The Pension Scheme Investment Toolkit

Dates:

• 11 – 22 November 2024 - London (£4,450)
• 17 - 28 November 2025 - Dubai (£4,750)

Course Outline

This two-week programme combines:

• Pension Scheme Investment in Private Markets - 5 days
• Pension Scheme Investment in Infrastructure and Real Estate - 5 days

In recent times, pension schemes have significantly increased allocations to alternative asset classes and, in particular, to private equity and infrastructure assets. The theoretical investment argument for these allocations is sound, given the high prices (and consequent low yields) of traditional public investment assets, the liquidity premium that pension schemes can harvest and the creation of new capital assets to support economic growth.  

The two courses in this toolkit programme have been specifically designed to provide you with a holistic understanding of the suitability of different types of assets for pension scheme investment.   

In week one, delegates will examine the principal types of private equity, ranging from venture capital through to growth equity, late stage/pre-IPO investments and buyouts as well as private debt markets, and will understand the investment vehicles and fund structures used as conduits for pension scheme investment.  

In week two, the focus will be on the risks and opportunities of investing in infrastructure and real estate assets. The programme provides delegates with key insights into the Project Finance techniques underlying infrastructure investment and assesses the optimal position within the capital structure of project financing special purpose vehicles (SPV) to generate acceptable risk-adjusted returns for pension schemes’ risk appetite.

Course Objectives: 

On completion, you will be able to:

• Appreciate the increasingly important role played by private equity in investment  
• Understand the fundamental drivers behind the evolution of the market  
• Analyse the risk/return profile of private equity investment  
• Identify the principal actors in infrastructure project finance transactions  
• Appreciate the key factor of liquidity in private assets vis-à-vis mainstream securities  
• Understand the important differences between infrastructure and public goods  

Key Topics

• The nature and risk/return profile of private asset investment  
• Rationales for pension scheme allocation to private equity and infrastructure  
• Pitfalls in private asset investment and the key role of effective due diligence  
• Realistic liquidity analysis in public and private asset markets  
• Evolution of private investments and key exit strategies  
• Project finance structures and participants