For ASEAN awards, the performance and data is for the period to November 30, 2023.
- ASEAN Asset Consultant of the Year. This award will recognise the role and contribution of an asset consultant to the funds and pensions industry in ASEAN; the incumbent has to demonstrate a solid track record in pensions advisory and a high level of strategic input for its clients as well as a commitment to the region. Client references will be an added advantage.
- Best Application of ESG. ESG strategies have three major components: environment, social and governance. Specific to your firm’s ESG approach, please explain how the three components are applied across your research and investment processes in ASEAN. 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 ESG Manager in ASEAN. In a post pandemic world, ESG strategies remain more relevant than ever. Even so, the ESG universe has come under much sharper focus with regulators addressing a host of issues not the least of which is greenwashing. Please explain your firm’s ESG approach, its set up in ASEAN and more importantly, provide specific examples of your ESG investment strategies in ASEAN. Please indicate the size of your ESG team, resources, products and assets under management in Asia for the period to November 30, 2023.
- Best Impacting Investing Manager. Impact Investing is still a relatively new theme in ASEAN 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 ESG Strategy – Pension Fund. Now more than ever, the momentum is growing in Asia for asset owners and pension funds to apply ESG strategies across their spectrum of investments. Please explain how your pension fund has incorporated ESG best practices into your portfolios and to ensure the long-term sustainability of these investments.
- Best Pension Fund for Member Communications. It is incumbent upon members of pension funds to equip themselves with sufficient knowledge to make informed choices about their savings and investments in both the accumulation phase before retirement and in the decumulation phase post retirement. Please explain steps that your pension fund has undertaken to improve the engagement process, new initiatives, raising investor education programmes, and the tools and technologies that have been used to convey the key messages.
- Most Improved Pension Fund (new). This new award will recognise a pension fund (government, state or corporate) that has implemented new features and benefits for its members; these are features and benefits that are sustainable to meet the long-term obligations of the fund. Please provide supporting data and measures implemented.
- ETF Index Provider of the Year in ASEAN. The winning applicant will have been at the forefront of developing accurate, objective and superior indices in the region. They will demonstrate how they have developed sophisticated index concepts in response to continuous growth of the ETF market and expanded their index offering on a regional level and across all asset classes.
- ESG Index Provider of the Year in ASEAN. Allocations to ESG strategies are growing across the region including from a host of asset owners and pension funds. 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.
- Fintech Innovation in Asset Management. This new 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.
- Index Provider of the Year in ASEAN. This recognition will be awarded to the index provider that has done the most to improve investor outcomes through index introductions, research, adviser support and more. Also provide information on innovatory practices and investments in new technology or support infrastructure used to support the provision of indexes the firm provides and give details of the company’s online presence; provide evidence of having benefitted from smoother operations and/or new value added services; and list significant contributions to the investment management industry.
- Most Innovative Application of Artificial Intelligence (new). AI strategies are gaining traction as firms incorporate these technologies into their investment processes in managing portfolios. Please explain how your institution is positioned for example in using CHATGPT and Large Language Models or other processes and their outcomes and impact for your clients in the region.
- Best Climate Change Strategy. Climate risk is now recognised as an existential threat globally and the recent evidence bears this out; this award will recognise an institution (stock exchange, bank, asset manager, insurer, sovereign wealth fund, corporate) for its efforts in de-carbonisation in the ongoing energy transition as part of the journey to achieve a Net Zero emission world. Please explain how your institution is responding in ASEAN to this challenge and steps implemented to date and plans for the future.
- Best Digital Assets Manager. As an asset class, digital assets are evolving with market penetration and take-up across the region still in its infancy. Please explain your firm’s strategy in managing these assets in ASEAN including tokenized assets, your specific focus and achievements and new initiatives in the past 12 months to November 30, 2023.
- Best Institution for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In the second year of this newly created award, please explain how your institution is structured in ASEAN, progress and achievements to date and plans for the future.
- Best Local Custodian in ASEAN. This award recognises contributions by local banks in ASEAN which offer custody and related services in their home market. Please explain how your institution has fared in the market in the past 12 months in terms of assets growth, significant mandates won, new product/services introduced, market advocacy, etc. in light of the global issues affecting the market. How are you responding to client demands in competition with other foreign or local custodians in your market? How are you meeting the heightened requirements of risk and compliance? How are you addressing developments shaping digital assets and currencies? Please provide supporting data in your submission.
