The Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies (APAFS) hosted their 4th in a series of regional Institutional Funds Management Conferences, in Pohnpei on Tuesday, August 19 from 8:00am to 5pm at the College of Micronesia Gymnasium. The conference boasted presentations from recognized experts on the latest trends and best practices affecting institutional funds today. In addition, public officials and business executives had the opportunity to interact with these experts to better familiarize themselves with issues surrounding institutional fund management.

The vast majority of the world's investable wealth is in the hands of investment fiduciaries, and the success or failure of investment fiduciaries can have a material impact on the fiscal health of any country. As critical as their role is, more has to be done to define the details of a fiduciary's prudent investment process.

Jason Miyashita, AIF and APAFS Instructor addressed this in “The Prudent Process”. This presentation is a guide for investment fiduciaries to follow to demonstrate prudence in managing investment decisions. By following a structured process based on defined practices, the fiduciary can be confident that critical components of an investment strategy are being properly implemented today. Miyashita will also address the recent capital markets volatility. 

The seminar also boasted experts, Don Clark, vice president of ASC Trust Corp who covered “Update on Defined Contribution Retirement Plans in Micronesia”, James D. Staub, senior VP of Atalanta Sosnoff Capital Management covered  “US Domestic Capital Markets Outlook”, and Mark J. Heath, CFA and senior VP of Metropolitan West Capital Management covered “International Capital Markets Outlook”. Heath, in his capacity as deputy executive director discussed the current state of APAFS.

The conference was the fourth in a series of country conferences held throughout the year by APAFS, the first event was held in Palau on April 22, and Yap on June 4, and in Majuro on July 29, boasting over 50 participants who received a Certificate of Completion at the end of each program. The objective of the organization is to provide educational programs for members in the jurisdictions of Palau, Guam, CNMI, FSM and Marshall Islands, expanding to other areas as opportunities arise. These country conferences are one of the primary goals of the association, to hold topic-specific conferences as requested by members in their jurisdiction.

For more information about APAFS, the regional mini-conferences and the 8th Annual Pacific Region Investment Conference, you may directly access their website at www.apafs.org.