Conferences

Jeanna Cullins spoke at the Investment Management Institute (IMI) Public Funds Roundtable Conference held in Pinehurst (North Carolina) the last week of April. She addressed the group on the benefits of Operational Reviews (a/k/a "fiduciary performance audits") as well as the role of plan sponsors in corporate governance and proxy voting. "

Skip was also the luncheon speaker at the annual retreat of the Virginia Retirement System, in June. He discussed the Operational Review of the VRS that IFS completed 10 years ago - especially regarding its governance - and current issues regarding VRS governance.

Samuel (Skip) Halpern was a keynote speaker at the World Bank Conference on Gobal Pension Reform, held in May in Washington, DC. He discussed how public fund trustees can best position their funds between the competing pressures of their government sponsors and private financial services firms.

The Governmental Pension Fund of Thailand - with assets of approximately $4 billion (U.S.) and over 1 million members - is the country's largest retirement system and represents roughly 10% of the value of the entire Stock Exchange of Thailand. Seeking to institute "global best practices" at its own organization as well as influence the country's larger financial services sector, the Fund's Board and upper management convened a conference on "World Class Fiduciary Practices" in September 2002.

In April 2002, IFS held its first Client Conference at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Florida. The Conference offered trustees of IFS clients the opportunity to (a) strengthen their understanding of investment fundamentals; (b) discuss new ideas about asset classes and investment strategies for Taft-Hartley funds and (c) gain a broader perspective on recent events that have redrawn the investment landscape. For additional information, please refer to the Resources section.