Capital Conversations: The CIO Perspective on Growth, Risk, and Policy

Roundtable Luncheon with Aaron Bennett, Pat Charbonneau and Rossitsa Stoyanova.

C.D. Howe Institute events and webinars are open to members and their guests.

Please follow this link or contact events@cdhowe.org to register.

At this roundtable, three of Canada’s leading Chief Investment Officers will share how they are navigating today’s investment landscape - from growth outlooks and global market dynamics to evolving risk frameworks and the policy factors shaping institutional decision-making. The off-the-record discussion will explore where major funds are finding opportunity, how they are positioning portfolios amid uncertainty, and what trends they are watching most closely in 2026 and beyond.

Aaron Bennett, Chief Investment Officer, University Pension Plan

Aaron Bennett is UPP’s Chief Investment Officer and leads all aspects of UPP’s global investment strategy and operations. A seasoned portfolio manager recognized as one of Canada’s Best Executives for 2025 by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business magazine, Aaron brings over 23 years of investment experience, with expertise in strategic asset allocation and responsible investing. Across his roles at Jarislowsky Fraser Global Investment Management, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and mid-sized Canadian investment banks, Aaron has supported systemic and robust investment analysis, policy formulation and strategic implementation across portfolios and asset classes. Aaron holds a B.Sc Honours in Biology from Queen’s University, an MBA from the Ivey School of Business Western University, and is a CFA Charterholder.

Pat Charbonneau, Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, PSP Investments   

Patrick Charbonneau is Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). In this role as CIO, he oversees PSP Investments’ portfolio design and beta management activities, the fund’s overall investment strategy and the treasury function.

With 18 years at PSP Investments, including six years as a founding senior member of the London office, Patrick brings deep expertise in private markets and a global perspective. He has over 20 years of experience in the infrastructure sector and was instrumental in building the organization’s infrastructure portfolio and team since inception of the infrastructure asset class in 2006. In 2023, he returned from the UK to become the first CEO of the Canada Growth Fund Investment Management where he led the set up and the initial investments of the fund.

Patrick holds a Bachelor of Business from Bishop’s University. He has been a CFA charter holder since 2002.

Rossitsa Stoyanova, Chief Investment Officer, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario

Rossitsa leads IMCO’s investment team and oversees all global investment activities, including portfolio construction, asset allocation and strategic partnerships. Prior to IMCO, Rossitsa was Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Design & Construction at CPP Investments where she led the portfolio design and construction team and oversaw the fund’s risk appetite and allocation. Previous to CPP Investments, she was at GE Energy Financial Services where she was responsible for due diligence and structuring acquisitions in the power sector. She also worked in Assurance and Advisory Services at Deloitte & Touche in Chicago. Rossitsa holds a BBA from Saint Mary’s College in Indiana and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois.​