Future of Retirement Funding at the Forefront of the 4th International Pension Conference of Montréal June 13, 2016

Featured Speakers to include The Hon. William Francis Morneau, Minister of Finance of Canada, along with OECD, World Bank Treasury, BlackRock and De Nederlandsche Bank Experts

MONTRÉAL, June 1, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - As millions prepare to exit the workforce in the coming years, international economic experts will address the most pressing issues facing retirement funding at the 4^th International Pension Conference of Montréal (IPCM) on Monday, June 13, 2016.

Taking place under the auspices of the International Economic Forum of the Americas / Conference of Montreal, and presented in partnership with la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Power Financial Corporation and Finance Montréal, the IPCM will feature panellists from Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. In a macroeconomic context characterized by slow growth, weak inflation and low interest rates – a situation that is increasingly considered the "new normal" – the IPCM will address how pension plan stakeholders are seeking a new balance between contributions, investment policies and benefits, and how the solutions they implement can impact retirement systems themselves. Experts participating at IPCM will shed light on:

• The main factors that have driven down return expectations for assets
• Changes to pension plans in response to the "new normal"
• Solutions that can ensure sustainable and effective retirement systems

Program and speaker highlights include:

7:30 A.M. WORKING BREAKFAST: Macroeconomic Outlook on Interest Rates: How Do We Adjust our Expectations in the "New Normal"?

• Mario Albert, Chief Executive Officer, Finance Montréal
• Clément Gignac, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, iA Financial Group
• Peter Berezin, Chief Strategist, Global Investment Strategy, BCA Research
• Jesper Koll, Chief Executive Officer, Wisdom Tree Japan
• Marc Lévesque, Vice President, Economics and Market Strategy, PSP Investments

10:30 A.M. FORUM: Low Rates of Return: Changing Pension Plans

• Bernard Morency, Special Advisor, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
• Dirk Broeders, Senior Strategy Advisor at the Supervisory Policy Division, De Nederlandsche Bank
• Leo de Bever, Senior Advisor, Bennett Jones
• Rob Goldstein, Chief Operating Officer, BlackRock and Global Head, BlackRock Solutions
• Denis Berthiaume, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Wealth Management and Life and Health Insurance, Desjardins Group

3:00 P.M. PLENARY SESSION: Low Rates of Return: How to Ensure that Retirement Systems are Sustainable and Effective?

• Henri-Paul Rousseau, Vice-Chairman, Power Corporation of Canada and Power Financial Corporation
• Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• The Hon. William Francis Morneau, Minister of Finance, Canada
• William B.P. Robson, President and Chief Executive Officer, C.D. Howe Institute
• Knut Norheim Kjaer, Executive Chairman, Trient Asset Management
• Susan Lund, Partner, McKinsey Global Institute (MGI)
• Sudhir Rajkumar, Head of Pension Advisory Program, World Bank Treasury

"As pension issues are present in the public policy agenda both in Québec and globally, and as our economy is experiencing an increase in the retired population, the issues to be addressed at the 4^th International Pension Conference of Montréal are especially relevant," said Mario Albert, Chief Executive Officer of Finance Montréal. "We are pleased to bring such an elite range of speakers from across the globe to our city where they will share their vision for the path forward in these challenging, yet transformative times."

"Lower returns in the years to come and increased life expectancy pose a major challenge for pension plan managers. How should we adapt our approach and investment policies to ensure these plans remain sustainable? How should we define our risk-return profile? What asset classes should we turn to? These are some of the questions that have become unavoidable today. This year's International Pension Conference of Montréal is an opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of such issues through the quality and diversity of our distinguished speakers' expertise," said Bernard Morency, Special Advisor, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

"The "new normal" is an apposite description of the world that pension plans and retirement systems have to face. The "old normal" has passed and is not coming back any time soon. Therefore, it is important to face reality and take steps that will help our plans and systems achieve sustainability, yet remain effective in allowing a dignified life in retirement for millions," said Henri-Paul Rousseau, Vice-Chairman, Power Financial Corporation. "The discussions in Montréal are an essential step on the path to adjusted expectations and therefore, well-informed action."

Click here to see the full program of the International Pension Conference of Montréal and visit the International Economic Forum of the Americas website to register for the event.

About Finance Montréal
Finance Montréal, Québec's financial cluster, was created in 2010 by institutions in the financial services industry at the invitation of the Québec Government. Finance Montréal brings together 22 Governor Members, 13 Associate Members and close to 300 volunteer professionals. Its mission is to develop and promote Québec's financial services industry. The organization works to enhance Montréal's reputation as world-class financial hub and engages in international business development activities to attract foreign firms in Montréal by promoting various fiscal incentives including the IFC tax credit. Finance Montréal fosters cooperation among a vast range of institutions to stimulate the industry's growth while raising awareness of the financial specializations found in Montréal. To learn more about Finance Montréal, visit www.finance-montreal.com

About la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2015, it held $248.0 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information, visit www.cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

About Power Financial Corporation
Power Financial Corporation is a diversified management and holding company that has interests, directly or indirectly, in companies in the financial services sector in Canada, the United States and Europe. It also has diversified investments in industrial companies based in Europe. Power Financial Corporation is a member of the Power Corporation Group of Companies. To learn more, visit www.powerfinancial.com.

About the International Economic Forum of the Americas
The Conference of Montreal, organized by the International Economic Forum of the Americas, is a major international event which invites leaders from the worlds of economics, politics and academia, the public and private sectors, and civil society to come and discuss the major issues surrounding economic globalization, with a particular emphasis on relations between the Americas and the other continents.

SOURCE Finance Montréal

For further information: Matthieu Cardinal, Vice President, Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, Finance Montréal, 514-287-1540 ext. 227, matthieu.cardinal@finance-montreal.com ; Maxime Chagnon, Senior Director, Media and Public Relations, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, 514-847-5493, mchagnon@lacaisse.com; Stéphane Lemay, Vice-President, General Counsel and Secretary, Power Financial Corporation, 514-286-7430, lemay@powercorp.com ; Kristin Gable, NATIONAL Public Relations, 514-843-2378, kgable@national.ca