Four firms join NIA's pension research platform

Four major retirement sector organizations have signed on to the National Institute on Ageing's Pension Centre of Excellence (PCE), a non-partisan platform focused on strengthening retirement financial security in Canada. 

BlackRock Canada, CAAT Pension Plan, Fidelity Canada Institutional, and TTC Pension Plan announced their membership at the PCE's third annual symposium in Toronto on May 21. 

Colleen Davis, BlackRock's chief operating officer for Canada, said the firm manages pension assets and target date funds supporting "the retirement outcomes of millions of Canadians" and joined the Pension Centre of Excellence to advance retirement innovation. 

Tania Pironcelli, vice president of pension solutions at CAAT Pension Plan, said the plan joined to help expand access to predictable, lifetime income so more Canadians can "retire, and stay retired, with confidence."  

Tracey Wong, vice president of institutional sales and service at Fidelity Canada Institutional, pointed to collective learning and strengthening retirement readiness as the firm's rationale.  

Andrea May, director of marketing and communications at TTC Pension Plan, said the plan is looking to peers for guidance on communicating plan value to members. 

The PCE sits within the NIA, which was founded in 2016 at Toronto Metropolitan University. Existing members include Sun Life, Desjardins Insurance, T. Rowe Price, CWIPP, and the Association of Canadian Pension Management.