Canadian pension plans are no strangers to transformation. But in recent months, it has become clear that long-term trends—the move toward alternatives, rising complexity and growing data demands—are impacting pensions plans in new ways. These converging pressures are straining existing models and amplifying the urgency for change.
This report outlines three critical areas where pension plans must adapt to remain resilient and future-ready:
-
Navigating sustained volatility: Pension plans are expanding into new asset classes as they manage geopolitical instability, monetary tightening and currency fluctuations. Staying resilient means expanding the use of private markets, reassessing FX risk and modernizing collateral strategies.
-
Managing growth and rising operational complexity: As pension plans expand into new markets and asset classes, it is important for them to determine their core competencies and assess where they need external support to build a more resilient operating model.
-
Addressing growing data needs: As the investment industry grows more complex, pension plans face mounting pressure to manage, secure and govern their data effectively, and concerns around cybersecurity and data sovereignty and residency have moved to the top of the board’s agenda.
Together, these pillars reflect how pension plans can evolve in a time of sustained disruption—and how they can position themselves to face what’s next.
“Knowing what functions are truly core to your purpose—and which can be safely outsourced or automated—has become essential.”
Isabelle Tremblay
Director, Client Solutions, Asset Owner Segment Lead