GPFA Welcomes L&G - Asset Management as Newest Member Organization
The Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) is pleased to welcome L&G – Asset Management as our newest member organization.
This milestone represents an exciting step forward in expanding GPFA’s global network and strengthening beneficial owner engagement across the broader global asset management sector of those actively engaged in securities finance.
Since its founding in 2020, GPFA has grown into a global community of asset owners committed to advancing peer financing knowledge, collaboration, and industry best practices. With members representing more than $13 trillion in assets, the association continues to foster meaningful connections and facilitate discussions on the issues shaping our industry.
We are excited to welcome L&G – Asset Management and look forward to their participation in GPFA's member-driven initiatives, working groups, and global discussions.
Please join us in welcoming L&G – Asset Management to the GPFA community!
GPFA Partnered with/ ISLA for Closed-Door Briefing during Conference
How do you measure the impact of global connections?
Perhaps it’s not by the number of institutions in the room or the trillions in assets represented, but by the quality of the conversations taking place behind closed doors and the willingness of beneficial owners to exchange insights, challenges, and ideas.
The Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) was pleased to partner with the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) to open its annual conference in Lisbon with an exclusive beneficial owner briefing.
This closed-door session brought together leading sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and asset owners from around the world to discuss the evolving securities financing landscape. By creating a trusted forum for peer-to-peer dialogue, we continue to foster meaningful connections and support the responsible development of global securities financing markets.
Thank you again to our meeting hosts Matthew Brunette from Norges Bank Investment Management and Sharon Terry from L&G – Asset Management for leading the discussions and thank you to all participants who contributed their expertise and perspectives.
Private Credit Discussion Group Hold Q2 Meeting
The GPFA Private Credit Discussion Group held its Q2 2026 meeting with a panel discussion on current events within the private credit asset class with members from peers from Canada and the United States. The panel discussed the maturing of the asset class, new asset types requiring private credit capital, and the importance of strong due diligence and structuring in credit investing.
Thanks to our panel moderator Ravipal Bains and panelist Jatinder M. from BCI and panelists Chris Prestigiacomo, CFA from State of Wisconsin Investment Board and Patience O. from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Also, thank you to the Head of the GPFA Private Credit Discussion Group Jason Pearlstein from HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan) for organizing the session. The group is looking forward to the next session in Q4.
For any of the buy side peer community interested in private credit or other asset classes, please reach out to the GPFA to connect.
Aware Super Joins GPFA!
We are pleased to welcome Aware Super as the newest member of the Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA)!
As one of Australia's leading superannuation funds, Aware Super serves approximately 1.3 million members and manages more than A$235 billion in funds under management, helping individuals achieve better retirement outcomes through long-term, member-focused investing.
Aware Super's commitment to strong governance, long-term value creation, and delivering sustainable outcomes for its members aligns closely with GPFA's mission of fostering collaboration among the world's leading asset owners and investment professionals.
We look forward to the perspectives and expertise Aware Super will bring to our global community and are excited to support their engagement across GPFA programs and initiatives.
Please join us in welcoming Aware Super to GPFA!
GPFA Closing the Market in Toronto
An incredible moment for the GPFA community as we joined the Toronto Stock Exchange to close the market at the TMX Market Centre following our Regional Beneficial Owner Meeting in partnership with Canadian Securities Lending Association (CASLA) on 26 May.
The closing bell ceremony was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the continued growth and engagement of the GPFA beneficial owner community across Canada and the broader global securities finance industry.
We were honored to hear remarks from GPFA Chair Robert Goobie CPA CMA from HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan) during the ceremony before members gathered for the official market close countdown and bell ringing.
GPFA would also like to extend a special thank you to Charles Lesaux, MBA from BCI and Ivoneke Taylor from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP), our regional leads in Canada, for their leadership, dedication, and continued support in helping strengthen GPFA’s presence and member engagement across the region.
Thank you as well to the Toronto Stock Exchange, Steve Everett and the rest of the TMX team for hosting this memorable experience, and to all members and industry participants who joined us for the celebration.
Another Outstanding Gathering in Toronto!
What a week - another outstanding gathering in Toronto!
GPFA was pleased to host our Regional Beneficial Owner Meeting in partnership with Canadian Securities Lending Association (CASLA) on Tuesday 26 May, bringing together members and industry peers for a day of engaging discussion, valuable market perspectives, and meaningful networking opportunities.
A sincere thank you to our host member firm, BMO Global Asset Management, for once again welcoming our beneficial owner group and supporting another successful event in Toronto. We were fortunate once again to hear from former Governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz on the current economic climate. Thank you to Bipan Rai, Head of ETF and Alternative Strategy at BMO for moderating the session.
We were also honored to conclude the day at the TMX Market Centre where members of the GPFA community participated in the Toronto Stock Exchange closing bell ceremony — a memorable way to celebrate the strength and collaboration of our community.
Thank you as well to all speakers, moderators, and attendees who contributed their insights and participation throughout the meeting – Nick Chamie, CFA, ICD.D, IMCO, Millan Mulraine, OTPP, John Kwan, IMCO, Andrea Ruiz, SWIB, Bryce Shelton, CFA, OTPP, Mike Vainchtein, OPTrust, Chris Benish, SWIB and GPFA Board/Treasurer, Sara D., La Caisse, Lisa Mantello, Osler, Charles Lesaux, MBA, BIC and GPFA Regional Lead in Canada, Jesus Alva, BCI, Jean-Sébastien Leroux, Trans-Canada Capital, Prasanth Pugal, HOOPP. Events like these continue to demonstrate the value of bringing together beneficial owners and market participants from across the industry.
Lastly, we could not have hosted such a successful meeting without the leadership from our regional leads in Canada, Ivoneke Taylor, OTPP and Charles Lesaux, MBA, BCI as well as Daniel Stanley, CFA, Marc Kitay, Jasmina Patel-Khatri, Satya Shrestha, and the rest of the team at BMO Global Asset Management for hosting such a successful gathering. Thank you again!
We appreciate the continued support from our members and partners and look forward to seeing many of you at upcoming GPFA events around the globe.
Up next for GPFA is the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) conference in Lisbon. Join us 16 June for a closed-door beneficial owner meeting co-lead by, Matthew Brunette and Sharon Terry. See you in Portugal!
GPFA Rings the Closing Bell at TMX Market Centre
A memorable moment for the GPFA community as we joined the Toronto Stock Exchange to close the market following the GPFA Regional Beneficial Owner Meeting in partnership with CASLA!
Thank you to the Toronto Stock Exchange for hosting GPFA for this special closing bell ceremony, and to all of our members and participants who joined us throughout the day.
GPFA New York Regional Beneficial Owner Meeting
This week, GPFA was pleased to host our New York Regional Beneficial Owner Meeting, bringing together beneficial owners and industry peers for a thoughtful exchange of ideas on several timely topics shaping today’s securities finance landscape.
A sincere thank you to GPFA member, GIC for graciously hosting the meeting at your New York office. We would also like to extend our appreciation to meeting co-leads Chris Benish from State of Wisconsin Investment Board and Jennifer Xu, CFA from GIC for leading the discussions and helping facilitate a highly engaging and valuable session.
Thank you to everyone who joined us this week. We look forward to continuing these important regional conversations across the beneficial owner community.
GPFA Partnering w/ ISLA once Again!
We’re pleased to share that the Global Peer Financing Association will once again partner with the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) for a beneficial owner (closed-door) briefing during ISLA’s 33rd Annual Securities Finance & Collateral Management Conference in Lisbon, Portugal! This closed-door session taking place on Tuesday, 16 June will be co-lead by industry leaders, Matthew Brunette, Global Head of Financing at Norges Bank Investment Management and Sharon Terry, Securities Lending Specialist at L&G – Asset Management and will bring together some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and asset managers for focused discussion on the evolving securities finance landscape, current market developments, and the issues shaping the year ahead. We look forward to welcoming all qualifying Beneficial Owner delegates to what promises to be another insightful and engaging discussion.
If you are interested in attending, please make sure you register for the main conference at the link below and then RSVP for the closed-door session at events@islaemea.org. Qualifying Beneficial Owners can attend the conference for free.
GPFA Hard at Work Behind the Scenes
Over the past several months, the Global Peer Financing Association has been hard at work behind the scenes, advancing a range of timely and complex topics impacting our global membership. From securities finance to regulatory developments, US treasury repo clearing, risk & liquidity considerations, technology, and emerging themes like private credit and tokenization, our focus remains on fostering meaningful dialogue and knowledge-sharing across the community.
GPFA recently hosted a virtual Single Topic Meeting, Unlocking the Tokenization Opportunity for Pension Funds, that brought one of those emerging areas into sharp focus. We were pleased to be joined by experts from KPMG Canada Digital Assets CoE, who shared practical insights on how tokenization is evolving, where real use cases are beginning to take shape, and what pension funds should be considering as the landscape develops.
A big thank you to our speakers, Kareem Sadek, CIA, CISA, PMP, CRISC, CRMA, James Emerson, CPA, MSc, and George Djuric, and to all who joined the conversation. As always, GPFA remains committed to creating a forum where members can stay ahead of industry developments and engage with peers on the topics that matter most.
GPFA Members Join Together in Bangkok!
Creating community. That is one of the best things about bringing Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) members together for networking across the regions. Watching our members deepen their relationships with other global buy side asset owners and expand the trust and transparency they have with one another is how we know there is value in the continued growth of GPFA. Thank you to all our GPFA members and other beneficial owner friends that joined together during the PASLA conference in Bangkok this week. We can’t wait to get together again soon! hashtag#gpfa hashtag#bettertogether hashtag#pasla
New Podcast Alert! Celebrating Five Years of Peer Collaboration
What happens when buy‑side peers come together with a shared vision?Years of peer‑to‑peer conversations and collaboration ultimately sparked the creation of the Global Peer Financing Association five years ago—a volunteer‑led, global not‑for‑profit committed to advancing the securities financing industry.In this anniversary podcast episode, Board Members Chris Benish, Robert Goobie CPA CMA, Mike Johnson , and Jerry May reflect on GPFA’s journey, the expansion of its membership, and the cross‑disciplinary working groups shaping its future.With more than 40 global members representing over $11T in assets, the momentum is only growing!Listen to the full discussion here: https://lnkd.in/eB7bAqsk
GPFA Featured in Securities Finance Times
We’re proud to share a recent feature on the Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) in Securities Finance Times, highlighting the momentum, growth, and member-led innovation shaping our community.In the interview, Chris Benish (State of Wisconsin Investment Board), GPFA Treasurer and Board Member and Charles Lesaux, MBA (BCI), GPFA Regional Lead in Canada discuss:-How GPFA continues to expand in-person and virtually-The evolution of peer-to-peer beneficial owner lending-The growing impact of digital platforms and direct lending innovation-The launch of GPFA Canada and increasing regional engagement-What’s ahead for 2026 and beyondWith more than 40 global asset owners representing over $11 trillion in assets, GPFA remains committed to being a member-created, member-led forum where members can connect, collaborate, and share best practices across securities finance and beyond.A special thank you to Securities Finance Times for the feature!Read the full article starting on page 44 here: https://lnkd.in/egRBf2i7
GPFA Welcomes GPIF as Newest Member
Our growth is global! We’re pleased to welcome Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) as the newest member of the Global Peer Financing Association (GPFA) and our first member from Japan!
GPIF is one of the world’s largest public pension funds and we are thrilled to welcome them to our growing global beneficial owner network. We look forward to their participation in GPFA discussions, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing across the peer financing community.
Welcome GPIF to GPFA—we’re glad to have you as part of the community.
GPFA Announces Newest Members of the Board of Directors
We’re pleased to announce the newest members of the GPFA Board of Directors:
Amy Borgquist (Armour), Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)
Cherie Jeffries, State Board of Administration of Florida
Amy and Cherie bring exceptional experience and perspective to the GPFA, and we are excited to welcome them into their new leadership roles. Their contributions will help guide our strategic direction as GPFA continues to expand globally across the beneficial owner market.
We also want to extend our appreciation to all individuals who were nominated and to our membership for their continued engagement and support of the GPFA community.
We look forward to a productive and collaborative year with our newly elected Board members. Congratulations and thank you for all your support, Amy and Cherie!