For awards for Sections B, C and D, the performance and data is for the period to November 30, 2022.
- Best Bond Manager. Please describe your investment and research process and how your firm has coped in the ongoing pandemic and managed country specific issues and challenges. Please indicate the performance over the past one year and the size of the bond assets over the past three years.
- Best Equity Manager. Please describe the success of your equity products in your domestic market in light of the COVID-19 induced pandemic, trading conditions and how your firm has been able to capture growth opportunities. Please indicate the size of your equity assets under management in the last two years.
- Best ESG Manager. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of ESG and the associated long-term risks during the crisis. Please explain how your ESG strategies have coped and please indicate size of ESG coverage, footprint and assets under management. This award will go to the country-based asset manager that has demonstrated excellence in implementing ESG for its strategies firm wide.
- Best Application of ESG. COVID-19 has significantly heightened awareness of ESG issues and its long-term implications. Please explain how your firm’s ESG policies and strategies have been adopted and integrated into your portfolios (whether firm wide or by specific asset classes) and the research methodology and scoring system used. Please provide supporting data on assets and third party endorsements, if any.
- Best Fund House. Whilst overall market share is a key consideration, based on net assets raised from both retail and institutional investors, the award also recognises how your firm has coped during the pandemic, online initiatives and the overall client engagement experience. Please provide supporting data on the growth of your assets in the past three years.
- Best House for Alternatives. Please explain the particular strategy that your firm has excelled in, the investment and research process, performance record, size of client base, and client endorsements, if any.
- Best Institutional House. Key factors for consideration are market share, client retention and new business won for which supporting data is required. Please also indicate stability of senior management team, new initiatives launched or planned.
- Best Investor Education. Investor education is a critical area given the urgent need to raise awareness about financial planning in order to enhance retirement savings. With rising longevity globally, now more than ever, investor education has a central role to play. Please explain how your firm, industry body or association, or government agency has addressed this issue and initiatives aimed at the wider public, the channels deployed, use of technology, and impact of these efforts at either the country or regional level.
- Best Member Communications. This award recognises the platform that has been created to enhance the engagement and reporting process for scheme members through an array of web-based tools and mobile apps. The award recognises service providers, asset managers and pension funds. Please indicate service benchmarks.
- Best Multi-Asset Manager. Please explain how robust is your firm’s approach in building these portfolios for your retail and institutional clients while demonstrating superior capital markets and risk management expertise. Please provide supporting performance data.
- Best New ETF. Please explain the success that your firm has achieved following the launch of the new ETF. Please explain its particular features and benefits.
- Best Pension Fund Manager. For this award, applicants will be assessed over a three and five-year basis on how well they have managed their domestic pension mandates, the size of these mandates and returns against the relevant benchmarks. Please provide supporting data.
- Best Retail House. The award is based on existing share of the retail market, net assets raised during the year, new funds launched, if any, new initiatives in investor education, and achievements in securing new distribution arrangements. Please explain your online presence and how technology is deployed to improve the client interface experience and how this has been utilised during the ongoing pandemic.
- CEO of the Year. Please explain how you have managed during the past one year, in particular demonstrating leadership at a time of very challenging markets. Please explain how your franchise has fared, its assets under management, and new initiatives implemented, if any.
- CIO of the Year. This award recognises the achievements of a chief investment officer at the country level for a pension fund or fund management company. Please explain how you have navigated the volatile markets, mitigate risks and position your portfolios for the next market cycle. Please provide supporting data on the portfolios that you are responsible for, size of investment team, investment performance, and new initiatives, if any.
- ETF Manager of the Year. The country awards address the key achievements of the provider in the last 12 months, recognising the successful launch of new products or listing of funds this year, and expansion of franchise.
- Fintech Innovation in Asset Management. This award recognises a firm’s product or service offering that has made a significant difference for your clients. Please explain how your firm is deploying or has deployed cutting edge technology or technologies to offer better outcomes for your clients at the retail, wholesale or institutional level. Please explain your online presence and use of apps, if any.
- Best Digital Wealth Management. The digital era has opened up new opportunities for the asset and wealth management industry and in so doing is making investments for individuals for financial planning and retirement savings far more efficient and at lower costs. Please explain how your institution’s platform is structured, scale of investment offerings, size of your franchise, innovative practices and ease of use. Please provide supporting data for the past two years.
- Fund Launch of the Year. Please explain how your firm has been able to launch your new fund and made an impact in the past one year. Please explain the innovative strategies used during the launch period and provide supporting data on amounts of monies raised at the country or regional level.
- Most Innovative Product. Your firm has been able to design and successfully launch a new and innovative fund or product for your clients in the past year and to anticipate market demand early on in the investment cycle at either the country or regional level. Please provide supporting data and to show amount of monies raised.
- Best ESG Engagement Initiative. With the increasing adoption of ESG strategies and the implementation of the stewardship code of conduct and in line with the SDG goals, institutional investors play a critical role in improving corporate governance of listed companies. Please explain how your institution is set up in terms of stewardship and engagement, reporting on voting and market impact. Please also provide how your ESG team is structured and the number of company engagements (both online and offline) in the past 12 months.
- Best ESG Index Provider. Allocations to ESG strategies are growing in the local market. Please explain how your institution is meeting client demands by structuring innovative indexes based on your proprietary research methodology; please provide supporting data on take-up and size of client assets that track these indices.
- Most Innovative Index. Your organisation has developed and launched an index (or a series of indices) that are leading edge and captures the new opportunities that are presenting themselves; these are indices that track new sectors or industries in the New Economy such as in the clean energy universe, technology, transportation, healthcare and infrastructure.
- Best Impact Investing Manager. Impact Investing is still a relatively new theme and assets under management are still relatively low. At its core, impact investing combines financial returns and societal returns for a specific mandate or cause. Please explain how your firm is making a difference in deploying this strategy in either public markets or private markets, the research and investment process, and assets under management.
- Best Application of Artificial Intelligence (new). AI strategies are gaining traction as firms incorporate these technologies into their investment process in managing portfolios. Please explain your process, its impact and market acceptance for your retail or institutional clients in your market.
- Best Climate Change Strategy (new). As fiduciaries of capital, asset managers play a critical role in the ongoing energy transition as part of the journey to achieve a Net Zero emission world. Please explain how your institution is responding to this challenge and steps implemented to date in managing client portfolios.
For Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia only
- Best Islamic Fund House. Whilst overall market share is a key consideration, based on net assets raised from both retail and institutional investors, the award also recognises the progress made in expanding distribution, stability of management, and investor education programmes implemented, if any. Please provide supporting data on the growth of your assets in the past three years.
- Best Islamic Fund. This award recognises excellence in long-term performance in the local market. Please provide the relevant data and the benchmarks used for the fund for the three-year, five-year and 10-year periods respectively where applicable.
- Best Sukuk Manager. This award recognises growth in assets, profitability, strategic relationships, customer service, competitive pricing, and innovation. Also provide information on the firm’s online presence and investments in new technology or support infrastructure.
- Islamic Retail House of the Year. Please explain how your firm has been able to retain and grow your market share in the past one year inspite of the challenges posed by the pandemic. Please indicate new fund launches, if any. Please provide supporting data on growth of assets, number of funds, and net fund inflows.
- Islamic Institutional House of the Year. Please explain how your firm has retained and expanded client assets during the pandemic, how client engagements have been structured, and any new initiatives launched in the past one year. Please provide supporting data to show growth of assets.
- Most Improved Fund House (Malaysia) (new). This new award recognises a manager’s strong financial performance as measured by growth in revenues and profits in the past two years. Other metrics such as cost to income ratios and net profit margins will also be a determinant in selecting the winner for this award. Please provide relevant and supporting data.
For China only
- Best Domestic Private Fund Manager. Private fund managers have made significant inroads with diversified strategies in bonds and equities, macro trading, private equities or venture capital investment. They have established a strong foothold in fund raising from institutional and high net-worth investors. Please explain your particular strategy, product focus, performance and size of assets under management in the past three years.
- Best Enterprise Annuity Scheme. This award recognises the size and coverage of the scheme apart from maintaining consistent investment returns over the past three years. Please provide supporting data for the past two years including client endorsements if possible.
- Best Occupational Annuity Manager. Launched in 2015, this scheme is set to expand at a faster pace in the next few years as more state organisations are enrolled. Please explain how your firm has managed during the pandemic in the past one year in terms of work practices, client engagements and managing scheme assets .
- Best Pension Product. Rising longevity rates in China mean that employees have to increase their rates of savings and investments in order to be able to provide a safety net after their retirement. In view of this, investing in a well-designed pension product is important, one that caters to people in different age groups and with different expectations and requirements. Please explain the features and benefits of your product, its cost structure, level of transparency, track record and market impact. This award will also address the recent growth in life cycle funds in the market.
- Best Provider for Private Pensions. China’s third pillar of private pensions is still in its early stage but many providers are making good progress. Assets under management currently represent less than 1% of the size of the overall market but long-term growth is promising. Target date funds, for example, have been introduced. Please explain your firm’s current coverage, footprint and strategy for the market. Please provide supporting data on size of assets.
- Best WFOE House. The mainland market’s reforms have opened the door for foreign fund houses to establish their wholly foreign owned enterprises for domestic fund raising. Please explain how your firm has established a presence, its product and distribution arrangements, market acceptance and funds raised in the last 12 months.
- Pensions CEO of the Year: This award will recognise the achievements of an individual in the pensions market in China, one who has been able to demonstrate and implement a clear strategy for his or her firm in the fast growing pensions industry. Please explain how you have managed your team during the ongoing pandemic, engaging clients (online and offline), and any new initiatives and plans for the future.
- Fintech Innovation in Pensions: This award will recognise the achievements of a provider in the pensions market in China; given China’s leading use of fintech and artificial intelligence, the applications of these leading-edge technologies in pensions management will bring significant benefits to both employers and employees. Please explain how your firm’s leading edge has enhanced your market profile and standing and especially so at a time of the pandemic.
- Best China Index Provider. Please explain how your firm has been successful in the Mainland by offering sophisticated indices to meet demand for innovative strategies across various asset classes for retail and/or institutional investors. Please provide supporting data to indicate growth of assets that track these indices over the past two years and new initiatives, if any.
- Best ESG China Index Provider. Allocations to ESG strategies are growing sharply in China. Please explain how your institution is meeting client demands by structuring innovative indexes based on your proprietary research methodology; please provide supporting data on take-up and size of client assets that track these indices.
For Hong Kong only
- Best China Fund House. This award recognises the achievements and progress made by Mainland fund houses, specifically their pool of assets managed in Hong Kong, their investment strategies and supported by their size of their research and portfolio management teams. Please provide data on staff resources and assets under management. Also provide information on the firm’s online presence, innovatory practices and investments in new technology or support infrastructure.
- Best ORSO Scheme. This award recognises a retirement scheme in Hong Kong that takes a holistic approach in managing the retirement savings of its employees, offering good employee choice options, a superior member communications programme, enhanced level of contributions and sound financial planning services.
- Best RMB Manager. The winning asset manager will have demonstrated the ability to deliver service, performance, and innovative solutions with its RMB offerings globally.
For Singapore and Japan only
- Best REITs Manager. Please highlight current size of franchise, fund performance, new initiatives undertaken, new launches and plans for the future.
For Taiwan only
- Best House for Offshore Funds. The award is based on net assets raised for funds investing globally and structure of the funds in terms of their strategy, product innovation and market impact. Also provide information on innovatory practices and investments in new technology or support infrastructure used to support the firm’s online presence.
- Most Active ETF (new). This new award will recognise the most heavily traded ETF on the local exchange in the past 12 months. Please provide supporting data.
For Thailand and Korea only
- Best Pension Plan Sponsor. The award recognises the progress and achievements of a pension fund in Thailand and Korea. Please explain how your pension fund has coped with COVID-19 especially on managing investments and operations. Please also explain any new initiatives undertaken in the past 12 months.
For India only
- Index Provider of the Year. Please explain how your institution has been successful in the domestic market by offering sophisticated indices to meet demand for innovative strategies across various asset classes for retail and/or institutional investors. Please provide supporting data to indicate growth of assets that track these indices over the past two years.
