On 3 to 5 September, the UNJSPF hosted the 2024 Global Pension CFO Forum at the United Nations headquarters. Eighty finance executives from over 40 pension funds attended the event, traveling from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Qatar, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
This diverse group of pension leaders shared perspectives, challenges and lessons learned on topics including artificial intelligence, benchmarking, sustainability disclosure and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration. Attendees and speakers exchanged ideas and discussed best practices, all with a shared interest in organizational success and the long-term wellbeing of their beneficiaries and retirees.
“The event showcased not only the UNJSPF, but the UN itself, and it made me proud to work here and tell our story,” said Rosemarie McClean, Chief Executive of Pension Administration at the Fund.
In his opening remarks, UNJSPF CFO Enzo Iaderosa said: “We are lucky to work in an industry where we are not, generally speaking, competing with one another and therefore CFOs are willing to share ideas and collaborate.”
Spread across three days, the Forum offered a mix of structured programming and networking events. Wednesday, the fullest day on the agenda, featured two keynote speakers. In the morning session, Shantanu Murkherjee, director of the Economic Analysis and Policy division at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, shared insights on global economic trends. That afternoon, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander spoke about confronting the rising anti-ESG movement.
The day concluded with remarks from Mr. Iaderosa, as well as an interview with Ms. McClean and Pedro Guazo, Representative of the Secretary General at the Fund, who shared their perspectives on the evolving role of the CFO and what it takes to be an effective leader.
“The most important thing is to ask questions, be willing to listen and be open-minded to doing things differently than perhaps the way it’s always been done,” said Ms. McClean. As an example of this lesson in action, she described the work at the Fund to develop the CARE strategy, with its three pillars of improving the client experience, modernizing pension services and strengthening stakeholder relationships.
Underscoring the broad and influential role of a CFO, Mr. Guazo said: “I don’t think there’s anyone besides the CEO that has more visibility into the entire business than the CFO.” This purview, and its associated power and responsibility, extends into the daily culture of an organization, he noted.
One aspect of the UNJSPF culture that Mr. Guazo spotlighted is how all staff members at the Fund are both employees and beneficiaries.
“This is very important for us, because you can feel in our staff a sense of ownership. We have invested a lot in creating a culture that is aligned with recognizing this,” he said, highlighting among other efforts the drive to increase transparency.
This year’s Forum also featured five breakout sessions that provided more interactive dialogue opportunities. Topics included innovation, data, sustainability reporting, benchmarking and finance as a business partner.
The event marked the 15th year of the Forum, and its first in the United States since 2015.
