The Pension Blueprint

Chris Hayle, Manager of the Pension Education & Relationship Management team at OMERS, brings members through a comprehensive journey to understanding the nuts and bolts of their pension.This episode is part of a bonus package, all about the nuts and bolts of your OMERS pension and retirement plan. These episodes are a great starting point for new members – and for longtime members, it’s an excellent way to stay up to date on the core components of your pension.

Craig Worden, President and CIO of Pollara Strategic Insights, unpacks the results of the Pollara survey on holistic retirement planning.This episode is part of a bonus package, all about the nuts and bolts of your OMERS pension and retirement plan. These episodes are a great starting point for new members – and for longtime members, it’s an excellent way to stay up to date on the core components of your pension.

From phishing scams to data breaches, protecting your personal information is more important than ever. In this conversation, we break down the basics of data privacy, explain how OMERS protects your personal data and provide concrete steps you can take to protect your own information.This episode is part of a bonus package, all about the nuts and bolts of your OMERS pension and retirement plan. These episodes are a great starting point for new members – and for longtime members, it’s an excellent way to stay up to date on the core components of your pension.

Michael Hill, Executive Vice President and Global Head of OMERS Infrastructure, explains how infrastructure investments in Canada are generating steady, long-term returns that are crucial to fulfilling the pension promise.**This presentation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase interests in any investment, fund or product. Any reliance by the recipient upon this presentation is at the recipient’s own risk. Read the full disclaimer.

In this episode, we are joined by Veronica Maggisano, Vice President of Development at Oxford Properties Group – the real estate arm of OMERS, operating on a global scale. Veronica brings us through transformative real estate projects, building inclusive, innovative cities with the future in mind.

Two powerhouse personal finance experts, Jessica Moorhouse and Kristine Beese, join us to discuss tangible steps individuals of all ages can take to secure their financial future.

In this episode, we explore how OMERS is leveraging AI – from modernizing pension operations to investing in AI startups that are building the tools of tomorrow, and what this means for members: smarter service, better protection and a more responsive pension experience.

What is the gender pension gap? We sat down with Kadie Philp, Commissioner and CAO of the Ontario Pay Equity Commission, to better understand it, and how to begin to close it. Kadie calls on a multi-stakeholder approach and goes back as far as the invention of the plow to explain her analysis. For more information on Kadie Philp’s work, visit: https://payequity.gov.on.ca/home-2022/

With financial advice spreading fast on social media, it's tough to know what's credible. In this episode, seasoned financial experts from different generations discuss relevant financial building blocks to help you avoid falling for dangerous TikTok trends.

We welcome back OMERS President and CEO Blake Hutcheson for his third appearance on the podcast. This time, he offers his perspective on OMERS in the face of global economic and political turbulence, and why a strong pension fund matters to every Canadian.

The Pension Blueprint podcast is back for a third season, where we dig deeper into issues that impact all of us and ask bigger questions facing our members and shaping retirement. How is OMERS navigating economic uncertainty? What role does your pension play in affordable housing? How can women take control of their retirement future? And how can younger Canadians spot real financial advice amidst viral TikTok trends?Watch the trailer and look out for the first episode releasing September 10, featuring OMERS President and CEO Blake Hutcheson as he shares what’s ahead for 2030 — and why a strong, sustainable pension matters for all Canadians.

OMERS top economist weighs in on emerging trends across the pension landscape and offers insights on what a reimagined idea of retirement might look like in 10, 20 or even 50 years from now.

Satish Rai, an OMERS senior advisor, and Joanne Sutton, a seminar facilitator from MROO, share what their lives look like now that their main careers are behind them – including how to reimagine retirement.

Host Jackie DeSouza talks to journalist and personal finance expert, Rubina Ahmed-Haq, about the best tips when saving for retirement later in life, plus how to get back on track after a major life event.

Wondering how your pension works? You’re not alone. We posed some of the top questions we receive to a pension expert and invited two OMERS members to share their firsthand experiences as well.

Martin Diokno, a pension educator at OMERS, tackles the big questions around planning for retirement in mid-life when there are so many other financial pressures vying for our attention.

OMERS Chief Pension Officer, Celine Chiovitti, and Chief Human Resources Officer, Nancy Nazer, take a closer look at why women are retiring with less and how OMERS is approaching the gender pension gap.

OMERS Chief Pension Officer Celine Chiovitti speaks to Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald from the National Institute on Ageing about the crucial decision of when to start collecting CPP payments.

Host Jackie DeSouza speaks with Prabha Ram and Eric Haley, both leading experts from the OMERS investment team, about how we invest to generate pension payments for the long term.

Simon Chan from Adapt with Intent takes an insightful look at the Gen Z experience, including how increased longevity and the future of work will impact their career paths and retirements.

Celine Chiovitti, OMERS Chief Pension Officer, hosts a panel discussion on the importance of mental health and the impact of post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) on Ontario’s first responders.

Dr. James Aw, OMERS Chief Medical Officer, weighs in on the social and economic impact of more people living to be 100 years old. How will longer lives changeour ideas around aging and retirement?

Blake Hutcheson, OMERS President and CEO, speaks with Celine Chiovitti, OMERS Chief Pension Officer, about the organization’s ongoing commitment to Canadian investments as an important part of the broader portfolio to help protect our future.

Discover whether an Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) account is right for you. OMERS Pension Education team provides some background on registered retirement vehicles, how to contribute to the AVC account and what the AVC Income Option means for members who are over age 71.

Hear about what to expect when claiming disability benefit with OMERS, the difference between a disability waiver of contributions and a disability pension, and the options for members with a shortened life expectancy.

Learn about why you should keep your beneficiaries up to date, what spousal entitlement means and who else might be entitled to survivor benefits if you pass away.

Life changes such as leaving a job, taking a parental leave or going through a separation/divorce could affect your pension. OMERS Pension Education team considers these and other life changes, and explains how to use myOMERS to assist you along the way.

Fotini Eliopoulos, OMERS Vice President of Member Experience, elaborates on what a defined benefit pension is, the formula used to calculate a member’s OMERS Plan benefit, and how to maximize your pension if you can purchase or transfer service.

OMERS Pension Education team weighs in on the most frequently asked question from our members: What factors should I consider when I am deciding when to retire? Our pension staff discuss how they talk to members about this question and also discuss the psychology of retirement and how to mentally prepare for that next chapter.

Michael Kelly, OMERS Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer, and Katharine Preston, OMERS Vice President of Sustainable Investing, talk about the three pillars of ESG – environmental, social and governance – and how each impacts OMERS long-term investment strategy. They also delve into OMERS net-zero 2050 emission goal and how we’ll get there.

Celine Chiovitti welcomes Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network and Director of Health Policy at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA), to discuss "Healthy Outcomes", a new report from the NIA on the link between a secure and stable income in retirement and positive health outcomes in older age. Plus, Dr. Sinha provides his views on reframing the idea of retirement as people are living longer and what aging in the right place means to him.

Gareth Gibbins, Vice President of Pension Governance & Advisory at OMERS, shares research OMERS commissioned by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis, which found that retirees with a defined benefit pension are more satisfied with life. Also, what are Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) and why is it important for us as a society to start thinking about retirement in innovative ways?

Rob Carrick, Personal Finance Columnist at The Globe and Mail, visits with OMERS and provides his views on the retirement landscape, including the value of a defined benefit pension plan and why living within your means is so important. Rob also provides his views and strategies for how young people can manage their savings during a rising cost of-living environment.

Celine Chiovitti, Executive Vice President and Head of Pensions at OMERS, explains the Pensions North Star: to be the most trusted partner in empowering OMERS members through their pension journey – from hire to retire. She discusses the shifting demographics of members and how the OMERS pension extends beyond the cheque, with positive outcomes trickling into Ontario communities.

Blake Hutcheson, OMERS President and CEO, discusses our pension promise to deliver a secure and stable income in retirement to our members, and provides an inside look at our investment strategy and his vision for 2030. 

Series trailer for The Pension Blueprint podcast