2025 Curriculum
Leadership Responsiveness and Risk Mitigation in the New World of Treasury Management
Faculty and speakers are being added daily.
Sessions, faculty, and speakers are subject to change.
Investments and Pensions Track
Day 1: Sunday, July 20, 2025
12:00–2:00 p.m.
Registration and Light Welcome Lunch
2:00–3:00 p.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Including a special awards presentation
Faculty/Speakers:
3:00–4:15 p.m.
Overview of the Public Pension Investment Governance Process (IP)
Examine the roles of key stakeholders—Board members, Executive Directors, CIOs, and internal investment teams—in establishing effective governance structures for public pension investments.
Faculty/Speakers:
4:30–5:30 p.m.
NIPF Opening Keynote: Former Deputy Treasury Secretary Justin Muzinich (Core)
Faculty/Speakers:
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Welcome Dinner: Novo Café
Novo Café (Italian) - Westlake Village
Day 2: Monday, July 21, 2025
8:00–9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
9:00–10:15 a.m.
From the Treasurers’ Perspective: Leadership Responsiveness and Risk Mitigation in the New World of Treasury Management (Core)
Engage in a unique, interactive experience featuring treasurers and treasury management perspectives from across the nation. Take part in an interactive discussion with experiences involving real Treasurers’ scenarios from operating in the modern world of public treasury management.
Faculty/Speakers:
10:30–11:45 a.m.
Defining Success in Public Pension Systems (IP)
Explore essential metrics for evaluating pension fund performance—such as investment returns, funded status, and long-term sustainability—to ensure alignment with stakeholder objectives.
Faculty/Speakers:
11:45 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lunch
12:45–1:45 p.m.
Investment Policy Setting and Strategic Asset Allocation (IP)
Discuss the formulation of investment policy statements, strategic investment planning, risk tolerance assessments, and asset allocation frameworks to align investment activities with pension fund objectives.
Faculty/Speakers:
2:00–3:15 p.m.
External Manager Selection and Due Diligence (IP)
Delve into industry best practices for selecting and overseeing external investment managers across various asset classes, emphasizing rigorous due diligence processes and structured evaluation frameworks.
Faculty/Speakers:
3:15–4:30 p.m.
Managing Risk in an Era of Market Volatility and Geopolitical Uncertainty (IP)
Explore strategies for managing investment risk amid heightened market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty. This session will examine how deglobalization and geopolitical tensions impact asset allocation and long-term investment strategies, providing investors with practical insights for navigating uncertainty.
Faculty/Speakers:
6:30–9:30 p.m.
Dinner and Reception at The Sunset Malibu
The Sunset Restaurant - Malibu
Day 3: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
8:00–9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
9:00–10:15 a.m.
Fireside Chat with Wesley Bull and Jonathan Wackrow (Core)
Fireside chat with Wesley Bull, CEO, Sentinal Resource Group, and Jonathan Wackrow, Former United States Secret Service Special Agent, CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, Enterprise Risk Management Consultant, and Security Risk Management Subject Matter Expert
Faculty/Speakers:
10:30–11:45 a.m.
Private Credit, Risk, and Yield in a Higher-for-Longer Interest Rate Environment (IP)
Examine the evolving role of private credit in diversified portfolios within a persistently elevated interest rate landscape. The session will highlight current trends in direct lending, asset-based finance, and opportunistic strategies, addressing implications for credit risk, liquidity, and portfolio resilience.
Faculty/Speakers:
11:45 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:15–2:30 p.m.
Real Assets, Public Purpose, and Portfolio Strategy in a Shifting Market (IP)
Discuss the strategic role of real assets such as real estate and infrastructure within institutional portfolios, balancing financial returns with public purpose objectives amid shifting market conditions and stable valuations.
Faculty/Speakers:
3:00–4:15 p.m.
From Theory to Practice: Navigating Real-World Investment Challenges in Liquidity and Portfolio Construction (IP)
Senior institutional investors share practical insights into managing the operational and strategic challenges of implementing investment strategies amid market volatility and shifting macroeconomic conditions.
Faculty/Speakers:
5:00–9:30 p.m.
Dinner and Reception at the Reagan Library
Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
Day 4: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
8:30–9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
9:00–10:15 a.m.
Straus Institute Session with Thomas J. Stipanowich (Core)
Thomas J. Stipanowich is William H. Webster Chair in Dispute Resolution and Professor of Law at Pepperdine University, as well as Professor of Law at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution (ranked number one among academic dispute resolution programs in thirteen of the last fifteen years by U.S. News & World Report), where he teaches courses in negotiation theory and practice, mediation, arbitration practice and advocacy, international commercial arbitration and international dispute resolution.
Faculty/Speakers:
10:30–11:45 a.m.
Digital Assets and Blockchain in Public Finance: Portfolio Innovation, Policy Momentum, and Operational Efficiency (IP)
As digital assets and blockchain technology mature, state treasuries and public pension systems are increasingly exploring their role in diversified investment portfolios and operational infrastructure. This session will examine the emerging investment case for digital assets, including Bitcoin ETFs, tokenized securities, and on-chain private market products, as well as the growing legislative momentum in statehouses across the country that authorizes public investment in digital assets.
Panelists will also discuss how blockchain can drive operational efficiencies in areas such as payment systems, cash management, and recordkeeping. With participation from leaders in both asset management and blockchain infrastructure, this session will provide a practical, policy-aware roadmap for public finance professionals considering exposure to this evolving asset class.
Panelists will also discuss how blockchain can drive operational efficiencies in areas such as payment systems, cash management, and recordkeeping. With participation from leaders in both asset management and blockchain infrastructure, this session will provide a practical, policy-aware roadmap for public finance professionals considering exposure to this evolving asset class.
Faculty/Speakers:
12:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks