11th Annual Great Plains Institutional Forum

Opening Bell: Asset Allocation in 2025 and Beyond Inflation and interest rates, technology, and market movements are all significant factors that will shape the year ahead. In this opening session, thought leaders and chief investment officers will set the stage by sharing their views on risks and opportunities that lie ahead, geopolitics and the impact on portfolios, and how to cut through the noise to navigate challenging markets.

The Quest for Skill-Based Alpha: A Differentiated Quantitative Investment Approach Investors are increasingly turning to alternative credit strategies, such as multi-asset credit, as market shifts and volatility spur a reassessment of portfolio allocations.

The Best Upcoming Credit Opportunities Since ‘08 An allocation to credit can offer higher risk-adjusted returns, boost diversification, and provide new income streams. Factors such as Basel IV, the reduction of free capital, and the higher interest rate economy are changing the credit landscape. This discussion will explore how credit opportunities are evolving within the current economy, and vet some of the most attractive offerings on the market.

Fixed Income: Trends Shaping Today’s Landscape Federal Reserve rate cuts are undetermined, but what will result from the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet and the U.S. Government’s borrowing needs?

The Equity Calculation: Evaluating its Effect on Portfolios The equities market faces substantial influence from earnings expectations, elections and policy considerations, sector bets, slowing economies and interest rates. Will the rally continue?

The Quest for Skill-Based Alpha: A Differentiated Quantitative Investment Approach Drivers of portfolio active returns are often attributable to persistent exposures to well-known equity market factors. In many instances, the impact of factor performance on portfolio active returns can be overwhelming, and often can lead to disappointing outcomes. Here we consider a differentiated quantitative investment approach that can help to limit the impact of factors on active returns and enhance the potential for skill-based alpha.

Recognizing Emerging Markets’ Opportunities and Challenges Understanding the dynamic landscape of emerging markets is crucial for allocators who want to explore the unique opportunities and challenges that come with investing in these regions. With global economic tides constantly shifting it's important to have a sound asset allocation strategy that includes emerging markets.

Effectively Investing Through Private Markets; Diversification & Returns As investors search for additional sources of revenue and methods for portfolio diversification in the volatile and changing environment, private markets stand out as an area of opportunities. The panel brings together leading alternatives investors and allocators to share the role private equity, private debt, venture capital and more play in their portfolios and what they look for in managers to meet their objectives in these asset classes.

Why Less Is More in Multi-Asset Credit Investors are increasingly turning to alternative credit strategies, such as multi-asset credit, as market shifts and volatility spur a reassessment of portfolio allocations. However, there’s a common perception that increasing the number of asset classes will lead to better outcomes in multi-asset credit.

Navigating ESG - Considerations for a Successful Institutional Investment Strategy Numerous institutional investors think asset managers should be more proactive in developing new ESG products. ESG has moved from being a niche consideration to a central component of strategic institutional investment. This panel will delve into the crucial role of ESG in shaping institutional investment strategies, offering expert insights on navigating this evolving landscape.

CIO-to-CIO Cross Conversation Learn what’s on the minds of these two top chief investment officers. They have been asked to share their knowledge, their concerns, their advice on what’s been working and ask each other questions in a cross conversation with each other.

Institutional Leadership Roundtable: Decision-Making in Disruptive Times Leading institutional investors shed light on the most pressing investment and management issues facing their organizations. Under Chatham House Rules, they will vet tactics on global, social, market and environmental disruptions in the current environment. They will discuss topics that are strategically important to boards in today’s climate.