12. Exploring the Innovative Strategies that SWIB is Deploying to Generate Returns for the WRS

Innovation has always been critical to the State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s (SWIB’s) success. As assets under management continue to grow, and the investment industry and the world continue to change, SWIB is positioning itself for the future, finding innovative ways to invest the public pension funds and help secure the financial futures of the people who rely on the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS). Last year, SWIB continued to look forward when it launched two new internal alternative fixed income strategies. The new Mortgage Backed Securities and High Yield Portfolios are designed to target less efficient segments of the market. In addition, SWIB partnered with three North American public pension plans to create the Global Peer Financing Association, an innovative nonprofit investment group focused on peer-to-peer securities financing opportunities. In this episode of the podcast, we talk about these innovative initiatives, find out more about how they fit into SWIB’s overall investment strategy for the WRS, and learn how they are keeping SWIB at the leading edge of institutional investing. We're joined by Mike Shearer, SWIB’s head of alternative fixed income strategies; Dave Jordan, SWIB’s high yield portfolio manager; and Chris Benish, a managing analyst in SWIB’s Asset & Risk Allocation Division.