Jonathan Stapleton, Editor, Professional Pensions

Louise Sivyer, Policy Manager, Regulatory Policy Directorate, The Pensions Regulator

The DC market continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, whilst primarily driven by the needs of trustees and employers, there is no doubt legislation and policy reform have played a significant hand in this as well. The emerging shift towards Master Trust solutions in the workplace market and the increased emphasis on ESG are just some of the examples of thematic changes, but there are many other key factors that will shape and impact the future direction of the market that we should also consider. With DC forecasted to overtake DB as the primary source of pension provision in the workplace market, Jenny Holt will look at some of the key factors and initiatives that are driving this shift in the marketplace, as well as exploring other potential areas that will dictate the Future of DC.

Jenny Holt, Proposition Director, Phoenix Group 

Live Q&A with Jenny Holt

Improving retirement outcomes by putting members first As the DC market grows with scheme consolidations and an increase of members there are still lots of questions around the extent to which the current market is delivering value for members, how this should be assessed and where we should go next. In this session, Callum Stewart will consider:

• How you can assess whether current approaches are delivering appropriate outcomes for your members
• How we can learn from history in a more effective way by focussing on individual member cohorts
• Where we should go next to improve outcomes 

Callum Stewart, DC Investment Consultant and Responsible Investment specialist, Hymans

Last year’s change in regulation brought environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations firmly onto the radar of DC Trustees and independent governance committees but even before that we saw an increase in ESG related decision making, driven by corporate positioning and philosophy. Investing through an ESG lens takes four main forms, exclusions (or screening), optimisation or tilting towards a stated objective, thematic investment to invest in particular E, S or G sectors and finally impact which aims to deliver a measurable positive ESG outcome. DC in the UK is heavily predicated on the use of indexed investment into traditionally weighted indices, in part due to the cost-effective nature of these products and ESG integration is becoming an increasing relevant consideration when selecting index solutions. Join Manuela Sperandeo, as she determines the many ways for ESG criteria to be brought into an investment portfolio, how to define the category, assess it in the context of investment strategy, and implement it in the context of DC portfolios.

Manuela Sperandeo, EMEA head of Factor, Sustainable and Thematic Index Products, BlackRock

We invite you to stroke the dog, have a stretch and get yourself a cuppa!

The recent market volatility and general uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic have caused DC pension scheme members to worry as they see their savings dip. Is there a way to intelligently construct a default to prevent a significant loss of retirement income? SEI’s Default Investment Options (DIOs) are constructed to weather market declines. Our investment experts use their knowledge to back our innovative portfolio design which works to protect members’ savings in market downturns.

Steve Charlton, DC Managing Director, EMEA and Asia, SEI

Louise Whyte, DC Regional Director, SEI

Michelle Cracknell, Pension Trustee and Non-Executive Director

Jonathan Stapleton, Editor, Professional Pensions