National Pension, Benefits & Executive Compensation Group in Toronto and a member of McCarthy Tétrault’s Pension Funds Investment Group.

Kelleher provides strategic legal advice to public and private companies on legal issues arising in respect of the planning, establishment, governance, administration, and wind-up of pension plans, profit sharing plans, registered retirement savings plans, welfare benefits plans, retirement compensation arrangements, equity compensation plans and other forms of executive compensation.

Kelleher is the Chair of the Pension & Benefits Section of the Ontario Bar Association for the 2021-2022 year. He also serves on the Executive of the Pension & Benefits Section of the Canadian Bar Association, and on the Ontario Regional Council of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute.

   

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