Boston was the place to be in September when NEPC hosted its 28th Investment Conference!
Attendees not only sampled New England’s glorious fall weather, but also got an opportunity to mingle with their peers and industry leaders—chief investment officers, investment committee members, trustees, chairpersons and directors—at the Westin Copley Place in the heart of Back Bay, a quintessential Boston neighborhood.
Conference participants spent two days exploring this year’s conference theme: Invest in Tomorrow: Exploring the Intersection of Investments, Innovation and Impact. Over the two days, they heard from our lineup of illustrious speakers. This year’s experts included Rick Rieder, BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income and head of Global Allocation Investments, who provided an insight into the investment landscape during a fireside chat with NEPC CIO Tim McCusker; Orlando Bravo, founder and managing partner of Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm focused on software and technology companies; Libby Cantrill, asset manager PIMCO’s head of public policy, who talked about the upcoming presidential elections and walked the audience through the economic policies of the two candidates; and Zack Kass, an authority on artificial intelligence.
In addition, attendees also heard from NEPC professionals: Tim provided an overview of our 70-person-strong Research team and what sets us apart from our competitors (fun facts: a recent Swiftie convert, he dubbed his presentation Taylor’s Version; a diehard Boston sports fan, he also snuck in a reference to his beloved Celtics!). In a first for the Conference, Sarah Samuels, NEPC’s head of investment manager research, took the audience on a behind-the-scenes tour of our proprietary investment and manager selection framework.
Also taking the main stage, Phillip Nelson, head of asset allocation, and Scott Perry, head of portfolio strategy, discussed our market themes and outlook, and their implementation within OCIO client portfolios. Those seeking clarity on the geo-political turmoil in the world heard from Jennifer Appel, a senior investment director in the asset allocation team.
There was still more: In various breakout sessions, our consultants and research specialists discussed an array of thought-provoking and trending investment topics, including opportunities in global equities, private markets and real assets, innovative approaches to pension management and investment manager selection, and the power of artificial intelligence.
On prominent display, throughout all the sessions, was NEPC’s ongoing commitment to explore the evolving investment landscape with foresight and intention. Our mission of helping clients sustainably and responsibly grow their capital over the long term, so kids can attend college, hospital systems can take better care of their patients, pensioners can live comfortably after a lifetime of work, is always at the forefront of everything we do.
As the curtain drops on yet another successful conference, we thank everyone who attended and look forward to seeing you at the next one!
