The Investment Funds Institute of Canada Conference 2008

Agenda at a Glance | Detailed Agenda

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Top

10:00
Registration Opens

10:30 - 12:00
Workshops

We are pleased to announce an exciting addition to this year's conference agenda: The IFIC Conference Workshop Series. This innovative addition to the 2008 conference lineup is designed to provide you with timely, in-depth and interactive workshops on a variety of timely topics.

Applying Business Analytics to Optimize Sales Performance and Increase AUM

In this highly interactive session, Brandes Investment Partners and Angoss Software will discuss and demonstrate how fund wholesalers and distributors can apply industry-specific business solutions leveraging account segmentation and predictive analytics to more effectively manage sales operations while increasing assets under management and reducing redemption risk.

Dr. Ian J. Scott of Angoss Software will explore common business challenges that are well-suited to industry data mining applications, walking participants through a demonstration that highlights solution capabilities critical to fund companies. Brandes Investment Partners will explore the impact of industry data mining applications on their own strategies, as well as operational and business successes.

Download a copy of this presentation

SPONSORED BY:

Trends in the Financial Blogoshere and Markets
David Berman, Reporter, Report on Business & blogger, ROB's Market Blog

Blogs have become essential to the flow of information and views, and financial blogs in particular are now fundamental to gaining a better understanding of markets and the economy. Free from many of the constraints imposed on mainstream commentators, bloggers tell it like it is -- and they have been rewarded with immense popularity. Here's a look at what they're doing and how they're doing it.

SPONSORED BY:

12:00 - 12:50
Welcome Reception

SPONSORED BY:

13:00 - 13:15
Welcome & Opening Remarks

Oliver Murray
President, Brandes Investment Partners & Co.
Incoming Chairman, IFIC Board of Directors

Oliver Murray welcomes delegates to the 22nd annual National IFIC Conference and provides an overview of what’s in store over the coming three days.

Download a copy of this presentation

13:15 - 13:30
President's Report

Joanne De Laurentiis
President & CEO, IFIC

A look back at the year that’s been and a glimpse into the year to come, Joanne De Laurentiis provides an overview of IFIC’s most recent efforts and accomplishments.

Download a copy of this presentation

13:30 - 14:00
Industry Innovations 2008: New Products & Services

Dan Hallett
President, Dan Hallett & Associates

A roundup of new products and innovations introduced to the market over the past 12 months, what worked and why.

SPONSORED BY:

14:00 - 15:30
Strategies for Success: An Industry Panel Discussion

Panelists:
George Aguiar, President, GP Capital
Rick Annaert, President & CEO, Manulife Securities
Dan Hallett, President, Dan Hallett & Associates

Moderator: Michael Vaughan, Columnist, Globe & Mail

Canada’s investment funds marketplace is evolving rapidly. A distinguished industry panel will provide commentary and animated debate on what constitutes today’s perfect product mix, what new products are currently in the pipelines, and what business models will prove most successful in 2009 and beyond.

Moderating this panel discussion is Michael Vaughan, host of Car/Business, a weekly television program on the CTV Network and the Business News Network. He is also a columnist for the Globe and Mail.

SPONSORED BY:

15:30 - 15:55
NETWORKING BREAK

SPONSORED BY:

16:00 - 17:00
The New Landscape:
A Regulatory Panel Discussion

Panelists:
Douglas M. Hyndman, Chair, BC Securities Commission
Lawrence Ritchie, Vice Chair, Ontario Securities Commission
Don Murray, Chair, Manitoba Securities Commission
Jean St-Gelais, Chair, Canadian Securities Administrators

Moderator: Keith Damsell, Manager, Corporate Communications
Franklin Templeton Investments

This discussion will provide attendees with the opportunity to hear directly from senior regulators about key recent and pending regulatory initiatives taking place in Canada today. From this panel discussion, delegates will gain a stronger understanding of the objectives of today’s regulatory initiatives in addressing the interests of the investor and in maintaining a strong and vibrant fund industry.

Moderating this panel is Keith Damsell, Manager of Corporate Communications, Franklin Templeton Investments.

SPONSORED BY:

17:00 - 18:30
NETWORKING RECEPTION

SPONSORED BY:

Top

07:30
Registration opens and continental breakfast is available.

09:00 - 10:00
Keynote Presentation: The Changing Mindset of Canadians

Allan Gregg
Chairman, Harris/Decima

Drawing upon 25 years of experience probing attitudes and values, national pollster Allan Gregg brings a unique perspective to the changing face and mindset of Canadians. In this provocative presentation, Gregg defines “a new-type of old person,” the inevitable equality of women in the workplace, and the unparalleled challenges Canada faces due to changing patterns of immigration. He then turns his attention to defining the unique outlook of this altered Canadian population: how we have turned our back on authority; the emergence post 9/11 of a new nationalism, joyless prosperity, and the challenges a more demanding consumer is making on the market place. Throughout his presentation, Mr. Gregg highlights the implications these trends will have for the investment community.

As Canada's most respected pollster and market researcher, Allan Gregg routinely helps companies turn impossibly complex market insights into successful business strategies by interpreting the attitudes and desires of Canadian consumers today.

10:00 - 10:30
NETWORKING BREAK

SPONSORED BY:

10:30 - 11:45
Concurrent Session 1
Organizational Development: Building Leadership Capacity

Dr. Liane Davey
Principal & Team Lead, Organizational Solutions Practice
Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions

With more baby boom era leaders approaching retirement, building leadership capacity has become mission critical in most companies. In fact, recent research suggests that the top concern among HR professionals around the globe is their organization’s ability to develop future leaders. CEOs and boards are looking to the human resources team to address this business issue.

In this presentation, you will discover who is truly accountable for building an organization’s leadership capacity, learn about the three key dimensions of leadership capacity, and find out how to measure leadership behaviours, implement effective leadership development practices and foster a winning leadership culture within your organization.

10:30 - 11:45
Concurrent Session 2
The Canadian difference: A comparison of loyalty marketing perceptions among specific Canadian consumer segments

Chris Fischer
Contributing Editor, COLLOQUY

A quick look at the trade press reveals that most marketers are chasing the same segments with the same loyalty strategies in order to stem attrition, increase market penetration and improve profits.

In a groundbreaking proprietary study, COLLOQUY assembled a consumer panel of five of Canada’s hottest demographic segments to uncover their attitudes, perceptions and use of reward programs, and to contrast these findings with the general population. Is loyalty rising or falling? How does transactional behavior translate into brand affinity? Do different demographics respond to loyalty marketing efforts in unique ways?

Chris Fischer has more than ten years of consulting experience counseling Fortune 500 companies on loyalty marketing and customer relationship programs.

SPONSORED BY:

10:30 - 11:45
Concurrent Session 3
Outsourcing Strategies for An Increasingly Competitive World

Atul Kapoor,
Director, Corporate Development, Resolve Corporation

Corporate priorities and emerging technologies are combining to suggest that, by 2010, the world will be even more global and competitive than it is today. As a result, organizations will be forced to focus more sharply on what it is they do best, leaving the rest to a growing diversity of local and global specialized suppliers.

In this new world, some outsourced services will become highly commoditized while others will be truly differentiating. Organizations will increasingly look outside their walls, not just to reduce costs but to increase innovation – innovation in processes, products and services – to free up resources, transform their businesses, and facilitate sustainable competitive advantage. As supply networks become more complex, winning will depend on transparency, trustworthiness, and reciprocity.

SPONSORED BY:

12:00 - 12:45
LUNCH BREAK

SPONSORED BY:

12:45 - 13:45
Keynote Presentation:
Predictably Irrational Behaviour

Dr. Dan Ariely
Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics at MIT

Do you know why you still have a headache after taking a one-cent aspirin, but why that same headache disappears if the aspirin costs fifty cents? Do you know why recalling the Ten Commandments reduces people's tendency to lie, or why honour codes are actually effective in reducing dishonesty at the workplace? Do you know why, after doing careful and extensive research on which car to buy, a random meeting with someone who had an awful experience with that car changes your decision? Why do we make decisions contrary to our better judgment? What is "better judgment?"

In his current New York Times Best Seller Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Dan Ariely challenges us to ponder these questions and demonstrates how irrationality manifests itself in situations where rational thought is expected.

Dr. Dan Ariely is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics at MIT, where he holds a joint appointment between MIT's Program in Media Arts and Sciences and the Sloan School of Management.

14:00 - 15:00
Concurrent Session 4
Back Office Strategies: Getting them to Deliver

Robert Angel
President, The Gilford Group Ltd.

Have our support functions dropped the ball on creating value for fund companies? This is a vital question for finance, marketing, technology, and people functions seeking deeper recognition at the organization’s strategy table – as well as for their CEOs. To contribute more value, the challenge is not just efficient execution but also rethinking the value that execution generates – by striking a better balance with strategy.

In his presentation, Mr. Angel explores why customer strategies must be about the customer and not the organization, and why organizational and employee goals must be aligned through tangible actions.

Robert Angel is President of The Gilford Group, a Toronto-based marketing and performance strategy consultancy he founded in 1985.

Download a copy of this presentation

SPONSORED BY:

14:00 - 15:00
Concurrent Session 5
The Do Not Call List:
How the New Telemarketing Regulations will Affect Our Industry

Valerie Nippard
DNCL Product Manager, SMB Group, Bell Canada

In 2007, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) set out rules for the creation and operation of a National Do Not Call List (National DNCL) for Canadians who wish to avoid unsolicited calls. These rules come into effect in the fall of 2008. These new rules will have a significant potential impact for Canadian companies that have relied on telemarketing efforts to play a key role in their business strategies.

Learn about this new legislation, what organizations it affects and how it will be managed. Delegates to this session are also encouraged to register for the optional workshop The Do Not Call List - New Products and Solutions, to be delivered on the afternoon of the conference’s final day.

Valerie Nippard is the DNCL Product Manager for the small & medium business group of Bell Canada.

Download a copy of this presentation

"Download the client brochure: English / French"

SPONSORED BY:

14:00 - 15:00
Concurrent Session 6
Dashboarding and Scorecarding for Success:
How to Drive Strategy and Manage Performance

Don Campbell
Chief Technology Officer, Cognos, an IBM Company

The Scorecard is one of the most important management tools for organizational success today, helping companies manage strategies effectively and execute on objectives. Yet many scorecard projects fail or deliver less than desired results. Why?

In this presentation, you will learn about how Performance Management and Business Intelligence play pivotal roles in better aligning organizational goals and strategies for improved decision-making. Discover the importance of scorecards, dashboards and strategy maps, and what differentiates these tools, and how actionable, consistent and streamlined business information and metrics fuel sales and marketing efforts and combine to drive corporate performance.

SPONSORED BY:

15:00 - 15:25
NETWORKING BREAK

SPONSORED BY:

15:30 - 17:00
The World’s Most Admired Companies and What Makes Them So Great

Dr. Rick Lash,
Director, Leadership & Talent Practice, The Hay Group

Results from the 11th Annual Hay Group/Fortune Magazine survey have once again identified the world’s most admired companies. What tangible value does reputation make to an organization and its shareholders? How have the world’s best organizations achieved their vaulted positions of respect and success? And what can your organization do to strengthen your own corporate reputation?

Rick Lash is the North American director for the Hay Group’s leadership and talent practice. In his presentation, Dr. Lash identifies the most admired companies in the US and around the world, explores what makes the most admired companies great and suggests practical strategies for building your own corporate reputation.

Download a copy of this presentation

SPONSORED BY:

17:00 - 18:30
NETWORKING RECEPTION

Top

07:30
Registration opens and continental breakfast is available.

08:30 - 09:30
Keynote Presentation:
Canadian Leadership in a Changing World

Peter Mansbridge
Chief Correspondent, CBC News

In his presentation, Peter Mansbridge explores the national mood in relation to political trends, with a particular focus on the state of leadership in Canada today – what it takes and how it can be achieved, whether in politics or in business. His address highlights the accomplishments of Canadian leaders, both at home and on the international stage, and how these exceptional men and women are building a better world today. With equal measures of wit and insight, Mr. Mansbridge demonstrates his desire to see Canadians celebrate our heritage and recognize that a shared national story has shaped us at both an individual and a collective level.

Peter Mansbridge is the Chief Correspondent of CBC News, and he anchors CBC's flagship English language news program, The National, as well as all CBC News specials. Mr. Mansbridge is also host of CBC Newsworld's Mansbridge: One on One. In 40 years with CBC News, Mr. Mansbridge has provided comprehensive coverage of the most significant stories in Canada and around the world. During a decorated career, he has received 12 Gemini Awards for excellence in broadcast journalism, and has also received numerous honorary degrees and other honours from universities across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. On July 1 of this year, Mr. Mansbridge became an Officer of the Order of Canada.

09:30 - 10:00
NETWORKING BREAK

SPONSORED BY:

10:00 - 11:30
Them and Us: Canada-US Relations Under a New US Administration

John Ibbitson
Washington Correspondent, The Globe & Mail

The United States is engaged in an epic electoral contest between Democratic contender Barack Obama – a charismatic but inexperienced politician who seeks to become the first African American president – and Republican nominee John McCain – a veteran, maverick senator from Arizona who spends much of his time running against, or at least away from, his own party. Each has starkly opposing visions for America, at a time when 80 percent of its citizens believe their nation is headed in the wrong direction.

And each, as president, would bring a fundamentally different approach to Canada/US relations. Barack Obama wants the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiated or scrapped. John McCain would accelerate the war on terror, with potential implications for the Canada/US border. Regardless of the outcome of the November presidential elections, Canada/US relations are in for a change.

John Ibbitson, Washington correspondent and commentator for The Globe and Mail, offers his insights into the most fascinating presidential election in decades, and its implications for Canada and the world.

SPONSORED BY:

11:30 - 12:15
And the Survey Says . . .
The Third Annual IFIC/Pollara Survey of Canadian Mutual Fund Investors

Craig Worden,
VP, Public Affairs, Pollara Strategic Insights

The third annual survey of Canadian mutual fund investors will be released at the conference. The results of this strategic IFIC initiative uncovers what Canadian investors are really thinking about today: the benefits of mutual funds; “must-have” point-of-sale information, how investors want to be kept informed and what they think about the fees they pay.

Craig Worden is responsible for managing Pollara's public affairs practice, as well as providing guidance and oversight to the company’s financial services and health practices.

Download a copy of this presentation: English / French

12:15 - 13:00
NETWORKING LUNCH