The Risk Management Association is pleased to present its Conference on Securities Lending, October 8-11, at the Ritz Carlton, Key Biscayne, FL. Designed by securities lending and borrowing professionals for individuals from banks, brokerage houses, pension funds, endowments, and regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Europe, this industry-wide conference is RMA’s premier securities lending event of the year.

Conference co-chairs, Alexander Blanchard, Global Head of Repo Trading, Goldman Sachs and Tamela Merriweather, Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Legal Counsel, Northern Trust are looking forward to connecting with securities lending professionals and tackling today’s industry challenges.

“The conference steering committee has developed an extensive business program providing practical solutions to current industry challenges,” said Merriweather.

Blanchard added, “This conference brings together all the players involved in securities lending and features an impressive list of experienced speakers who will make an impact.”

Topics include collateral management, international market updates, performance measurement, legal/regulatory updates, and many more agenda items, many of which are featured below.

Uncharted Waters: A (LIBOR) Transition to Alternative Reference Rates?

With policymakers questioning the efficacy of global IBORs, what challenges lie ahead as we consider moving away from LIBOR as the dominant reference rate? What challenges does this transition create for institutions, bank funding, money markets, and transparency? Be sure to attend this timely session discussing this important change in the financial markets.

Women in Securities Finance

The Women in Securities Finance group will host a two-part program centered on professional development inclusive of an industry leader panel and round table breakout sessions. The panel discussion will be comprised of senior female and male leaders of the securities finance industry who will share their experiences and insights, what the new focus on diversity means for the industry, and what challenges lie ahead.

Global Legal, Regulatory, and Tax Update

Which upcoming regulatory events with significant global impact are the ones to watch? The regulatory environment continues to expand and contract with the need for updates on the regulatory landscape including Basel IV, Dodd Frank (SCCL, Volcker, NSFR), the leverage rules, stress capital buffer rule, as well as implementation issues.

Modernization of Standard Industry Documentation

How will industry standard documentation (MSLAs/GMSLAs) evolve to address the changing needs of the securities finance industry? What terms should industry professionals consider when addressing the various legal, regulatory, and market forces affecting firms’ business models, and issues such as MIFID2, SFTR, tax issues, and the ISDA Stay Protocol? This panel will explore the answers to these and more pressing questions on this topic.

Continued Rise of Fintech and Its Impact on the Industry  

How can today’s securities finance industry better equip itself to embrace improvements in technology that are threatening to disrupt traditional market practices for the industry, such as artificial intelligence/machine learning, robotic processing, and blockchain? This panel will discuss these issues and the expanding role of big data in creating greater transparency.

The Evolution of the Treasury Function

Balance sheet management is evolving, so what role can the securities financing industry play in supporting future treasury/CIO functions? What efficiencies can firms utilize to maximize the use of balance sheet assets? Find out these answers and more during this timely session.

The Treasury Market Practices Group’s Current Issues and Views

TMPG members will discuss best practices that promote the integrity and efficiency of the government securities markets and some current initiatives. Included in the discussion is their recently published consultative white paper titled, “Clearing and Settlement in the Secondary Market for U.S. Treasury Securities”.

Market and Regulatory Forces Impacting Demand and Broker/Dealer Activity

As broker dealers move from being leveraged constrained to capital constrained, how will this affect their interaction with hedge funds and agents? Will this lead to more lending against cash? What demand dynamics, such as quant funds and high frequency trading, drive demand and create churn and what is the impact? Find out during this informative panel.

Fran Garritt, RMA Director, Securities Lending and Market Risk said, “We look forward to bringing together securities lending professionals to discuss issues that will affect the industry.”

For the complete agenda and additional conference details, please visit www.rmahq.org/asl2018.