Sign in or Register
Dave Lawson

Dave Lawson

Lessons From the Financial Crisis

Dave Lawson is the Chief Investment Officer at the Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta (WCB-Alberta). As Chief Investment Officer, Dave is responsible for leading the investment management process for WCB-Alberta’s $6 billion portfolio where portfolio management includes a combination of internal and external management across multiple asset classes. In addition to investments, he also manages the Actuarial Services Department which is responsible for actuarial valuations, forecasting, insurance pricing and asset- liability management. Prior to joining WCB-Alberta in 2004, he held investment management positions at the City of Edmonton and the City of Regina. He is currently President of the Edmonton CFA Society, on the Board and Chair of the Investment Committee for the Province of Alberta Management Employees Pension Plan and was a member of the City of Calgary Investment Committee from 2005 to 2009. Dave graduated with a Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Regina and is a CFA charter holder.

From Last Lesson to New Ideas

What worked really well, what worked out okay, and what totally bombed.

Lesson Eight: Currency Hedging (Check Your Reserves)

Hedge ratios must differ for reserve, non-reserve currencies.

Lesson Seven: Rebalancing worked (again)

There's also a fine line between procedure and judgement.

Lesson Six: The Art of Hiring External Managers

2008 showed bigger doesn't mean better.

Lesson Five: Diversification

It worked if you had it...

Lesson Four: You Need More Liquidity

Better planning to beat the freeze.

Lesson Three: Active Risk

More correlated than you think.

Lesson Two: Credit Risk

Not just volatility, but real default risk.

Lesson One: Funding Risk

2008 wasn't that bad - plan sponsors should have been better prepared.