Strategy: Continuing the Conversation

Last year, OPTrust initiated a conversation about “the measure that matters.” We changed the name of the Annual Report to the Funded Status Report (FSR) because the measure that matters to a pension plan’s members is its funded status — the benchmark that directly determines the Plan’s ability to pay the expected benefits at the current cost. This year’s FSR continues this conversation, keeping the focus on our fully funded status.

OPTrust is seeking growth in the membership of the Plan through mergers with other plans and by offering pension coverage to other workplaces. We are also taking steps to encourage plan membership to contract workers by launching a dedicated campaign to enroll them in the Plan.

Pension Citizens

Over recent years, we have become a more vocal advocate for the defined benefit model as an aspect of our efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Plan. We promote awareness, working with our members, decision makers, the public and those who influence public opinion. We continue to work with a wide network of like-minded advocates. This is how we define our role as pension citizens.

An Innovation Organization

We are facing the future with confidence and momentum. With a goal to become the best pension organization in the world, we are creating a stronger ability to innovate.

Culture

OPTrust will use data to analyze the potential capacity for employees and the work they are asked to deliver and how they balance regular operations with growth and innovation activities. This data will also help make sure we are making the best use of skills within the organization.

OPTrust Cares, our employee-led charitable giving program, continued into its second year in 2017.

Prudent Stewardship

OPTrust took further measures in 2017 to address risk and to protect our fully funded position.

OPTrust is also cost-conscious. When the costs of administering the Plan are reported in a manner consistent with its peers, OPTrust operates the Plan at a cost of 35 basis points.

Focus on members

Every interaction with members provides a vivid reminder of whom we serve and why we continue to make a difference in their financial well-being. Whether we’re developing sophisticated investment strategies, championing climate change or helping members navigate what can be complex choices, we are fully memberdriven. Services to our members are a journey of continuous improvement, refinement and growth.

A Multi-Channel Approach to Member Service

Online communications

Telephone support

Face-to-face interactions

Traditional paper-based communications

Climate Change

OPTrust supports the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) as the global standard to provide investors with the information required to assess the financial impact of climate change. As we endorse the TCFD, we are committed to reporting against the framework ourselves.

Funding Policy

Members want to know they can count on their pension to be there when they retire.We seek to enhance the likelihood that our members’ contribution rates and benefit levels will not fluctuate significantly throughout their working lives.

Continuing the Conversation

OPTrust will continue to take a leadership role in the pension industry, advancing new ideas on topics ranging from the implications of climate change for pension investing to the Canadian pension model, in service of a sustainable, secure future for everyone.

Looking Forward

As we move forward into 2018, we will be implementing our new five-year strategic plan. This plan was developed internally, with input from employees across the organization.

The strategic plan’s primary pillar is sustainability and growth.

Supporting pillars are: