As we continue to grow, we are excited to announce that Charles Lesaux, MBA, Managing Director, Funding Capital Markets & Credit Investments at British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), and Ivoneke Taylor, Principal, Global Trading at Ontario Teachers'​ Pension Plan (OTPP), will be volunteering their time to co-lead the Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) in Canada.

Canada currently makes up nearly 50% of GPFA’s membership base, and Charles and Ivoneke will play a key role in strengthening engagement and collaboration among our Canadian members while ensuring alignment with the global GPFA community.

GPFA is a volunteer-led, non-profit association for beneficial owners, by beneficial owners. Founded by four North American pension funds, GPFA has rapidly expanded to include many of the world’s largest institutional investors.

On behalf of the GPFA Board of Directors and all GPFA members, thank you Charles, Ivoneke, and the teams at OTPP and BCI for volunteering your time and expertise to support our growing buyside community!

GPFA was pleased to partner with ISLA Americas for the first time to kick off their annual conference in Florida today. This dedicated closed-door session brought together beneficial owners from across sectors for an open exchange on key challenges and opportunities shaping today’s market. Thank you to our meeting co-leads, Edwin M. Witham, CFA, Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and Lance Wargo, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM (CalPERS) for guiding an engaging discussion that covered a range of timely topics. We’d also like to thank our guest speaker, Mark Faulkner, Credit Benchmark, for sharing valuable insights into current market trends.

Thank you to ISLA Americas again for the partnership and all who attended and contributed to another engaging and productive session.

We're thrilled to partner with ISLA Americas for the 2nd Annual Securities Finance & Collateral Management Conference in Miami, October 13-16!Please join us on October 14th for the Beneficial Owner Briefing (Closed-Door) to discuss specific challenges and opportunities facing beneficial owners in today’s market. For more details, please visit: https://lnkd.in/euPTBx9Q

When our Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) Chair, Robert Goobie CPA CMA first had the idea to collaborate with other global pensions to found an industry association focused on securities financing for the buyside, by the buyside, he turned to Jim Keohane for support.

Five years later, and with well over US$12 trillion in assets represented in the room, this week our members had the pleasure of hearing Jim Keohane share his perspectives on pension management and how securities financing plays a key role in achieving investment goals.

Jim Keohane is the former President & CEO of HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan) and is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) and Trans-Canada Capital.

Jim Keohane, we thank you for taking your time this week to meet with our members in Montreal, but more importantly we thank you for your support and vision many years ago in believing pensions would benefit from joining together to advance our marketplace. 🙏🙏

Thank you also to Charles Lesaux, MBA for introducing Jim Keohane as this year’s Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker. And lastly, thank you to our Chair, Robert Goobie CPA CMA for leading Jim Keohane in an engaging discussion.

We can’t wait to see where we will all be and how much we will have grown five years from now!

Another day in Montreal, another day to showcase a world-leading pension’s approach to securities finance. Thank you to Francois Bellavance-Lecompte, Francis Gagné, and the rest of the team at PSP Investments | Investissements PSP for hosting the second day of our Annual Meeting.

Learning from one another and discussing challenges and opportunities as a global buyside beneficial owner community is what makes our entire industry better. We are better together.

Thank you. Merci beaucoup.

We’re going to need a bigger staircase!

“It is a genuine privilege to welcome our global buyside beneficial owner members to our 2025 Annual Meeting in the vibrant city of Montreal,” remarked Robert Goobie CPA CMA, Chair of Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) this morning.

We are honored to have members joining us this year from Australia, Singapore, Japan, the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and from all over Canada.

Thank you to France Boisjoli and the team from La Caisse (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec) for hosting the first day of our meeting.

The energy and engagement amongst this beneficial owner community is incredible and inspiring. We are truly better together!

Bienvenue à Montréal! 🇨🇦 Last night our Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) members kicked off the start of our Annual Meeting week here in Montréal. We are thrilled to welcome 90 buyside member delegates for our three day beneficial owner peer event. Thank you to our gracious member hosts La Caisse (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec) and PSP Investments | Investissements PSP. We are excited to start the meetings!

We are excited to announce that Jim Keohane, Board Member at Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) and former President & CEO of HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan) will deliver the keynote address at this year’s GPFA Annual Member Meeting in Montreal! Jim brings decades of leadership experience in pension management, and his perspectives promise to spark thoughtful dialogue and valuable insights for all attendees.

This year’s meeting hosted, by La Caisse (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec) and PSP Investments | Investissements PSP, will be our most well attended yet, with over 30 member organizations represented and more than 80 participants registered. We look forward to gathering with you all in just a few short weeks!

We look forward to seeing many beneficial owners in Miami for ISLA Americas’ 2nd Annual Securities Finance & Collateral Management Conference this October! GPFA is thrilled to be partnering with ISLA Americas for the first time to run a dedicated beneficial owner closed-door briefing during the conference.

This exclusive morning session will be co-led by GPFA members Edwin M. Witham, CFA Senior Portfolio Manager, Enhanced Cash and Securities Lending, Maryland State Retirement and Pension System and Lance Wargo, Investment Officer, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM’ (CalPERS).

This session will take place on Tuesday, October 14th from 9:00AM-12:00PM and is exclusively for registered beneficial owners attending the conference. If you are interested in attending, qualified beneficial owners may attend for free.

Please make sure to register for the main conference here: https://lnkd.in/gFCxZctr and then RSVP for the closed-door session by emailing events@isaamericas.org.

We hope to see you there!

Our Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) member community is thrilled to be partnering with ISLA Americas for the first time to engage more beneficial owners in this important industry event. Thank you to Fran Garritt and team as well as the planning committee at ISLA Americas. Thank you also to this year’s Conference Co-Chairs, Kathleen Duggan and Rebecca Goldenberg for spearheading this event. Looking forward to a fantastic conference!

We look forward to welcoming our global member community to the GPFA 2025 Annual Meeting this September in Montreal, graciously hosted by La Caisse (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec) and PSP Investments | Investissements PSP.

This year’s program will feature senior-level insights, peer-led discussions, and timely topics shaping the future of securities finance - from technology and operations to market dynamics, risk, and regulation.

Registration is complimentary and included as part of GPFA membership. Non-member beneficial owner friends may attend for a fee, but all applications will be reviewed for approval. If you are interested in attending this year’s meeting, please reach out to us on our website: https://lnkd.in/eqMNkRnh.  We look forward to another impactful gathering of buyside leaders!

Thank you, La Caisse and PSP Investments for hosting GPFA!

Are you interested in getting a glimpse into a GPFA discussion group conversation? Tune in to the latest Peer Connections episode to listen in on the introductory session of GPFA’s Private Credit discussion group with an esteemed panel, including Jason Pearlstein from HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan), Lisa Mantello and Elizabeth Mpermperacis from Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and Kristian Altier, CAIA, from CalSTRS. The panelists explored the basics of Private Credit and why it’s growing in popularity. Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/e2ivK6G9

How do you measure global influence? One way may be to count the nearly $17 trillion in assets represented in this room today. But perhaps a better way could be to understand the collective impact of having these beneficial owners learn from one another’s experiences as a way to continuously evolve and grow the securities financing markets.

Our Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) was pleased to partner with the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) to kick off their annual conference in Madrid today. The closed-door beneficial owners meeting brought together some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and asset managers. The gathering of this group underscores the global influence and responsibility these institutions hold in shaping the securities financing markets.

Thank you again to our meeting hosts and members, Matthew Brunette from Norges Bank Investment Management and Tommaso Sechi, CFA from GIC. We appreciate your leadership and commitment to driving market debate and discussion.

We are excited for tomorrow's dedicated Beneficial Owner Briefing during International Securities Lending Association (ISLA)'s 32nd Annual Securities Finance & Collateral Management Conference in Madrid!  GPFA is proud to be partnering with ISLA for this exclusive closed-door session co-hosted by industry leaders Matthew Brunette, Global Head of Financing at Norges Bank Investment Management and Tommaso Sechi, CFA, Head of Securities Finance, GIC.

We look forward to welcoming all qualifying beneficial owner delegates to what promises to be an insightful and engaging discussion.

Ahead of next week’s International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) 32nd Annual Securities Finance & Collateral Management Conference, we are excited to share a new GPFA Peer Connections episode: “The Retail Securities Revolution”

In this episode, Keren Halperin, Deputy CEO and Chief of Staff at Sharegain joins Matthew Brunette, Global Head of Financing at Norges Bank Investment Management and Brooke Hawkins Gillman for a deep dive into the evolving world of retail securities lending. As accessibility continues to expand and adoption grows, their conversation explores key lessons for lenders, the latest developments shaping the space, and the crucial role of technology and education in driving progress.  Listen now: https://lnkd.in/es7BhU_D

GPFA is once again partnering with ISLA to run a dedicated beneficial owner-only half day briefing during the ISLA conference on Tuesday, 17 June.  This exclusive closed-door session will be co-hosted by industry leaders Matthew Brunette, Global Head of Financing at Norges Bank Investment Management and Tommaso Sechi, CFA, Head of Securities Finance, GIC. If you are still interested in attending, please email events@islaemea.org to see if space is still available.

We look forward to seeing you next week in Madrid!

Ahead of the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA)'s Conference, don’t miss the latest GPFA Peer Connections episode: "Unlocking Digital Assets in Securities Finance."

Mathew McDermott, Global Head of Digital Assets at Goldman Sachs, joins Matthew Brunette, Global Head of Financing at Norges Bank Investment Management, and Brooke Hawkins Gillman for an insightful discussion examining the strategic impact of digital assets within securities finance, their potential benefits for beneficial owners and the broader market, and their transformative role in enhancing financing efficiency. Listen now: https://lnkd.in/e7djSd5T

GPFA is once again partnering with ISLA to run a dedicated beneficial owner-only half day briefing during the ISLA conference on Tuesday, 17 June. We are delighted to invite all qualifying beneficial owner delegates to an exclusive morning session, co-hosted by industry leaders Matthew Brunette, Global Head of Financing at Norges Bank Investment Management and Tommaso Sechi, CFA, Head of Securities Finance, GIC.

If you are interested in attending, please make sure you register for the main conference here: https://lnkd.in/e4s66kaH and then RSVP for the closed-door session via events@islaemea.org.

We look forward to seeing you in Madrid!

🇨🇦Canada strong! 🇨🇦 We had a tremendous turnout for our regional Toronto member meeting held in advance of the Canadian Securities Lending Association conference. Thank you to our member firm BMO Global Asset Management for hosting our beneficial owner group. We were fortunate to hear from former Governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz on the current economic climate and how policy is impacting market conditions.

We also heard from Bipan Rai, Head of ETF Strategy at BMO Global Asset Management and Robert Goobie CPA CMA, Head of Collateral and Balance Sheet Management at HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan) who is also the Chair of the Board for our Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA).

Thank you to the team leading the wide ranging topics for our beneficial owner group, Trevor Noronha, Mandip M., Sahil Kapoor, and Jason Pearlstein, all from HOOPP.

Lastly, we couldn’t have hosted such a wonderful meeting without Marc Kitay, Daniel Stanley, CFA, Jasmina Patel-Khatri, and the rest of the team from BMO Global Asset Management. Thank you again!! 🇨🇦👏

Up next for GPFA is the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) conference in Madrid. Join us on Tuesday, 17 June for a closed-door beneficial owner meeting co-hosted by members, Matthew Brunette and Tommaso Sechi, CFA. See you in Spain!https://lnkd.in/ePkMeipF