IIE e-Event: Quo Vadis - Inflation, Out of Cash and Becoming Climate Aware (16-17 June, 2021)

IIE e-Event

Quo Vadis: Inflation, Out of Cash and Becoming Climate Aware

Planning ahead for insurers post Lockdown

10-12pm UK time / 1100-1300 CET, 16th June (Weds)

10-12pm UK time / 1100-1300 CET, 17th June (Thurs)

Join us virtually on 16th and 17th June, as we gather together leading insurers, thought leaders and practitioners to consider life after lockdown, as Covid-19 recedes and planning for the longer-term once again takes centre stage.

Please see below for more details. Please also note this event is available to view both live and as a replay to view at your leisure if you cannot make any of the sessions.

Theme

More than a year on since the pandemic began, there is a little light at the end of the tunnel now. But as countries prepare for a return to normalisation and economies bounce back, there are new challenges on the horizon.

Uncertainty still remains as to the return of societal BAU and the cost – both to economies and to societies globally – continues to mount. International travel is still distant and where reopening has occurred, it has brought new concerns about inflation and economic fragility.

For insurers, these tail risks are accentuated by a continued suppression of real yields in the face of ongoing stimulus and a clear indication from central banks that rates will remain low, as they prioritise support. Cash is plentiful - too much so - while returns are limited, creating a crush for yield as insurers seek new ways of making their balance sheets work harder and deliver shareholder returns.

Alongside, new challenges are also coming to the fore for insurers. Concerns over climate change have acquired critical mass and there is a paradigm shift underway in how portfolios are being allocated, risk managed and regulated. For many, translating concepts and promises into tangible reality is a key focus and there is growing scrutiny of managers and service providers to see their alignment to new regulations and sensitivities.

But the tenets of insurance – shareholder returns, capital efficiency and minimal earnings volatility – stay unchanged amidst all this, and will dominate minds and portfolio strategy going forward as insurers seek to balance all the demands on them.

Join us for our latest quarterly seminar and a fascinating series of discussions, as we ponder where the insurance industry goes next.

Agenda

Session 1 – Quo Vadis: Mapping Macro and Becoming Climate Aware

10.00-12.00 UK time / 1100-1300 CET, 16th June

10.00-10.10 Introduction and opening remarks

Bob Swarup, Insurance Investment Exchange

10.10-10.35 Assessing the challenges for central banks

Frank Eich, former Senior Advisor, Bank of England

10.35-11.15 Panel: Pin the tails - Mapping out real yields, inflation and other macro challenges for insurers

Frank Eich, former Senior Advisor, Bank of England

David Page, Head of Macro Research, AXA Investment Managers

Erik Vynckier, Chair - Research and Thought Leadership, Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

11.15-11.55 Focus: Why and how to build a climate-aware insurance fixed income portfolio

Lionel Pernias – Head of Buy and Maintain Credit, AXA Investment Managers

11.55-12.00 Closing remarks

Session 2 – Quo Vadis: Out of Cash, but Where?

10.00-12.00 UK time / 1100-1300 CET, 17th June

10.00-10.05 Welcome and opening remarks

10.05-10.30 ESG Integration in the asset management space: Emerging trends from the IIE Business Practices Survey

Bob Swarup, Insurance Investment Exchange

10.35-11.15 Focus: Out of Cash - Making the Insurance Balance Sheet work harder

David Parsons, Director - Fixed Income, M&G Investments

11.15-11.55 Panel: Old Challenges, New Opportunities - Insurance Asset Allocation in a Much Lower for Much Longer World

David Devlin, Senior Manager - Investment Office, Scottish Widows

Russell Lee, Global Head of Insurance Solutions, M&G Investments

Gareth Sutcliffe, Senior Director - Insurance Investment Solutions, Willis Towers Watson

11.55-12.00 Closing remarks

Please join us for a fascinating series of discussions at our latest seminar and dive into the conversation as your schedule permits, or watch the replay at your leisure later.

Please also feel free to share this invitation with your colleagues and others who might find it of interest.

Our events are open and complimentary to insurers, regulators and select independents only. They are also eligible for CPD points and certificates will be issued to attendees to confirm their attendance.

The Insurance Investment Exchange continues to be recognised as the leading industry event focused on the investment challenges facing insurance companies today. There is no better time to hear industry experts and peers discuss and debate the challenges of today.

We look forward to seeing you (virtually) on 16th and 17th June.

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