http://www.aba.com/Events/IRM.htm

ABA Insurance Risk Management Annual Conference & Meetings for the Financial Services Industry
January 27-30, 2008 • Hyatt Grand Champions Resort & Spa • Indian Wells, CA

2008 Program | Register | Sponsors | How to Sponsor

Each year, risk managers return to this event for up-to-the-minute reports on shifting regulatory requirements and the tools to tackle challenges posed by both increased government scrutiny and institutional demands. The ABA Insurance Risk Management Annual Conference and Meetings is your best — and perhaps your only — opportunity to benefit from the experiences of your peers and determine how we as an industry can succeed in today’s complex and evolving marketplace.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

• Save your bank time and money by understanding the best coverages for your organization and Identifying gaps in coverage before an event happens
• Discover and evaluate new insurance products and services to help you better manage risk, especially regarding the unique and significant compliance issues facing financial institutions
• Ensure that the risks facing the organization are subject to efficient and effective mitigation strategies that include risk control and risk transfer
• Identify new risks on the horizon – What will you be dealing with in the future? What do you need to alert your executive suite?

The evolving nature of risk management makes this a valuable event for past attendees and newcomers alike. As a participant, you’ll benefit from practical and timely insights from the industry’s top practitioners, and receive critical updates on a range of current topics, including:

• Expanding role of the insurance risk management professional
• Creative use of alternative insurance vehicles
• Increasing International insurance issues
• Handling difficult claims
• Challenges posed by our mobile and virtual world

Only this conference offers:

1. EDUCATION SPECIFICALLY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES
Education to help you communicate the myriad risks that financial firms face, discuss what’s on the horizon and translate these into actionable concepts that can be addressed at the executive committee level.

2. NETWORKING & RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Peer group banker roundtables, receptions, and dinners help you create a yearlong community to share best practices.

3. TAKEAWAY REAL WORLD VALUE – REAL COST SAVINGS
Conduct all your business in one place – brokers, underwriters, insurers, peers Your time is valuable. So is the information you’ll take home from this Conference. That’s why we’ve designed the conference to provide the opportunity to meet with underwriters and brokers at one event. It saves time and money by cutting down on expenses of multiple national and overseas trips.

Who Should Attend

• Risk Managers
• Directors of Corporate Insurance
• Treasurers/Controllers
• CFOs
• Legal counsel
• Insurance consultants
• Underwriters Brokers

Earn Continuing Education Credits
The 2008 ABA Insurance Risk Management Conference content has been reviewed and approved for 6.75 CRCM and 1.25 CFSSP continuing education credits.

Questions about the Conference? Please contact Marisa Broka.
Questions about sponsorship opportunities? Please contact Krista Donlon.

2008 Advisory Board		Corporate Partners
Annette Hopkins, Chairperson Vice President State Street Corporation		Robert A. Wolfe Senior Vice President ACE USA	Anne K. Anderson Managing Director Integro, Ltd.
Stephanie M. Beran Director of Risk Mgmt Legg Mason, Inc.	William McAllister Vice President PNC Bank	Scott Meyer President of FI Group AIG	Claudia Mastrapasqua Managing Director Marsh Inc.
Patricia Dennis Vice President, Corporate Insurance Zions Bancorporation	Roberta M. Nebel SVP, Director of IRM Lehman Brothers	Michael O’Connell Managing Director Aon	John Wells Vice President Progressive Insurance
Carmelo Casella Vice President Bank of New York	Thomas M. Paar Senior Vice President Cole Taylor Bank	Timothy Buckley Senior Vice President Chubb Group of Ins Cos	Gary Erickson Assistant Vice President Travelers Ins Co
Frank Lagerstedt Executive Director Morgan Stanley	Richard Straub VP, Corp Insurance Svcs JPMorgan Chase Bank	John K. Passaro President & CEO FirstCity Inc.	John Bayeux Executive Vice President Willis
			Christopher Taylor President Zurich North America FE

Illuminating the true nature of hedge fund returns

Understand the alternative beta theory behind a new generation of hedge fund clones Benefit from the insight of  the world’s top hedge fund researchers and risk experts Understand the range of “alternative beta” risk premia from which hedge funds benefit Learn why hedge funds don’t need manager-specific alpha to deliver good performance! Compare and contrast the models being used to replicate hedge fund returns Examine the arguments against using hedge fund replication strategies Consider the options for constructing a portfolio of “alternative beta” risk premiums

Top industry speakers include: >>> To view the full list of our expert speakers with their profile, please visit our speaker list. >>> A detailed agenda can be found on our conference programme page. Be prepared for the coming revolution in the Hedge Fund industry! Will hedge funds follow the path of passive investing, just as the traditional fund management industry did a generation ago? The hedge fund industry is slowly beginning to acknowledge that a large part of its returns comes not from alpha, but from “alternative beta” factors – systematic exposures to a diverse array of risk premia including credit risk, volatility risk, the small company effect and so on. One of the key implications of “alternative beta” theory is that it is possible to create “synthetic hedge funds”, which replicate the alternative beta exposures of hedge funds. The aim of these funds is to generate hedge fund-like returns without hedge fund fees. In the last six months, the first investment banks have launched hedge fund replication products. A number of other banks and fund managers are now rushing to bring their own version to the market. These recent developments mirror those which took place in the traditional fund management industry, some 20 years ago, when indexed tracker funds were introduced. The initial take-up was slow, but in time these mechanistic funds, with their lower fees, gained a significant market share. Will hedge funds now also follow the path of passive investing? The technology is far more complex, but the major players appear to believe it can be done. Clearly, the stakes are huge! Get the answers to the questions you want answered. The world’s first hedge fund replication event? IRC launched the world’s first ever event dedicated to hedge fund replication and alternative beta, in February 2007 in London. The conference was a huge success. 275 delegates attended, the event received great acclaim from delegates and many column inches were written in the media. Delegates included some of the world’s most sophisticated investors, fund managers and quantitative investors. Clearly, this is an area where the clock speed of change is ticking rapidly. In response to this, we are running a second European event in Geneva to help delegates keep abreast of developments. Check out the links below to see how successful the London event in February was: >>> Delegate Feedback >>> UK Attendees >>> UK Event pictures >>> UK Conference programme >>> UK Conference speakers >>> Past press releases       Three key reasons why you need to attend: Hear the world’s top academics in this field – all gathered to a single location, to discuss the true sources of hedge fund returns and to examine the best approaches to replication. Understand the philosophies that are set to transform investors’ understanding of hedge funds. Be prepared for a “next generation” of synthetic hedge funds, which could succeed where indexed hedge funds have failed. Book early to guarantee your place and save £££s. Register now, call +44 (0)20 7242 2324 or click here to book your place online now. Snapshots of the key topics to be discussed and debated: The academic models underpinning hedge fund replication Identifying the HF strategies most suitable for replication The theoretical objections to hedge fund replication Comparing and contrasting the products now available Factor models, fat tails and data mining Examining the Kat / Palaro approach to replication Constructing a portfolio of alternative beta risk premiums Please view our conference programme to find out more. Networking opportunities This is the revolutionary, exciting, quick and highly effective way to meet fellow conference delegates and industry peers in one fourty-minute session. These brief meetings are the starting point for conversation and networking throughout the conference. This is where long-lasting and profitable business relationships begin. We introduce you to ‘Contact’- a system to enable you to set up meetings before the event. You can search the attendees then email them directly without ever seeing their e-mail address. The first contact is made and you can take it from there. More than just networking; Important forms and conference tips can be downloaded and after the event you can even download the white papers and presentations from our world-class speakers. Hedge Fund Replication and Alternative Beta offers you more CEO and Director level panel discussions. There will be several “chat show” style sessions where you can get answers to your questions. You will not get a better chance than this to question the leading players in the alternative investment industry. Consider it an unfair advantage.   Target your market! Limited sponsorship opportunities exist for this event. For full details contact: Tim Green, Business Development Manager Tel: +44 (0)20 7092 1261 Email:tim.green@irc-conferences.com A sales and marketing solution that generates leads and new business Hedge Fund Replication and Alternative Beta is an unrivalled and cost-effective sales and marketing solution that works throughout the year and then brings you face-to-face with your customers and prospects. Hedge Fund Replication and Alternative Beta is a unique business event that offers many benefits and is extremely cost-effective. Please take the time to examine our offer. We are sure you will be as excited as we are.

http://www.irc-conferences.com/2007/altbetach/

Hedge Fund Replication and Alternative Beta Switzerland 2007 - 24-26 Sept - Geneva

24 - 26 September 2007, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland

www.irc-conferences.com/2007/altbetach

Be prepared for the coming revolution in the Hedge Fund industry!

The hedge fund industry is slowly beginning to acknowledge that a large part of its returns comes not from alpha, but from “alternative beta” factors – systematic exposures to a diverse array of risk premia including credit risk, volatility risk, the small company effect and so on.

Understand the alternative beta theory behind a new generation of hedge fund clones
Hear from the developers of the very first “alternative beta” and replication products
Learn why hedge funds don’t need manager-specific alpha to deliver good performance!
Discover the strategies being developed to clone hedge funds returns synthetically
Examine the arguments against using hedge fund replication strategies
Uncover the applications of hedge fund replication to portfolio management
For more information visit www.irc-conferences.com/2007/altbetach, call Sarah Pegden on +44 (0)20 7242 2324 or email sarah.pegden@terrapinn.com.

www.irc-conferences.com/2007/altbetach 

http://www.wilmott.com/messageview.cfm?catid=20&threadid=51457 

Pensions Forum

Date:    27th November 2007

Venue: Radisson Edwardian Mayfair London

Recognised by the pensions industry as the annual forum to hear from and debate with the business leaders themselves, as well as politicians, policymakers and leading pensions’ specialists, the Leadership of Pensions Summit 2007 will provide the latest key insights and challenges for the changes and future of the UK pensions market through an unparalleled speaker panel of experts and practitioners.

View 2006 event programme

Tuesday, 27th November 2007

08:15	Registration and Refreshments
09:00	Welcome Opening Remarks from FT Business and the Chair
09:10	THE GOVERNMENT’S POSITION Current and future pension reform Interview by: Lionel Barber, Editor, Financial Times
09:50	THE POLICY MAKERS’ PERSPECTIVE Moderator: Pádraig Floyd, Editor, Pensions Management Panellists: Chris Grayling, MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Conservative Party Danny Alexander, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liberal Democrats Kay Carberry, Assistant General Secretary, TUC Bob Crow, General Secretary, RMT
10:35	Refreshment Break
10:55	CEO PANEL DISCUSSION Large, Small and Medium-sized Company CEOs addressing the impact of pensions on corporate activity Does a company pension scheme impact on the decision making of a CEO? Balancing corporate strategy with Employee Company Benefits Obstacles of a company pension scheme for M&A and corporate activity Dealing with a corporate legacy Pension planning in overall reward structures – The future Moderator: Richard Gillingwater, Dean, Cass Business School Panellists:Dr Ian Roxburgh, Chief Executive, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Edmund Truell, Chief Executive Officer, Pension Insurance Corporation Partha Dasgapta, Chief Executive, The Pension Protection Fund Ross Dunlop, Former Executive Chairman, Highway Insurance Holdings Plc Robert Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
11:40	BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMPANY, THE TRUSTEES AND THE UNIONS Creating the environment for partnership between the Company, the Trustees and the Unions (or does covenant driven investing and partnership with Trustees help or hinder?) Scheme Funding - Managing DB liabilities and deficit funding Incentivised/ Enhanced Transfers – Added value or operational/ reputational risk generator? A CFO’s view Moderator: Charles Tilley, Chief Executive, CIMA Panellists: Kay Carberry, Assistant General Secretary, TUC Jeremy Stone, Chairman of the Trustees, WH Smith Pension Scheme David Blackwood, Former Treasurer, ICI
12:25	Walking the Pensions Tightrope - Balancing Protection for Employers with Security for Members There’s still enormous value in pension plans, both from an employees’ perspective and from an employers’. But how can a plan be run so that it provides security for the employee without jeopardising the financial safety of the sponsoring employer? In this session, Steven will consider: Liability management - how do employers stop their pension plan from adversely affecting the balance sheet and P&L? Ensuring pensions get a fair deal in corporate transactions - how do plan sponsors balance the often conflicting needs of the needs and desires of the members, trustees, Regulator and shareholders? Plan design for the future - how can employers ensure they have a plan that supports their business objectives going forward, as well as meeting the retirement needs of the members? Steven Dicker, Senior Consultant, Corporate Advice, Watson Wyatt
12:55	Lunch
14:10	AFTERNOON KEYNOTE Role of the Pensions Regulator in M&A activity – The voluntary clearance process June Mulroy, Executive Director, Business Delivery, The Pensions Regulator
14:40	INVESTMENT STRATEGY In an increasingly liability-driven world, is there a place for both traditional benchmarked and absolute return orientated investment management? Are these approaches really that different? Impact of recent developments in derivative markets and European investment fund regulations To what extent should the benchmark define the investment universe? Currency risk – friend or foe? Investing in a rising yield environment Bruno Crastes, CEO and CIO, Credit Agricole Asset Management London Branch
15:10	Allocating to Alternatives Definition of alternatives Modelling issues in the alternatives space How to construct an alternatives portfolio Implementation challenges in creating an alternatives portfolio Petr Kocourek, Executive Director, Portfolio Manager - Asset Allocation Team, Morgan Stanley
15:20	The Benefits of Incorporating and Implementing Alternatives within a Pension Scheme Moderator: Richard Lockwood, Executive Director, Head of UK Pensions, Morgan Stanley Panellists: Petr Kocourek, Executive Director, Portfolio Manager - Asset Allocation Team, Morgan Stanley Gill Wadsworth, Editor, Pensions Week Penny Green, Chief Executive, SAUL
15:40	Refreshment Break
16:00	Personal Accounts: 8m new pensions savers? The challenges for delivery in 2012: administration, asset management and member communications The employer’s reaction to Personal Accounts: join the national scheme or offer something better? Moderator: Debbie Harrison, Freelance Journalist and Senior Visiting Fellow, The Pensions Institute Panellists: Steve Folkard, Chair, British Insurers Pensions Savings Strategy Committee Nigel Peaple, Director of Policy, NAPF Mick McAteer, Independent Consumer Advocate
16:30	Communication and delivery of DC They’ll only appreciate it if they understand it.’ How do we get reluctant investors to engage with DC investment decisions? What is the role of the employer, trustee, asset manager and provider in communicating DC and how is this restricted by regulation? The future of DC - Is the existing structure fit for purpose? Moderator: Alistair Byrne, Fellow of The Pensions Institute Panellists: Chris Dobson, Pensions Commission Secretariat, DWP Tony Osborn-Barker, Head of Pensions, BNP Paribas Mark Ashworth, President, SPC
17:00	ADMINISTRATION Greater focus on DC Scheme administration – Raising the standards of pension scheme administration Maladministration – What does it mean? What are the cost and other consequences of it? Risk management and internal controls Governance of DC schemes – Quality of service The role of the administrator in member education and guidance Performance management – Getting the most from your administration provider Off-shore services for administration – What is acceptable and why Panellists: Malcolm McLean, Chief Executive, The Pensions Advisory Service John Reeve, Chair, Raising Standards in Pensions Administration June Mulroy, Executive Director, Business Delivery, The Pensions Regulator
17:45	Closing Remarks Mark Ashworth, President, SPC

          Lead Sponsors

Associate Sponsor

VIP Dinner Sponsor

          Delegate Badge Sponsor

        In Association With

 

     Exhibitor

 

         
  
      Supported by

        

Watson Wyatt Frühstück – Fusionen von Vorsorgeeinrichtungen
(Watson Wyatt Breakfast – Mergers of Pensions Funds) - presentations in German -Zürich -May -11, 2007 

This includes Shell’s pension manager Daniel Kaflich

The International Association of Financial Engineers presents

-•-

The 2007 IAFE Annual Conference -   From Quant to Riches 

 

Monday, May 21, 2007

Hosted at Bear Stearns, 383 Madison Avenue,  New York City

 

  Featuring Talks by Jim Simons and Andrew Lo.

 

Program Agenda:

 

8 am

Registration

Coffee & Light Breakfast

 

8:30 am

IAFE Annual General Membership Meeting

 

9 am

Opening Remarks

Richard Lindsey, CEO, Callcott Group & IAFE Chairman

 

9:15 am

Demystifying Quantitative Trading

A Panel Conversation

Panel led by Giovanni Beliossi, Managing Partner, FGS Capital & IAFE Board Member

Ramu Thaigarajan, Principal and Portfolio Manager of Quantitative Strategies, Pequot Management

Richard Bookstaber, Frontpoint Partners

 

10:30 am

Mid-Morning Break

Kindly sponsored by University of California, Berkeley – Masters Financial Engineering

 

11:00 am

The Psychology of Trading

Andrew Lo, Harris & Harris Group Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management & IAFE Senior Fellow

Are financial markets driven by fear and greed, or by rational arbitrageurs?  Is there any method to the market’s madness?  In this talk, Dr. Lo will attempt to reconcile behavioral finance with the Efficient Markets Hypothesis by focusing on the psychology of trading and the role of emotion in financial decision making.

 

12:15

What are They Thinking?

The results of a poll of the IAFE Board and Senior Fellows in regards to the most interesting question in finance. IAFE Senior Fellows include Phelim Boyle, John C. Cox, Emanuel Derman, Darrell Duffie, John C. Hull, Jonathan Ingersoll, Robert Jarrow, Andrew Lo, Harry Markowitz, Leo Melamed, Robert C. Merton, Stephen A. Ross, Mark Rubenstein, Paul A. Samuelson, Myron Scholes, William Sharpe, Oldrich Vasicek.

Presented by Tanya Styblo Beder, IAFE Board Member

 

12:45 pm

Lunch

Kindly sponsored by Tethys Technology

 

2:15 pm

Keynote Speech: Mathematics, Common Sense and Good Luck

How Jim stumbled his way into the world of finance, and miraculously managed to land on his feet.

Jim Simons, President, Renaissance Technologies and 2006 IAFE/SunGard Financial Engineer of the Year

 

3:30 pm

Mid-Afternoon Break

Kindly sponsored by Carnegie Mellon’s Computational Finance Program

 

4:00 pm

Hedge Fund Valuation

A Panel Conversation incorporating the work of the IAFE Investor Risk Committee and AIMA’s New Publication “Guide to Sound Practices for Hedge Fund Valuation”

Panel led by Leon Metzger, Adjunct Professor and Editor, IAFE Whitepaper on Valuations.

Michael Greenstein, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Alternative Investment Funds

David Woodhouse, Fauchier Partners & Chief Author/Editor, AIMA Guide to Sound Practices for Hedge Fund Valuation.

 

5:15 pm

Top Ten Hedge Fund Quotes

What hedge fund managers really say – the best (or worst) statements from managers.

Andrew Weisman, Managing Director, Merrill Lynch & IAFE Board Member

Mark Anson

, CEO, Hermes Pension Management & IAFE Board Member

 

5:45 pm

Reception

 

Reception sponsorships are also available - for more details contact David Jaffe, Executive Director, IAFE at 212-317-7479.

 

Registration:

·    Attendence is free for current IAFE members.  Members click here to log into the members area and register.  

·    Registration for non members is $150. To register and pay for the conference please click

here. 

·    An IAFE membership only costs $200 for practitioners - Become a member today by clicking here and attend the conference for free and get access to the IAFE Video Archive of Past Events. 

 

 

NYSSA’s Institutional Asset Management Committee presents

The Convergence of Hedge Funds, Private Equity, and Traditional Long-Only Managers

DATE Thursday, May 31, 2007 SPEAKER William “Doug” Douglass, Founding Partner, K2 Advisors CHAIR Eric C. Weber, CFA, Freeman & Co. LLC REGISTRATION DEADLINE Friday, May 25, 2007 CREDIT PD/CE/CPE = 1