Canadian Pensions Certificate Program


Date and Time

Starts:11/17/2025 9:00 AM

Ends:11/26/2025 4:00 PM

Registration Closes:11/14/2025 3:00 PM

Event Type: Certificate Program

23 CPD Hour(s)

Location:
Partner's Virtual Platform

Price:

HRPA Members:
$1,970 + Taxes
Non-Members:
$2,450 + Taxes
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Note: CPBI members can email ontario@cpbi-icra.ca for a promo code to receive the HRPA Member rate. HRPA members automatically receive this rate—no code needed. Only one discount applies per registration.

Availability

Additional Information

Event Sponsor


This program is created in partnership with:


Navigate the Complexities of Pension & Retirement Savings with Confidence. Pensions and retirement savings plans are a critical part of employee compensation but managing them has become increasingly complex. Longer life expectancies, shifting workforce demographics, evolving pension laws, and regulatory changes have made plan administration more challenging than ever. HR professionals must now understand not just the legal and financial aspects of pension plans but also how to optimize them for both employees and employers. This certificate program provides a comprehensive, practical guide to pension and retirement plan management, helping HR professionals ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and enhance the value of their benefits programs. 


Why This Course Matters for HR Professionals  

  • Ensure Legal & Regulatory Compliance – Understand the complex legal framework governing pensions and retirement savings.
  • Optimize Plan Administration – Learn best practices to manage plans efficiently, cost-effectively, and with minimal risk.
  • Reduce Liability & Protect Your Organization – Gain strategies to mitigate risk in plan design and administration.
  • Enhance Employee Financial Well-Being – Develop more effective pension and savings programs that align with workforce needs. 

 

Who Should Attend?

  • HR professionals responsible for employee benefits, pension plans, and retirement savings programs.
  • Managers & business leaders involved in compensation and benefits decision-making.
  • HR specialists looking to expand their expertise in pension plan management. 

 

What You’ll Learn

  • Module 1 – Plan Overview & Statutory Requirements
    Intro to DB, DC, and other registered plans; compliance with pension and tax registration requirements, including T4 reporting and pension adjustments.
  • Module 2 – Defined Benefit Plans: Key Concepts
    Covers DB funding, investment rules (30%/10%), actuarial valuations, SIPPs, and ITA limits.
  • Module 3 – Defined Contribution Plans: Key Concepts
    Explores DC investment options, service providers, default funds, fees, and ITA contribution limits.
  • Module 4 – Investment Concepts for DB & DC Plans
    Understanding investment managers, alternatives, and current global and Canadian trends.
  • Module 5 – Communications & Record Keeping Best Practices
    Effective strategies for plan communication and documentation, including post-COVID considerations.
  • Module 6 – Admin Guidelines for Life Events
    Handling key events: beneficiary updates, leaves, separations, equalization payments, and bankruptcy.
  • Module 7 – Transitioning to Retirement
    Guidance on addressing retirement gaps, decumulation strategies, and improving member outcomes.
  • Module 8 – Governance & Risk Management
    Plan governance principles, risk mitigation, and best practices for sustainable plan oversight.

 

Detailed Agenda of the Program

This live virtual certificate program includes interactive learning through case studies, group work, and simulations. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory, and recordings will not be available. To receive a certificate, participants must complete a short online assessment after each module.

  • Live Virtual Sessions: There will be online instructor-led modules, during which practical examples and experiences will be shared.
  • Materials: Participants will be provided with session workbooks to follow along with the content covered in each module and to take notes, as well as additional pre-session readings and post-session assignments.
  • Peer Learning and Group Work: Participants will have the opportunity to learn from each other while answering questions and sharing experiences and observations during the modules, as well as through practical, hands-on exercises and simulations based on real-world labour relations events and processes.
  • Time Commitment:This four-day certificate program will be delivered in eight modules. Participants will spend four (4.5) hours each day participating in the virtual sessions and accompanying exercises and simulation activities. Over the duration of the course, participants can expect to spend an additional five (5) hours completing offline independent work (outside of the daily sessions). The in-class virtual modules will be held as follows:

Day 1

  • Intro/Welcome – (9:30 am – 10:00 am)
  • Module 1 – (10:00 am – 12:00 pm)
  • Module 2 – (2:00 pm – 4:30 pm)

Day 2

  • Module 3 – (10:00 am – 12:00 pm)
  • Module 4 – (2:00 pm – 4:30 pm)

Day 3

  • Module 5 –  (10:00 am – 12:00 pm)
  • Module 6 –  (2:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

Day 4

  • Module 7 –  (10:00 am – 12:00 pm)
  • Module 8 –  (2:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

Note

Registration Difficulties/Questions: Please reach out to the Professional Development team at Professionaldevelopment@hrpa.ca

For more information please Call the Toll-free number:   888 788-3185  Choose 1 for Region, then Ext. 3email ontario@cpbi-icra.ca 

Speaker bio(s)
Jason Vary, President

Jason has practiced in defined benefit pension and retiree health plans for over twenty years. He has experience with many plan designs including single-employer, multi-employer, jointly-sponsored, private sector, government, unionized, non-unionized, as well as registered and non-registered executive plans. He also provides clients with independent due diligence services with respect to mergers and acquisitions, and expert independent advice on matters before arbitrators and the courts. Jason is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and the Society of Actuaries and is also an active volunteer within the actuarial profession and with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.


Matthew Streeter, Vice President, Defined Contribution & Retirement

Matthew is part of the actuarial and investment consulting division of People Corporation, where he collaborates with pension plan sponsors, investment management teams and internal colleagues in all matters of pension investment solutions for Defined benefit and defined contribution clients. In this role he consultants with a variety of clients in optimizing their pension & retirement investment strategy. Before joining People Corporation Matthew was the Vice President of Defined Contribution & Retirement at Franklin Templeton.

He is a CFA charter-holder and brings with him twenty years of institutional investment management and banking experience and has held senior positions at global banks, asset managers and financial technology companies and brings his deep expertise in quantitative product development, investment analysis and pension consulting.

Mr. Streeter is an active volunteer in the pension and benefits industry and currently serves as a council member and treasurer for the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute (CPBI) of Ontario and has received his bachelor of science in finance and economics from the University of Vermont.


Natasha Monkman, Partner

Natasha Monkman is a partner in Hicks Morley’s Pension Benefits and Executive Compensation practice group. She regularly advises private and public sector employers on a variety of plan administration, compliance and governance matters relating to their employee benefit plans and pension plans, including with respect to the administration of marriage breakdown and death benefit entitlements. She also regularly advises employers under going significant transactions and with respect to pension plan funding issues.


Jennifer Agnew, Partner, Brown Mills Klinck Prezioso LLP

Jennifer is a lawyer at Brown Mills Klinck Prezioso LLP practicing in all aspects of pension, benefits and executive compensation law. Jennifer advises clients in both the public and private sectors across Canada on all matters related to pension and benefit plans, including plan design, administration, governance, investment and compliance with minimum standards legislation and regulatory policy. She also has a depth of experience with issues relating to the purchase and sale of a business, insolvencies and other corporate restructuring. She is also experienced in advising plan administrators on the valuation and division of pension benefits upon spousal breakdown and benefit entitlements upon the death of a plan member. Jennifer has worked with all types of pension plans in both the federal and provincial jurisdictions, including multi-employer and jointly sponsored pension plans.


Laura Blumenfeld, Employment and Labour lawyer at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Laura provides timely and practical advice to employers in all areas of employment and labour law, including employment standards, human rights, labour relations, workplace safety and insurance, privacy, occupational health and safety, and wrongful dismissal. A significant portion of Laura’s practice involves advising on the employment and labour aspects of complex corporate transactions. As an advocate, Laura has extensive experience advising clients in employment and labour related litigation, arbitration and mediation, including wrongful dismissal actions and human rights applications. Laura also regularly advises clients on the negotiation and drafting of employment and consulting agreements, executive contracts, and termination agreements.


Steve Tarling, Consultant Group Retirement Solutions

Steve manages all aspects of our relationships with clients, assisting in plan implementation and design, to responding to the ongoing needs of plan sponsors throughout the partnership.

Steve has over 20 years of experience in the group retirement savings industry. He began his career in human resources and has worked in operations, sales, education and relationship management with two Insurance companies over his career.

Steve’s well-rounded back-ground provides him with a unique perspective to provide guidance and expertise for our clients’ retirement and savings plans.

Steve has successfully completed the Canadian Securities Course (CSC), as well as the Code of Ethics Exam (CPH), Canadian Financial Planning (level I and II), Branch Managers Exam, Pension Plan Administration Course PPAC (level 1 & 2), and the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) Course. He holds his Certificate in Human Resources Management from Seneca College and his B.A. from Carleton University.


Kelleher Lynch, Associate

Kelleher is an Associate with McCarthy Tétrault’s National Pension, Benefits & Executive Compensation Group in Toronto and a member of McCarthy Tétrault’s Pension Funds Investment Group.

Kelleher provides strategic legal advice to public and private companies on legal issues arising in respect of the planning, establishment, governance, administration, and wind-up of pension plans, profit sharing plans, registered retirement savings plans, welfare benefits plans, retirement compensation arrangements, equity compensation plans and other forms of executive compensation.

Kelleher is the Chair of the Pension & Benefits Section of the Ontario Bar Association for the 2021-2022 year. He also serves on the Executive of the Pension & Benefits Section of the Canadian Bar Association, and on the Ontario Regional Council of the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute.


Adam Ngan, Associate, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Adam's practice covers all aspects of pensions, benefits and executive compensation law, including plan administration, governance, investment, design and taxation. He also advises on the pensions and employee benefits aspects of corporate transactions. Adam provides legal services to both public- and private-sector pension plan sponsors and administrators.


Salina Shariff, Financial Wellness Leader

Salina leads the financial wellness initiative through consulting, creating, managing, and delivering member communication for clients. She has also championed the launch of a digital financial wellness platform designed to provide a holistic financial well-being strategy to assist individuals towards better financial outcomes.

Salina’s career spans over 30 years within retirement solutions, including 15 years in leadership roles. Her experience in the retirement and savings industry is founded in several of Canada’s largest insurance companies. Salina’s background in retirement administration, client relationship management and financial education makes her a subject matter expert for colleagues and clients. The last decade of Salina’s career has focused on various components of retirement solutions to assist plan sponsors and members in achieving their retirement goals. Salina now leverages her experience in the field to build and offer financial wellness consulting solutions to clients at People Corporation.

Salina holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Retirement Plan Associate (RPA) designation, is Life Licensed (LLQP) and has passed exams for the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and Canadian Securities Course (CSC).


Paul Rossi, Investment Consultant

Paul joined Eckler’s Investment Consulting practice in 2004, starting out as an investment analyst. Today, he serves as lead and co-lead consultant to clients of all sizes with defined contribution (DC) or defined benefit (DB) plans, working with clients in a variety of areas, ranging from governance, to investments, to record keeper selection and plan design.

Paul has been primarily focused on DC over his entire career and has extensive knowledge of investment managers and record keepers, leading various research efforts on both fronts over his tenure at Eckler. He brings a detailed approach to all his clients and specializes in helping manage their DC plans effectively.

Paul graduated from Ryerson University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and has completed level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.