Corporates are increasingly seeking to adopt a more developed enterprise-wide approach to risk management. Given that the defined benefit pension plan is a major source of risk, it is essential that this is factored into the organisation's risk management strategy, with an approach that recognises the attractions of certain rewarded risks and the options available for those risks regarded as unrewarded.

In this session, we draw on real client experiences and look at tools and frameworks to help sponsors consider their options, take informed decisions and work towards desired outcomes. The materials will directly reflect market realities in terms of the increasing incidence of DB plan closures, and also the particular challenges posed for sponsors by recent economic developments.

The current economic situation and the requirement to cut unnecessary costs provide significant impetus for employers to ask how they can reduce health-related risk costs. Mercer has calculated that employers are spending, on average £3,000 per employee per annum on such costs, including insured or self-funded health benefits, provision of health services and wellness programmes. Nevertheless, for most employers the largest risk cost - and the most poorly understood - is the cost associated with sickness absence.

We will explore the steps required in creating a health risk management strategy and talk through the framework involved in identifying how an appropriate strategy can enable real reductions in both risk and benefits costs, all the while, keeping employees healthy, happy and productive.

With increasing focus on contribution to the bottom line and supporting the CEO and top team to navigate the economic pressures, we explore what will drive success.

• What capabilities does the HRD need across the HR leadership team?
  
  
• What metrics should the HR top team be focused on?
  
  
• What does the nimble, low-cost, high-value HR function look like?

We look at some of the approaches employers have adopted in respect of their HR functions to see what is delivering results.

Although some commentary suggests that mergers and acquisitions are not relevant in this volatile market, other views are that there are bargains to be had. To take advantage of the 'bargains', companies are being acquired first and thought is being given to strategy and the reasons why second. This can leave both acquired and acquiring companies confused as to the future direction of the merged group.

This session will seek to demonstrate how addressing the people opportunities and liabilities arising from M&A transactions maximise deal value and mitigate risk. It will also aim to show that, although ideally considered up front during the deal planning, the people issues can also be addressed post-deal, in a way that creates value.

The past 12 months have provided the biggest test that members have faced in the relatively short lifespan of the brave new DC world, with many having to address if and how they redress the enormous dent that the last 12 months' investment performance has put in their retirement savings.

Drawing on survey data, behavioural research and client experience, we will explore how sponsors can support members in these challenging times, addressing how:

• considering members' wider financial requirements and objectives when developing benefit solutions can benefit both employers and employees
  
  
• targeted communication can help members modify behaviours and enable them to make more informed decisions. Recognising that some members will never engage actively, we will also explore default options: what works well and what doesn't.

Flexible benefits has gained prominence in the UK over the last several years. Much has been talked about the value that this will generate for employees and the subsequent benefits to employers. However, while the cost savings for employers from schemes have been easy to quantify, increasing employees' perceived value of flex remains a challenge.

In this session we look at the future of flexible benefits, and in particular how to drive true value from schemes to deliver long term, sustainable, strategic value for both employers and employees. Drawing on client case studies to illustrate the theory in practice, we will address the issues of employee engagement through communication and education, leveraging new technologies to enable efficient and effective delivery of flex, and the positioning of flex in the context of total reward, drawing on client case studies to illustrate the theory.

In the current environment companies are seeking to maximise operational effectiveness. As part of this companies will want to reassure themselves that they are adopting the right sourcing strategy.

In this session we will discuss the options and evaluate the pros and cons for in-sourcing, outsourcing and co-sourcing to achieve an optimum balance of cost, risk and service.

We will guide those of you already on the journey to first time outsourcing, through the considerations you will need to address, introducing a client who has moved to outsourcing for the first time, who will share their experiences of making it happen.

The recent turmoil in the financial markets, the accompanying recession and the reaction to these events by regulators and investor bodies have forced companies to consider radical changes to their remuneration strategies, in particular for senior executives. One of the major challenges for companies during this turmoil is that historic market practice provides little guidance as to what will be acceptable to shareholders in the future.

In the session we will present up-to- the-minute case study examples of what companies are doing to develop innovative executive compensation structures, drawing on our experience as the advisers to a number of major FTSE 100 companies. We will also share what we have learned from our recent round of meetings with the institutional investors and their representative bodies.