Changing World, New Opportunities

Are we going through a sustainability revolution, akin to the industrial revolution? Robbie Epsom thinks so. This week, Jon and Louise chat to CBRE Investment Management's EMEA head of sustainability, about how and why real estate should play a vital role in the revolution. 

This week, Nico Aspinall joins us to talk about the report he has just written for the DCIF on TCFD. In the report, he takes the temperature of the UK DC pensions industry: how are they getting on with TCFD reporting so far? Listen in for Nico’s highlights of the report.

This week, Jon and Louise chat to Jeri Savage about MFS' Global Retirement Survey. The survey covers subjects like sustainability, retirement confidence, default funds/target date in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. It has been running for a number of years, with fascinating trends emerging. We talk about the lessons DC schemes can learn from other countries, and the most interesting takeaways from the research.

Our guest today, Simon Bond, is one of the pioneers of social impact bonds. In this episode, he explains what social bonds are and how they can sit within DC portfolios, reflects on how they have evolved over the last decade, and gives us his outlook for the future. Simon is director of responsible investment portfolio management at Columbia Theadneedle Investments. 

This week, Louise and Jon speak to Lee Hollingworth. Formerly a longstanding member of the consulting world, Lee is now head of UK retirement at Franklin Templeton - and is thinking hard about what does and doesn't work for savers in the current pensions system. We find out why Lee moved from consultancy into asset management, probe him on his views on annuities and retirement pathways, and much more.

Infrastructure can be perceived as difficult to make sustainable – this week’s guest Rebecca Myatt well and truly busts that myth. Jon and Louise chat to Rebecca, who is First Sentier Investors' lead portfolio manager for Responsible Listed Infrastructure. This week’s episode is for anyone who wants to know more about how investing in infrastructure works, and how it can tie in with DC schemes’ sustainability goals.

In this series of Changing World, New Opportunities, we were keen to hear from a trustee. There’s so much going on in the investment world all the time, and that’s just one element of being a trustee; what does it feel like right now to try to serve members while keeping abreast of regulation, admin, communications and governance?In this episode, Jon and Louise talk to Mark Austin, who as well as being a DCIF member and head of the UK for Northern Trust’s asset owner business, is chair of the Northern Trust UK Pension Scheme. We find out how Mark became a trustee, how the world has changed and become more challenging for trustees in recent years, and how to build an investment strategy that works for everyone, from workers in the post room to the chief investment officer.Listen now by searching for the DCIF on Spotify, Apple or any other major podcast platform, or find it on the DCIF’s website.

This week, Jon and Louise focus on a thorny subject in DC: investing in alternatives. DC schemes have long struggled to access alternatives, but this week’s guest has found a solution. James de Bunsen is a portfolio manager on the Janus Henderson multi-asset team, with a particular focus on alternative investments. James and Janus Henderson launched a fund in 2013 to provide liquid access to less liquid asset classes, using investment trusts. We explore why DC schemes should consider using investment trusts to access alternatives and why they might not be at the moment. What kinds of alternatives can you access through investment trusts? And is cost a barrier?Listen now by searching for the DCIF on Spotify, Apple or any other major podcast platform, or find it on the DCIF’s website.

New podcast klaxon! This week on Changing World, New Opportunities, Louise and Jon are podcasting across the pond, with Kurt Walten, senior vice president, investment affairs & investor education for Nareit, the worldwide representative voice for REITs. In the third episode of our three-part real estate mini-series, Kurt explains what a REIT is, why a DC scheme might want to invest in REITs, and why DC scheme members might end up at a disadvantage compared to their DB counterparts if they are not invested in REITs.Listen now by searching for the DCIF on Spotify, Apple or any other major podcast platform, or find it on the DCIF’s website.

This week on Changing World, New Opportunities, Jon and Louise continue their three-part real estate mini-series by chatting to Simon Redman, managing director of Invesco Real Estate. Simon argues that DC pension schemes should be investing in global real estate to access the best possible opportunity set and to achieve a diversified portfolio. We talk about whether DC schemes are doing this at the moment, and the mechanics of how they can access property. Plus, Simon explains why he’s putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to investing in global real estate.Listen now by searching for the DCIF on Spotify, Apple or any other major podcast platform, or find it on the DCIF’s website.