Fostering sustainable & inclusive investing while ensuring financial returns
A half-day programme aims to empower investors to move from the theory to the practice of impact investing through in-depth keynote speeches from experienced impact investors and impact practitioners. During the InvestorConnect sessions, investors can explore a select group of impact strategies in public equity, public debt, private equity, private debt and real assets.
WHY ATTEND
Why going beyond ESG is a critical step for Institutional Investors
Fostering sustainable & inclusive investing while ensuring financial returns has the force to shift financial markets. The current pandemic and climate crisis have shown the power of sustainable investments to outperform its traditional peers. Join us on a deep-dive discussion about moving from ESG to investing with impact to yield attractive returns and the relevance of impact measurement harmonisation. Also, what LPs should ask GPs and the extent to which regulations hinder or advocate for impact investing.
ADVISORY BOARD:
- This agenda was created with input from:
- Gouro Sall-Diagne, Directrice de la Surveillance (Monitoring Director), Authorité des Marchés Financiers
- Graham Singh, CEO, Trinity Centres Foundation
- Pierre-Laurent Macridis, Investissements Privés Alternatifs & d’Impact (Private alternative & Impact Investments), Fondaction
- Simon Veilleux, Analyste Investissement durable (Sustainable Investing Analyst), CDPQ
- Wren Laing, Investment Director Impact Investing, McConnell Foundation
SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS:
OBJECTIVES
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INFORM
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The Seminar aims to allow institutional investors to share knowledge through discussions about the opportunities and challenges of impact investments in public and private markets.
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CONNECT
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Investors and fund managers will be able to reconnect with the industry peers, exchange best practices, learn from each other’s experiences, and share ideas on creating innovative and scalable solutions to generate impact in private and public markets.
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DISCOVER
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InvestorConnect sessions offer institutional asset owners an efficient way to discover a pre-screened group of scalable impact strategies of institutional quality, across multiple asset classes, impact themes and the SDGs. The dynamic system of 15-minute meetings set a comfortable space to ask relevant questions & create connections along the way.
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1-DAY OF ENGAGEMENT & INSPIRATION
PRELIMINARY AGENDA
09:00 - 09:30 Registration
09:30 - 10:30
Breakfast Workshop | Creating a Biodiversity Mandate
In this session, Phenix Capital Group’s impact specialist, Gemma Roex, will present how investors can treat biodiversity as a primary theme at the heart of your mandate. She will share the most current data on capital committed to biodiversity and the number of funds available in the market. Looking at the different asset classes, and both the public and private market, a group discussion will be facilitated to tackle the following question: How do you treat biodiversity as a primary and investible theme?
- Speaker:
- Gemma Roex, Impact Measurement and Management Specialist, Phenix Capital Group
10:30 - 10:40
Keynote Speech
10:40 -11:05
Interview | The Path to Impact Investing, from a European Perspective
The Netherlands benefits from a robust pension system which enables national retirement providers to be considerable allocators with a high degree of solidarity and collective risk-sharing. Henk Groot, the head of investments at Pensioenfonds Detailhandel, a Dutch pension fund for the retail sector, will share his perspective as a European institutional asset owner and their journey towards impact investing.
This interview will tackle the following questions:
• How do European asset owners approach impact investing?
• What are the barriers to engaging pension funds to invest with impact as opposed to traditional investments? And how to overcome them?
• How to build robust Impact Measurement and Management systems?
• Beyond the local implementation of SFDR, what does it means internationally?
- Speaker:
- Henk Groot, Head of Investments, Pensioenfonds Detailhandel
11:05 -12:25
InvestorConnect session
Fast-paced speed meetings are taking place in rounds of 15 minutes. A select group of Fund Managers present their impact strategies and answer any questions from the participating investors.
12:25 - 13:25 Lunch
13:25 -14:25
Investor Panel | Impact Opportunities in Canada
(This session will be conducted under Chatham House Rules)
What is the state of the impact investing market in Canada? Who are the leading investors driving impact? What are their challenges and focus? And how can we strengthen and grow the ecosystem? The speakers will speak on their experiences as Canadian investors from British Columbia to Québec investing all around the world, touching upon best practices and the nationwide standards and lack thereof. This session will tackle impact themes like social impact, reconciliation, and nature-based solutions.
- Speaker:
- Graham Singh, CEO, Trinity Centres Foundation
- Wren Laing, Investment Director Impact Investing, McConnell Foundation
14:25 - 14:45
Fireside Chat | Managing a Social Portfolio
While much attention has been given to environmental issues, the solutions for a cleaner planet have to align with the benefits of its inhabitants. Should social issues be targeted separately or fully integrated into every portfolio?
- Moderator:
- Jason Sukhram, Engagement Manager, Quinn+Partners
14:45 - 15:00
Case Study | Impact Measurement
Many investors have a more prudent approach towards impact due to heavy media scrutiny and fears of greenwashing. This case study will present the know-how of impact measurement, including the challenges and opportunities faced along the way.
15:00 - 16:00 Closing & Networking
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Henk Groot
Head of Investments,Pensioenfonds Detailhandel
Gemma Roex
Impact Measurement and Management Specialist,Phenix Capital Group
Graham Singh
CEO,Trinity Centres Foundation
Jason Sukhram
Engagement Manager,Quinn+Partners
Wren Laing
Investment Director Impact Investing,McConnell Foundation

Henk Groot
Head of Investments,
Pensioenfonds Detailhandel

Gemma Roex
Impact Measurement and Management Specialist,
Phenix Capital Group

Jason Sukhram
Engagement Manager,
Quinn+Partners
Jason has advised several clients across industries in how to embed social impact considerations and metrics into their operational and investment strategies and reporting. Recently, he worked with a global real estate investor and developer to identify social impact indicators to measure and report on in delivering its ESG strategy priorities. He also led projects to help a Canadian cooperative bank clarify its impact thesis, and to support a large Canadian real estate investment manager embed social impact initiatives into their property management building standards.
Prior to joining Q+P, Jason spent nearly 5 years with MaRS Discovery District’s Centre for Impact Investing, where he advised clients across sectors on how to attract and deploy capital to intentionally and measurably improve outcomes for people and the planet, while generating financial returns. This included supporting large corporations with establishing impact funds, to helping financial institutions engage their clients in sustainable investing. At MaRS, he led systems change and market building initiatives to support the growth of the Canadian impact investing market. He also built and led MaRS’ impact measurement and management advisory practice, helping organizations collect and manage data that demonstrates the outcomes they contribute to.
Jason’s prior experiences include working to build and finance social enterprises in the developing world with the Clinton Foundation’s poverty alleviation initiative from New York and Colombia. He also co-authored a number of articles with a global health research group on scaling primary care programs in low- and middle-income countries and worked in technology portfolio management with BlackBerry.
WHO WILL ATTEND
● Public and Corporate Pension Funds and their Fiduciary Managers,
● Insurance Companies,
● Sovereign Wealth Funds,
● Family Offices,
● Foundations and Endowments,
● Wealth Managers/Private Banks,
● Development Finance Institutions,
● Faith-based Organisations.
BOOK YOUR SEAT AMONGST YOUR LOCAL IMPACT INVESTING PEERS!
A LIMITED NUMBER OF COMPLIMENTARY INVITES ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS AND ASSET OWNERS.
SPEAKERS 2022
Alison Nankivell
Senior Vice President, Fund Investments and Global Scaling,Business Development Bank of Canada
Anne-Marie Lévesque
Director, Gender and Impact Management,FinDev Canada
Alexandre El-Aiba
Associate,Phenix Capital Group
Annie Thériault
Managing Partner,CrossBorder Impact Ventures
Florian Roulle
Head of Sustainable InvestmentsFinance Montreal
Moderator
Jesse Chrumka
Senior Investment Consultant,Normandin Beaudry
Kelly Krauter
Senior Policy AdvisorUN PRI
Louise Moretto
Senior Product Specialist Sustainable Investments,DWS
Mazyar Mortazavi
CEO and President,TAS
Piet Klop
Head of Responsible InvestmentsPGGM
Rosalie Vendette
Associate,Quinn&Partners
Moderator

Alison Nankivell
Senior Vice President, Fund Investments and Global Scaling,
Business Development Bank of Canada
Since she joined the team in 2018, Fund Investments and Global Scaling has delivered on multiple new mandates, including increasing funding and support for Indigenous and Black entrepreneurs, cleantech innovations, and women-led technology companies. The team has also supported the federal government’s initiative to increase the availability of venture capital for promising start-ups.
Today, Alison’s team is responsible for developing innovative models for private sector and Crown corporation collaboration in priority areas such as cleantech project equity; environmental, social and governance initiatives; and the global expansion of Canadian technology champions.
With extensive experience in both the Canadian and Asian finance industries, Alison also oversees BDC Capital’s cross-border venture strategy, helping connect large corporations and investors in Asia with high-potential Canadian companies and vice-versa.
Previously, Alison served as Vice President, Global Scaling in Hong Kong, supporting BDC Capital’s highest potential investee companies to grow their businesses and find investment partners in Asia.
She was also Vice President, Funds and Co-Investments as well as Vice President, Venture Capital Action Plan, leading BDC Capital’s work in executing the Government of Canada’s Venture Capital Action Plan.
Before joining BDC, she was Director, Funds Asia with Teachers’ Private Capital, the private investment arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. She also spent 14 years with Export Development Canada (EDC), where she helped build out its Canadian and Asian private equity and venture capital fund investment platform. She spent seven years on Beijing-based postings with EDC, including as Chief Representative for Greater China and as Principal and Head of Asia Fund Investments.
Alison lived in Beijing and Hong Kong from 1990 to 1995, serving as a China economic analyst and editor for the Economist Intelligence Unit. Fluent in Mandarin, she has worked as an independent economist undertaking consulting work for the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Development Program and the Canadian International Development Agency.
Alison holds a Bachelor of Arts in Commerce and Economics from the University of Toronto and a Master in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is also a designated Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Anne-Marie Lévesque
Director, Gender and Impact Management,
FinDev Canada

Alexandre El-Aiba
Associate,
Phenix Capital Group

Florian Roulle
Head of Sustainable Investments
Finance Montreal
Moderator

Kelly Krauter
Senior Policy Advisor
UN PRI

Louise Moretto
Senior Product Specialist Sustainable Investments,
DWS

Mazyar Mortazavi
CEO and President,
TAS
Community participation:
-Chair - Board of Directors, The Bentway
-Trustee - Board of Directors, Art Gallery of Ontario
-Advisory Committee Member - 2021 Year of Public Art. City of Toronto
Education:
-Masters of Architecture, University of Waterloo, 2005
-Bachelor of Environmental Studies, Honours, University of Waterloo, 1999

Rosalie Vendette
Associate,
Quinn&Partners
Moderator
Rosalie Vendette embodies sustainable finance through her work with industry and clients. She works hand in hand with experts and industry associations to drive industry change, notably the development of a Canadian Transition Finance Taxonomy and the recent Canadian Pensions Dashboard for Responsible Investing. She is also active in the sustainable finance strategic plan of Finance Montreal and the adoption of a new ISO standard on sustainable finance.
Rosalie also advises market leaders in retail and institutional investment management, including banks, insurers and pension plans. She offers them invaluable assistance into planning and deploying strategies that effectively take into consideration environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.
Rosalie is often invited to speak at industry events and to media and news outlets. She also enjoys sharing her knowledge with the many students at McGill and Sherbrooke university faculties where she teaches sustainable finance and responsible investment.
For 10 years, Rosalie Vendette headed responsible investment at Desjardins Group and served as an ESG group expert. She also collaborated with the Quebec network of PRI signatories.
In 2019, Rosalie launched her own consulting services with DecodESG, aiming to help as many organizations as possible to master ESG. Thanks to her support, her clients are progressing on their ESG integration journeys.
Recently Rosalie became an associate at Quinn & Partners, one of the most influential sustainable management consulting firms in North America.
JOIN LEADING ORGANISATIONS AS A SPONSOR!
IMPACT FUND MANAGERS ARE WELCOME TO ENQUIRE ABOUT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
GET IN THE MOOD TO MEET YOUR INDUSTRY PEERS!
WHAT IS IMPACT INVESTING
Whereas ESG investing looks to integrate environmental, social and governance factors when subject to an investment’s performance, impact investing goes a step further by seeking investments that contribute to measurable social and/or environmental impact.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF IMPACT INVESTMENTS
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Intentionality: intent to achieve a social or environmental goal is clearly expressed and the investor identifies outcomes that will be pursued
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Additionality: thesis or narrative describes how the investor’s actions will help achieve the goal and how the outcome would not have occurred without the investment
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Measurement: impact measurement framework in place to assess the level of expected impact and monitor progress against the goal
SPECTRUM OF CAPITAL
Impact Seminar Series programme is focusing on the financial-first impact investments opportunities, offering experienced impact investors the stage to share best practices with their industry peers.

First published by Bridges Fund Management (2015), the Spectrum of Capital maps out different investment approaches, depending on investors’ desired risk, return and impact profile, and categorizing them in a range from traditional investment to philanthropy.
- Financial-First Impact Investments: select funds in specific sectors, impact themes, or in alignment to the SDGs. In this approach, there is no trade-off between return and impact, and thus all investments should achieve fully commercial risk-adjusted returns.
Impact-First Impact Investments: funds are selected to maximize impact over returns. These investments may target lower risk-adjusted returns to deliver greater impact.