Public Funds Summit Virtual 2021

Virtual
February 10, 2021 - February 11, 2021

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Virtual conferences are playing a crucial role in this time of remote work and digital business by allowing organizations to adapt in a world going through new challenges. These changes are not only altering the way we do business now but will alter the way we do business in the future.

At Opal Group, our goal is to become a valued partner to the financial investment world by providing options for companies and individuals to connect with one another in their efforts to share information, deal flow, and foster relationships that fuel your efforts to reach your target market. Today, Opal Group is proud to offer customized live virtual conferences that combine market timely ideas and industry specific topics – produced to connect like-minded individuals and companies. This new digital offering can help expand your brand’s reach, position speakers as thought leaders, and connect with potential prospects amidst the world’s current climate.

Opal is proud to launch our Public Funds Summit (virtual) taking place on February 10-11, 2020. This event will address what has happened in the current financial investment marketplace since the outbreak of COVID-19 as it pertains to Public Pension plans and plan sponsors. We will look at issues that are critical to the investment success of senior public pension fund officers and trustees in the new millennium. Concerns of funding liabilities for beneficiaries in a world of declining returns yet maintaining a balance between the risk/reward paradigms is center in the mind of many trustees and representatives of pension plans around the country. Beyond the investment sphere we also address legal issues facing pension plans, ethic regulations and the importance of on-going education for plan sponsors and their fiduciaries.

Please join us on this journey to navigate the financial future of the pension world by attending and sharing thoughts on best practices and directions of what needs to be accomplished to secure the stability of pension’s present and future.

For additional information, please email info@opalgroup.net for a copy of our Preliminary Agenda.

To request our current agenda, participant list and sponsors


Current as of

(Schedule Times are in EST)

9:00am

Conference Opens

9:55am

Opening Remarks

10:00am

A Global Macroeconomic and Geopolitical Outlook: State of the Global Economy and International Affairs

Moderator

Constance Everson, Investment Committee, Mass PRIM

Panelists

Chester Spatt, Pamela R. and Kenneth B. Dunn Professor of Finance, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon

Jonathan Ward, Founder, Atlas Organization; Author China's Vision of Victory

Julapa Jagtiani, Special Advisor, Supervision Regulation and Credit, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Stacey Dion, Managing Director & Global Head of Government Affairs, The Carlyle Group

10:40am

Networking Break

10:50am

Alternative Ideas for Alternative Thinkers: Emerging, Niche, & Non-Correlated Alternative Strategies for Pension Plans

Moderator

Guy Pinkman, Trustee, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation / Lincoln Fire & Police Retirement System

Panelists

Tom Bratkovich, Senior Vice President, Wilshire Associates

John Butler, Head - U.S. Insurance Asset Management Platform and Global ILS Program Cohen & Company, Inc.

Avi Kalichstein, Chief Executive Officer, Hunter Point Capital

Howard Shams, Chief Executive Officer, Parabellum Capital

11:30am

Networking Break

11:40am

Necessity Retail Real Estate: How American Finance Trust (Nasdaq: AFIN) Creates Value for Investors with a Misunderstood Asset Class

Michael Weil, Chief Executive Officer, American Finance Trust

Interviewed by

Brad Cohen, Managing Partner, ICR Strategic Communications & Advisory

12:00pm

Networking Break

12:10pm

ESG in HY – Why you can have the best of both worlds

Roman Rjanikov, Portfolio Manager & Director of Research, DDJ Capital Management, LLC

Interviewed by

Erika Kennedy, Director, Business Development, DDJ Capital Management LLC

12:30pm

Transition Break

12:32pm

Your Hunt for Yield starts In Africa

Presented by

Paul Robinson, Portfolio Manager, Laurium Capital

12:52pm

Transition Break

12:55pm

Sourcing Opportunities, Portfolio Risk & Due Diligence in Today’s Market

Moderator

Eric Newman CPA, CGMA, Treasury Manager, City of Stamford - Connecticut

Panelist

Bernard Robertson III, CCO/Senior Investment Consultant/Principal, The Hackett Robertson Tobe Group (HRTG)

Chris Solarz, Managing Director, Cliffwater LLC

1:25pm

Networking Break

1:30pm

Keynote Presentation

 

Existential Threats and Concerns

Presented by

Patrick M. Hughes, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Retired)

1:50pm

Networking Break

1:55pm

Keynote Presentation

 

Extraterrestrial Life: Are We the Sharpest Cookies in the Jar?

Presented by

Avi Loeb, Ph.D., Professor of Science, Harvard University

2:25pm

Networking Break

2:30pm

Track A: Extracting Alpha with Private Equity and Venture Capital

Moderator

Tom Latzke, Consultant, VP, Marquette Associates

Panelists

David Simpson, Investment Officer - Private Equity, Los Angeles County Employees' Retirement Association (LACERA)

Reginald D. Tucker, Managing Director – Investments, Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS)

Bruno Zaremba, Partner Head of Private Equity, Vinci Partners

Track B: Examining the Real Estate Market Opportunities amid the COVID -19 Fallout

Moderator

Jay Morgan, Partner, StepStone Group

Panelists

Glenn Mueller, Professor, University of Denver - Director Family Office Real Estate Institute

Michael Weil, Chief Executive Officer, American Finance Trust

Steve Hagenbuckle, Founder and Managing Partner, TerraCap Management, LLC

3:10pm

Networking Break

3:20pm

Track A: Opportunities in Private Debt and Direct Lending vs the Fixed Income Marketplace for Pension Investments

Moderator

Don Stracke, Consultant, NEPC, LLC

Panelists

Brandon Zureick, CFA, Director, Portfolio Manager, Principal, Johnson Asset Management

Josh Green, Founder, CIO and President, Raven Capital Management

Track B: Investing in Real Assets: Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure

Moderator

Francesca Lorenzini, Vice Consul, Capital Investment, U.K. Department for International Trade

Panelists

Edward Shanklin, Private Consultant

Nathan Kaehler, Senior Portfolio Manager, Ceres Partners

Rakeshh Gupta, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, SayeNvest Capital Advisory Limited

4:00pm

Networking Break

4:10pm

Does Pension Reform Work? Is Your Pension Plan in Trouble?

Moderator

Suzanne Taylor, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor, Schmidt Labor Research Center University of Rhode Island

Panelist

Leonard Gilroy, Senior Managing Director, Pension Integrity Project, Reason Foundation

Ernest Liebre, Senior Vice President & Financial Advisor, Captrust

4:50pm

Networking Break

5:00pm

LP Pension Investor Roundtable: A Conversation with Pension Executives

Moderator

Steven Swanson, Executive Director, Chicago Firemen's Annuity & Benefit Fund

Panelists

Elizabeth Burton, Chief Investment Officer, Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System

James Grossman, Chief Investment Officer, Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement

Derek Dobson, Chief Executive Officer & Plan Manager, CAAT Pension Plan

5:40pm

Virtual Networking Happy Hour & Breakout Sessions

7:00pm

DAY 1 CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

(Schedule Times are in EST)

10:00am

Conference Opens

10:55am

Opening Remarks

11:00am

Consultant Roundtable

Moderator

Safia Mehta, CFA, Senior Vice President, Manager Analysis Services, LLC

Panelists

Marcia Peters, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Evaluations

Eileen Neill, CFA, Managing Director, Senior Consultant, Verus Investments

11:40am

Networking Break

12:00pm

ESG Investment Strategies Across Asset Classes

Moderator

Guy Hopgood, Director, bfinance US

Panelists

Roman Rjanikov, Portfolio Manager & Director of Research, DDJ Capital Management, LLC

Lily Sullivan, ESG Analyst, Brahman Capital

12:40pm

Networking Break

12:50pm

Risk Planning for the Next Market Crisis

Presented by

Eric Dyer, SVP Strategy and Operations, Solovis

1:10pm

Transition Break

1:15pm

The Changing Opportunity in Japanese Equities

John Trammell, Managing Director, Symphony Financial Partners

1:35pm

Transition Break

1:40pm

SPACs 2021: What Will Happen Behind the Curtain This Year

Presented by

Daniel G. Cohen , Chairman, Cohen & Company

2:00pm

Transition Break

2:05pm

Learning from Actuaries: Actuarial Science and your Pension Plan

Moderator

Greg Knoll, Executive Director, Illinois Professional Firefighters Association

Panelists

William (Flick) Fornia, FSA, President, Pension Trustee Advisors

Steve Nelsen, Executive Director, Washington State Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' (LEOFF)

2:30pm

Networking Break

2:40pm

Best Practices for Securities Litigation & Portfolio Monitoring for Public Pensions

Moderator

Chase Rankin, Executive Director, Oklahoma Firefighters Pension & Retirement System

Panelists

Eduard Korsinsky, Managing Partner, Attorney, Levi & Korsinsky LLP

Irwin Schwartz, President, DIVIDEX Management, LLC

3:20pm

Networking Break

3:25pm

Equity Investing Strategies and Their Role in Today’s Pension Portfolio

Moderator

Joseph Matthews, CFA, Alternative Investments Director, First Vice President, Senior Investment Management Consultant – Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley Consulting Group & Institutional Services

Panelists

Ali Akay, Chief Investment Officer, Carrhae Capital, LLP

Rayna Lesser Hannaway, Portfolio Manager, Polen Capital

Kevin Gioia, Investment Research Analyst & Principal, Fenimore Asset Management, Inc.

4:05pm

Networking Break

4:10pm

Value and Resilience: A Discussion of Mission-Critical Industrial and Office Real Estate with Global Net Lease’s Executive Team

Presented by

James Nelson, CEO, Global Net Lease

Chris Masterson, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, Global Net Lease

Brad Cohen, Managing Partner, ICR Strategic Communications & Advisory

4:30pm

Networking Break

4:35pm

Pension Plans Investing in Diversity through Manager Selection & Senior Leadership

Moderator

Scott Schaefer, Senior Investment Officer, Office of Investment and Innovation | SBA

Panelists

Wendy Garcia, Chief Diversity Officer, Office of New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer

Toni Antrum, Principal, Sr. Consultant, The Hackett Robertson Tobe Group (HRTG)

5:05pm

Networking Break

5:10pm

Practical Tools to Improve Governance, Fiduciary Responsibility & Avoid Conflicts

Moderator

Jeffrey Johnson, Trustee, Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago

Panelists

Jeffrey Weiler, Executive Director, Fairfax County Retirement Systems

Karen Mazza, Deputy Executive Director, NYCERS

Julian M. Regan, Senior Vice President, Public Sector Market Leader, Segal Marco Advisors

5:50pm

Closing Remarks

6:00pm

Virtual Networking Happy Hour & Breakout Sessions

7:00pm

Conference Concludes

1star
etc.venues 360 Madison
360 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10017


Registration Pricing

1 user/pass
GP Fund Managers / Service Providers $295
Plan Sponsors, Pension Trustee & Staff, Non-Discretionary Consultants, Actuarial Firms, Endowments, and Foundations can be verified for complimentary access* (must be LP allocators to 3rd party fund managers) Complimentary*
Discounted pricing on multiple passes available. Please contact your Opal Representative or info@opalgroup.net for additional details.

*Subject to Opal Group’s verification and approval. Only individuals who are solely investing on their own behalf can be verified for a complimentary pass. Solution Providers, Fund Providers as well as Business Development, Sales and Marketing Managers to 3rd parties will not be able to receive complimentary access. As investment portfolios/strategies are constantly changing, we reserve the right to re-verify past delegates for future complimentary passes.

Sponsorship, Exhibition & Speaking Opportunities 212.532.9898 info@opalgroup.net
  • Overview of the Real Estate Economy
  • Regulatory/Tax Issues: What Are The Realized Effects Of The New Tax Laws?
  • Opportunity Zones 201
  • Value-Add and Opportunistic vs. Core and Core Plus Investments
  • Real Estate Debt and Alternative Financing Strategies
  • Analyzing Direct vs. Co-Investment vs. Commingled Funds
  • Finding Deal Flow, Acquisitions & Acquisition Due Diligence
  • Real Estate Disrupters 2020: The Future Culprits?
  • Family Office Discussion: What Are You Looking For In This Cycle?
  • 1on1 and group meeting capabilities

  • Live Video Keynote Speakers and Panels Presentations with Q&A

  • Exhibit Hall with branded interactive booths

  • Collateral Information sharing

  • Ability to connect and share contact details with one another

  • Live Chatting Options in sessions, private rooms & Lounge areas for peer to peer or group networking via live chat or video chat

  • Custom 1:1 Meeting Rooms with video conferencing (pre-arranged meetings between LPs/Allocators and Sponsor Managers)

  • Accountants
  • Actuarial firms
  • Alternative Investments
  • Attorneys
  • Benefit Companies
  • Commodities
  • Consultants
  • Corporate Pension Plans – Trustee, Administrators, Commissioners, Staff
  • Directors of Investments
  • Directors of Manager Selection
  • Economists
  • Emerging and Frontier Markets
  • Emerging Managers
  • Equity Managers
  • Fixed Income
  • Fund of Funds
  • Geopolitical Analysts
  • Hedge Funds
  • Infrastructure Based Fund Managers
  • Insurance Companies
  • International Markets
  • Investment Banks
  • Investment Research
  • Mutual Funds and ETF Funds
  • Non-correlated Investments
  • Placement Agents
  • Portfolio Analysts
  • Portfolio Managers
  • Private Debt/ Credit
  • Private Equity
  • Public Pension Plans/ Plan Sponsors – Trustee, Administrators, Commissioners, Staff
  • Public Service Administrative Providers
  • Real Estate Managers
  • Security Lenders
  • Software Providers
  • Sovereign Wealth Funds
  • Taft Hartley Reps – Trustee, Administrators, Commissioners, Staff
  • Venture Capitalists

Manager vs. Investor Breakdown

    Investor Breakdown