International Investment Funds Discuss How to Serve Investors Amid Increased Regulation, New Opportunities

October 24, 2013

TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 24, 2013 – Leaders of the US$27.4 trillion global investment fund industry gathered in New Orleans this week to consider how to serve investors better in a world with new regulatory challenges and increased opportunities.

At the 27th Annual Conference of the International Investment Funds Association (IIFA), more than 70 delegates from more than 30 countries heard from key regulators, considered regulatory and business trends in each region of the world, and discussed the potential for funds to play a growing role in retirement provision across the globe.

“Our annual gathering demonstrates the growing importance of funds and fund investing to nations around the world, to economic growth, and to the financial security of many millions of savers and investors,” said Eduardo Penido, Chairman of IIFA and Vice President of the International Relations Committee of the Brazilian Financial and Capital Markets Association (ANBIMA). “Our dialogue as associations emphasized the fundamental need to fulfill the high obligations we have to our investors and to continue to innovate for their benefit.”

“The opportunities to bring the strengths of fund investing to savers and investors in every region of the world have never been greater,” said Paul Schott Stevens, President and CEO of the Investment Company Institute (ICI), which hosted the conference. “Diversification, professional management, and strict regulation make investment funds exceptionally well suited to a rapidly expanding global marketplace.

The IIFA delegates, representing fund associations from six continents, met for three days, October 21–23. The program included:

• Insights from key current and former regulators, including Tajinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO); Elisse B. Walter, former Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and Jorge Palacios, Vice President, Technical Supervision, National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) of Mexico.

• Discussion on the business challenges of running a global fund firm with F. William McNabb III, Chairman of ICI and Chairman and CEO of Vanguard, and Martin L. Flanagan, President and CEO, Invesco Ltd.

• Consideration of crucial industry issues, including changing tax policies; worldwide trends in use of exchange-traded funds (ETFs); informing and educating investors in the electronic age; and the effect of changes in the regulation of fund distribution on investors.

• Discussion of “hot topics and trends” from all regions of the world: Asia and Pacific, Europe and Africa, South and Central America, and North America. Glen Gowland, chair of The Investment Funds Institute of Canada took part in the session on hot topics, while Joanne De Laurentiis, IFIC’s president and CEO, chaired a session on international regulatory developments.

IIFA’s 28th Annual Conference will be held October 20–22, 2014 in Canberra, Australia.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT FUNDS ASSOCIATION (IIFA):
Established in 1987, IIFA (www.iifa.ca) is an association with membership of more than 40 national and regional investment fund associations from around the globe. Members of IIFA collectively represent managers holding US$27.4 trillion in assets at the end of the second quarter of 2013.

ABOUT IFIC:
The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (www.ific.ca) is the voice of Canada’s investment funds industry. IFIC brings together 150 organizations, including fund managers and distributors and industry service organizations, to foster a strong, stable investment sector where investors can realize their financial goals. By connecting Canada’s savers to Canada’s economy, our industry contributes significantly to Canadian economic growth and job creation. The organization is proud to have served Canada's mutual fund industry and its investors for more than 50 years. IFIC serves as the Secretariat for the IIFA.

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For more information:
Ralf Hensel, IIFA Secretary, 416-309-2314, rhensel@iifa.ca.
Follow us on Twitter @ific


For more information contact:
Ralf Hensel
IIFA Secretary
The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and International Investment Fun
Phone: 416-309-2314
Email: rhensel@iifa.ca
Website: www.ific.ca and www.iifa.ca

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The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC)

Topics:

• Financial Services
• Funds Management
• Investment Funds
• Investment in Canada
• Investments
• Mutual Funds
• Mutual Funds Industry
• Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs)
• Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs)