Socially-Responsible Investing: Fad or Future?
Roundtable Luncheon with Jonathan Carter, Paula Glick, Michael Katchen and Hugh O'Reilly
In recent years, the concept of socially-responsible investing (SRI) has gained traction among investors of all stripes. However, there are still many questions surrounding what thresholds, benchmarks, and standards are used in defining SRI. This roundtable brings together speakers from multiple angles on the SRI landscape, and promises to be one of the most important discussions in today’s investing scene.
Jonathan Carter, Managing Director, CIBC Private Wealth Management and CIBC Wood Gundy
Jonathan Carter is a Managing Director with CIBC Private Wealth Management and leads the Wealth Solutions team, responsible for Investment Strategy, Products, and Insurance within the CIBC Commercial Banking and Wealth Management business unit.
Jonathan has been with CIBC for over 18 years and over that time he previously led the Financial and Estate Planning, Practice Management, Business Analysis and Marketing and Communications teams.
Jonathan is a Board Member for HEROS – a volunteer driven charity focused on empowering marginalized youth across Canada through the sport of hockey, and the Responsible Investment Association. He also services as Vice-Chair, Private Client Committee for the IIAC and is a member of the Alternative Investment Management Association.
Paula Glick, Vice President, ESG Research, MSCI
Paula is Vice President of MSCI ESG Research. She works with institutional asset owners and managers, foundations and other investment professionals, helping them to determine the responsible investment solutions that best fit their needs. Paula plays a strategic role at MSCI in marketing efforts within Canada. She regularly speaks at conferences as well as to board and investment committees on the subject of responsible investment.
Prior to joining MSCI in 2013 she worked at Sustainalytics for several years as their head of ESG sales and marketing in Canada. She has also worked at investment institutions such as Fiera Capital (formerly YMG Capital), MMA Investment Managers, and Fidelity Investments.
Michael Katchen, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Wealthsimple
Michael Katchen is the CEO and co-founder of Wealthsimple, a leading online investing service operating in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Wealthsimple launched in September 2014 and quickly established itself as a fintech leader in Canada, and in under three years, it has grown to manage over $1 billion for more than 35,000 people. Prior to founding Wealthsimple, Michael led product and marketing at 1000memories, a Y Combinator startup that was acquired by Ancestry.com in 2012. Michael started his career at McKinsey & Company where he advised clients in finance and technology.Michael has been called an Industry Mover by the Financial Post, a Change Agent by Canadian Business magazine, and one of Toronto’s 50 most influential people by Toronto Life. He won Entrepreneur of the Year at the Canadian Startup Awards in 2017, is a winner of a EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, and was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 by Caldwell Partners International. Michael is a member of the Canadian Business Council.
Hugh O’Reilly, President and Chief Executive Officer, OPTrust
Hugh O’Reilly is President and CEO of OPTrust, one of Canada’s leading defined benefit pension plans with offices in London, Sydney and Toronto. In this role, Hugh is responsible for the management of the pension fund’s $19 billion in net assets and plan administration.
Hugh has served as the President and CEO of OPTrust since January of 2015. Since his arrival, he has led an organization-wide transformation of OPTrust and changed its focus to the measure that matters, which is maintaining the Plan’s fully funded status.
A highly-regarded and sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and events, including the University of Calgary, Harvard Law School, The International Centre for Pension Management and Oxford University, Hugh is a member of the TMX Advancing Innovation Roundtable, the editorial advisory board of Benefits and Pensions Monitor and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG).
In 2016, he was the recipient of the Industry Leadership Award from Benefits Canada Workplace Benefits Awards and was also named to the Wealth Professional Magazine 2016 Hot List.
Hugh has extensive expertise in the governance and operations of jointly sponsored pension plans. Included among his competencies are a comprehensive knowledge of pension plan best practices, investment strategies and asset classes.
Prior to joining OPTrust, Hugh led the Pension Benefits and Insolvency Practice at Cavalluzzo Shilton McIntyre Cornish LLP and is recognized as one of Canada’s foremost pension legal experts.
Over the course of his career, he served as Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff to a Government of Ontario cabinet minister, was Senior Corporate Counsel at Canada Trust and practiced law as an associate at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and a partner at Torys LLP in Toronto.
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