BlackRock Lunch Series for Board Members

Building on a proven and successful format from the Netherlands, we launched a senior level lunch series in the Nordic region this fall. Designed for board members and trustees, these lunches combine expert insights with peer exchange in an interactive setting. They take place in BlackRock’s Stockholm office.

The lunch series aims to support board level decision making by offering perspectives on key themes that are increasingly relevant for long term governance, investment strategy, and risk oversight in a complex and rapidly evolving global environment.

About the Series

The BlackRock lunch series for Board members consists of in person lunch presentations. Each session focuses on a theme that is central to the responsibilities of a modern board.

There is no need to enrol for the series; simply sign up for the specific lunch that is of interest to you. The number of participants is limited to a smaller group.

Topics in 2026:

01 Macroeconomic developments, financial markets and geopolitics – 3 September 2026

Session on how macroeconomic developments, geopolitical fragmentation, and structural trends can impact the investment landscape and long term portfolio outcomes.

02 The New Investment Regime: Are Traditional Portfolio Assumptions Still Fit for Purpose? - 9 December 2026

Session on how structural changes in the global economy and financial markets may affect portfolio construction, diversification and governance, and whether long-standing investment assumptions remain appropriate for the years ahead.

03 AI in operations and investments – Q1, 2027

An introduction to AI as a tool within operations and investment processes, with a focus on its application in operational efficiencies as well as systematic investing.

Second Session - 9 December 2026

Welcome to our BlackRock office at Jakobsbergsgatan 13 in Stockholm on Wednesday, 9 December, from 11:45–13:00, for the second lunch presentation in the series.

The New Investment Regime: Are Traditional Portfolio Assumptions Still Fit for Purpose?

For decades, pension portfolios benefited from a relatively stable environment characterised by low inflation, declining interest rates and predictable relationships between major asset classes. Today, structural shifts such as geopolitical change, demographic developments and technological innovation are creating a more complex investment landscape. At this lunch, we will explore how pension boards can think about portfolio resilience and diversification in a world where long-held assumptions are increasingly being tested.

Discussion topics

Investing in a New Regime

• How geopolitical developments, demographic trends and technological innovation are reshaping markets
• What higher and more uncertain inflation, interest rates and volatility mean for long-term investors
• Which traditional investment assumptions may need to be reconsidered

Building Resilient Pension Portfolios

• How to think about diversification when traditional asset class relationships become less predictable
• The role of flexibility alongside strategic asset allocation

Rethinking Diversification and Risk

• The opportunities and challenges arising from increasing concentration in equity markets
• Whether portfolios are diversified by asset class but still exposed to similar underlying risks
• If building a pension portfolio today, what might be done differently?

We look forward to an open discussion and the exchange of perspectives.