Managing Director: Jon Hall

It sounds so simple, only it isn’t. Online retail banks realise full well that advances in technology may wow customers, but it is the human touch that begets business. The question is how to extract synergies and tangible benefits from digits whilst keeping close to the customer and his or her unique banking needs and expectations. The UK’s Masthaven Bank, on the leading edge of a second wave of disruptor banks seeking to challenge established convention, has put its customers in charge.

Surprisingly, Masthaven Bank refrains from deploying complex and often indecipherable algorithms and credit scoring mechanisms to gauge its accountholders. Instead, the bank’s staff is well-trained to treat each customer as an individual who deserves the benefit of manual underwriting. This way, accountholders are not reduced to an entry on a spreadsheet to be marked according to strict, secretive, and often bewildering rules.

Masthaven Bank has designed a comprehensive range of streamlined products that are easy to explain. The result of this approach is a suite of premier financial products that derive their sophistication from simplicity rather than complexity. Masthaven Bank is thus able to offer its savers a number of flexible account options that keeps the customer in control. The bank’s tailored savings bonds have consistently ranked near the top of Best Buy tables. Remarkably for an online-only bank, the average age of Masthaven Bank’s savers hover around sixty. Customers appreciate the ease with which the bank may be approached – there is no labyrinth of automated message to navigate: callers get connected to a knowledgeable agent each and every time.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that Masthaven Bank also offers second mortgages, bridge financing, and purpose-designed credit lines for small and medium-sized house builders. The judges are particularly pleased to note that Masthaven Bank has redefined the online-only banking by rescuing – and celebrating – the human dimension. The judges agree to declare Masthaven Bank winner of the 2018 Most Innovative Digital Retail Bank UK Award.

The management of renewable energy resources equates to the unrelenting pursuit of efficiency. That, in turn, requires the use of new technologies such as the integration and streamlining of processes via the Internet-of-Things (IoT), big data analytics, and other innovative ways to maximise performance whilst minimising operating cost.

Kaiserwetter Energy Asset Management of Germany manages 28 wind parks and 23 solar power facilities with a combined generating capacity of 470MW. Besides its home market, the company’s footprint extends to Spain, France, and Poland as well. Kaiserwetter has developed a proprietary algorithm for predictive analytics as part of a big data processing push to bring down both capital and operating expenditures. The resulting data allows customers to implement effective risk mitigation policies and reduce downtime.

By combining technical and financial data into a single stream, Kaiserwetter gives its customers access to a cloud-based dashboard that produces an instant overview of their facilities’ performance – from a single turbine to a country-wide series of wind and/or solar parks. Crucially, an integrated data variance model is included to account for meteorological trends and events. This enables operators to immediately finetune their generating plants to ensure optimal performance under any and all conditions.

Last year, the CFI.co judging panel marvelled at the innovations pioneered by Kaiserwetter. As renewables claim an ever larger share of the energy mix, their management becomes more important as well – to operators and investors alike. Kaiserwetter provides both the tools and the solutions that allow wind and solar parks to attain and retain maximum efficiency. The judges are pleased to offer Kaiserwetter Energy Asset Management the 2018 Best Renewable Energy Asset Manager Germany Award.

Nobody doubts that the future of retail banking is in mobile accessibility. Most clients no longer wish to manage their personal finances at local branch offices. Even booting up the desktop computer is often too much of an effort. Traditionalists by nature, retail banks find it hard to keep up with shifting consumer patterns. Mobile banking solutions are layered atop legacy platforms, adapted, and presented as true innovations. Alas, they are not and often feel clunky.

Norwegian mobile payment solutions provider Auka built its system from scratch and in such a way that future developments and breakthroughs may be easily bolted on. Auka’s fully scalable mobile banking platform incorporates the latest real-time P2P payment features and allows consumers to pay for purchases instantly without the need for additional POS hardware. The associated cross-platform app allows users to access their chosen merchant’s mini-shop without ever leaving the application’s secure environment. Merchants benefit from a vast range of easily implemented marketing options such as tailoring their online store to suit the client’s preferences and purchase history.

Auka’s mobile banking solutions are turnkey systems that dovetail with existing IT systems used by financial services providers. The company’s platform is unique as includes the latest features demanded by savvy customers without requiring a full – a complicated and expensive – overhaul of legacy systems.

Banks using Auka mobile payment solutions report significant growth of their customer base and increased levels of customer satisfaction thanks to gaining a competitive edge.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that Auka has partnered with Google to design a robust cloud platform. The judges agree that the Norwegian company has developed an exceptionally resilient platform that takes mobile banking to the next level – and beyond. The judging panel congratulates Auka with its win of the 2018 Best Mobile Payment Platform Europe Award.

Antonella Andrioli, Valentino’s Legal and Corporate Affairs Director (right) receiving an award from CFI.co

The name evokes a certain je ne sais quoi. Valentino, the landmark Italian fashion house named after its founder, has redefined and perfected style since the early 1960s with a perfect melange of suave subtlety and luxurious extravagance. The company’s designers unfailingly set the tone in the fashion world with collections that push the boundaries of convention and explore new frontiers without ever going over the top.

The brand received wide acclaim from the specialist press at the 2018 Paris Fashion Show, the industry’s flagship event, where even critics not usually given to handing out praise broke with tradition and penned raving reviews citing exquisite colour juxtapositions – always arresting but never jarring. Reaffirming ownership of its signatory house style, Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli showcased in Paris a haute couture at its most dreamily elevated without ever coming close to – or even within striking distance of – the caricatures often trying to steal the show with appeals to the extremely ridiculous or utterly impractical.

The fashion house has generated a great deal of excitement on the trading floor as well in anticipation of its possible float. Owned by a Qatar-based privately-owned investment company, Valentino has reportedly mulled offering up to 25% of its share capital on the Milan Stock Exchange. Though the IPO has been suspended for now, investors recognise exceptional value due to Valentino’s well-established reputation for excellence in corporate governance.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that Valentino has resisted the urge to stray from its core business. The company has powered its growth organically, leveraging the peerless competencies that made it into the true last emperor of the fashion world – and this emperor is indeed very well clothed. The judges are honoured to offer Valentino the 2018 Best Fashion Corporate Governance Award.

Marketing & Communications Director: Antonio Fratta Pasini

Italy’s CheBanca! leverages the power of technology to simplify its front office procedures and thus vastly improve the customer experience. Deploying data analytics, artificial intelligence, and robot advisory techniques, CheBanca! has managed to streamline both internal and external processes, saving on operational costs, slashing processing times, and improving the overall quality of its services.

Recognised in Italy and abroad for its innovative, if not revolutionary, approach to retail banking, CheBanca! – the human digital bank – has succeeded in preserving a personal touch. Though its back office operations are driven by marvels of technology, the bank’s customer-facing business is all about providing account holders with products and services tailored to meet their needs. In fact, thanks to its use of advanced analytics, CheBanca! is often able to anticipate customer needs and offer timely solutions.

CheBanca! has, in a way, reinvented the wheel and as such represents an interesting business case. The bank was designed from the ground up as a technology-driven financial services provider. CheBanca!’s operational structure is such that new IT developments can be easily incorporated in order for the bank to maintain its leading edge. CheBanca! was set up in 2008 and is part of Mediobanca, one of Italy’s largest financial groups.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that CheBanca! has ditched convention to embrace invention. It not merely pushed the envelope but did away with the container altogether and rewrote an entire business. Even more importantly, the bank has consistently registered solid growth and captured a significant share of the market. The judges are delighted to offer CheBanca! the 2018 Most Innovative Digital Smart Bank Italy Award.

Set up in 2004 and today one of France’s leading independent investment managing companies, Montpensier Finance has gained recognition — and acclaim — for bringing together a peerless group of seasoned asset management professionals. The firm has established an enviable track record by deploying analytical and decision-making processes developed and perfected in-house. ESG problematics (Environmental, Social and Governance) are well incorporated in the process to determine stock selection. 

Montpensier Finance is headed by a pioneering investment manager who introduced the multi-management concept to France in 1988 — long before the modality became `de rigueur’. Multi-manager investment products benefit from the diversification of funds spread across different asset classes and markets — each segment entrusted to specialized fund managers — trying to maximize returns. The firm also developed the Montpensier Market Scan (MMS) which enables multi-asset and flexible management teams to rely on the four major drivers of asset allocation: macroeconomic momentum, monetary policy dynamics, market valuation, and market dynamics.

Montpensier Finance has been particularly successful in its mission to outperform the overall market over longer periods. The firm tops €2bn in assets under management and maintains a number of funds tapping into Eurozone, Europe-wide, and global markets and split according to different models adjusted for optimum return in varying categories of risk tolerance.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that Montpensier Finance is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). The judges are unanimous in their decision to grant Montpensier Finance the 2018 Best Multi-Asset Fund Manager France Award.

Deploying and showcasing the power of machine-based learning (MBL) technology, eDreams ODIGEO has managed to increase flight bookings by almost 50% last year, offering travellers a highly personalised experience based on a real-time predictive analysis of aggregated and anonymised data which presents a vast range of options and add-ons. Thus visitors to eDreams ODIGEO’s websites and apps are welcomed to an online environment which is perfectly tailored to their personal preferences.

The online travel company, a recognised pioneer of its industry, employs a crack team of some 400 software engineers to design and finetune the eDreams ODIGEO platform and ensure it preserves a leading edge. The gargantuan effort pays off: last year the company saw all its main brands register solid growth with a 10% increase in the sale of ancillary products such as travel insurance, priority boarding, and preferred seating arrangements.

eDreams ODIGEO’s management developed its own approach to IT by seconding software engineers to all of the organisation’s departments in order to gauge needs, identify bottlenecks, and offer solutions. Thus, the entire corporate structure of eDreams ODIGEO benefits from MBL and other innovative technologies that not only offer customers a personalised experience but also streamline internal processes.

The CFI.co judging panel has followed eDreams ODIGEO for a number of years. The company has consistently sought to leverage the power of technology to improve its operational efficiency and offer a superior product to travellers – one based on a holistic approach that includes attention to even the most minute details and leaves nothing to chance. The judges are unanimous in their decision to declare eDreams ODIGEO winner of the 2018 Best online Travel Partner Global Award.

Left to right: Anne Leino – Senior Portfolio Manager, Pekka Luukkanen – CEO, Petra Särkkä – Chief Investment Officer, Mari Blomster – Communications Manager

A leader of the life insurance sector and known for its corporate nimbleness in reacting to market dynamics, Nordea Life Assurance Finland designs and offers a product range that incorporates sustainability principles throughout the process cycle. By adhering to strict ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards the firm has succeeded in reducing its exposure to risk and pursues a set of corporate policies that take the interests of all stakeholders into account.

Nordea Life Assurance Finland’s operations are anchored in its Life 2020 Strategy which includes improvements to the overall customer experience. The firm is aware of the need to offer its customers a personalised experience on any platform as a prerequisite – and driver – of business growth. The company wants to be seen as highly responsive to current and prospective policyholders. To that end, Nordea Life implemented a streamlined yet comprehensive platform that prioritises the customer effort score over the more traditional net promoter score.

Being responsive and nimble is, however, only part of the story; in order to meet not only customer demand but also address customer concerns, life insurers need to become ESG-aware and put their operation on a sustainable footing. Nordea Life ascribes its leading market position, in part, to its early adoption of green policies that do not just involve cosmetic changes but permeate throughout the company and also determine the way customer funds and savings are handled and put to work.

Nordea Life’s Savings Product Strategy 2020, a complement to the broader Life 2020 Strategy, includes a whole range of ESG initiatives and now guides the firm’s investment policies and decision-making processes.

The CFI.co judging panel notes Nordea Life has also been recognised as a Great Place to Work. Employees are encouraged to sign up for skills development programmes, community engagement initiatives, and come up with innovative ideas and suggestions in a ‘Ideas to Values’ process. The judges feel pleased to grant Nordea Life Assurance Finland the 2018 Most Sustainable Insurance Nordic Award.

Helping corporates manage global employee mobility, Boxx Global Expat Solutions has developed a new and holistic approach that moves away from single product services – addressing only one or, at most, a few of the requirements – to a end-to-end and everything-in-between model that leaves no detail to chance. This way, Boxx Global Expat Solutions reinvented the expat services business and managed to become the largest of its kind in Europe.

The company helps its customers obtain a full overview of all practicalities that result from moving professionals between jurisdictions. The ultimate goal is to make these moves as seamless as possible in order to fit with overall corporate expectations and ensure the well-being and performance of employees. Boxx Global Expat Solutions is unique in that the company recognises the many failings inherent in the one-size-fits-all approach to employee mobility which rarely yields satisfying results. Instead, Boxx Global Expat Solutions designs and implements bespoke packages that tie in with existing human resources policies of its customers.

The company maintains a vast and continually updated database that includes, amongst many other metrics, the cultural, legal, fiscal, and financial variables that come into play when professionals are moved between countries. Crucially, the database also includes outcomes and, as such, provides pathways to success built on actual experience.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises that the global expat business is, more often than not, erected on an ad hoc basis – or by throwing money at any problem that arises. This usually begets disappointment on all sides. By providing transparent and fact-based advice that includes all minutiae of employee mobility, outcomes are predictable, costs are contained, and all parties involved remain dedicated to the pursuit of corporate success. The judges declare Boxx Global Expat Solutions winner of the 2018 Best Mobility Value Creation Services Europe Award.

Deutsche Bank was our winner in this same award category last year, largely because of its outstanding treasury operations skills that had been tested severely following the financial crisis (which hit the bank extremely hard). DB has now returned to a strong capital position which it has been its recognised strength for the past 100 years, is now giving emphasis to its investment bank and retail business in Germany and is also looking to beef up its presence in North America. The treasury department faces many significant challenges for building capital and ensuring liquidity across a bewildering array of currencies and needs to comply with legislation in multiple jurisdictions. According to the judging panel, DB has been doing sterling work in all these areas. The panel commends Deutsche Bank on its enviable technical expertise in treasury management and is pleased to confirm the 2018 award Best Bank Treasury Management Team Europe.

Success tastes sweet, but sustainable success is what Firmenich craves and relishes. Firmenich, originally a fragrance company, expanded into the flavour business in 1938 when it created raspberry, strawberry and citrus substitutes. More synthetic flavours were created for processed and preserved food. The Swiss family-owned business has been sharing scents and flavours with the world for more than 120 years. It has maintained a firm grasp on its core values, striving to be a force for positive change in the world. Firmenich sets impeccable sustainability standards for itself, and of its own accord it signed a Chamber of Commerce-backed sustainable charter in 1991. It goes above and beyond in terms of transparency and social and environmental responsibility. Firmenich publishes annual sustainability reports and has them externally vetted for accuracy. It is committed to responsible sourcing, seeking out biodegradable ingredients and supporting local farming communities. The company believes in the power of collaboration, partnering with philanthropic giants like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in emerging markets. CEO Gilbert Ghostine is an advocate for, and champion of, responsible business practices. He has shown a flair for pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo. He is also committed to ending the gender pay-gap. Firmenich’s New York and Geneva operations are 100 percent gender-equality compliant, with other branches to follow suit by the end of 2018. Firmenich is in the upper echelon of industry sustainability, earning an EcoVadis rating of 82/100; the average score is half that. For its dedication to protecting the planet and its people, Firmenich has earned CFI.co’s 2018 award for Best Sustainable Family Company – Switzerland.

Pioneers, innovators, leaders — these words sum up the entrepreneurial essence of Altice Portugal, the country’s preeminent global telecommunications and multimedia operator. Altice has pioneered interactive TV service and multimedia mobile portals, while recognising the legacy of its predecessors. It continues to forge new territory in the ICT sector and pave the way for others to follow. Altice is dedicated to identifying and promoting tech talent and sponsors a competition – with generous cash prizes – for innovative entrepreneurs, graduate students and start-ups. Its subsidiary, Altice Labs, fosters scientific and technology learning through strategic partnerships and collaborative projects, ranging from Cloud technologies and Artificial Intelligence to Big Data and the Evolutionary Optical Framework. The company focuses on providing consumer and corporate solutions to help improve the lives of its customers. With its nationwide fibreoptic network nearing completion and a 4G mobile network with 98.5% percent national coverage, Altice is already moving on to the next challenge: phasing-in its new 5G ecosystem, featuring a new radio concept. Altice mixes disciplined practices with an agile and adaptable culture; it doesn’t try to predict the future, it prefers to create it. It’s this audacious, go-ahead nature which makes Altice the worthy winner of the 2018 award for Most Innovative ICT Leadership Europe 2018.

Didier Pascual, Afflelou Group CEO in Paris HQ

Pardon the puns, but these eyesight experts with insightful innovation and a clear focus on marketing set the standard for fashion-forward eyewear. For Groupe Afflelou, the quality of its products is a point of pride, providing customers with a standard three-year warranty instead of the two years required under European law. Afflelou thrives on innovation, introducing the first “buy one, get one free” offer 20 years ago. The company has worked tirelessly and consistently to make prescription eyewear accessible as well as stylish. They also introduced innovation in optics such as a subscription service: customers pay a monthly fee and can update their lenses as their vision changes. With retail locations in 18 countries – including several in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America – and a strong global digital retail network, the company has increased its market share despite a dip in the overall market. For its expansive global reach and its long-standing commitment to meeting, and exceeding, customer needs, the CFI.co judging panel names Groupe Afflelou as the Best Optical Retail Chain Europe 2018.

STOXX have been leading the way in innovative index concepts since 1998 and their indices serve as investment roadmaps, enabling clients to plot a sure course with independent and transparent market performance data. STOXX’s comprehensive offering of indices — more than 10,000 — covers more than 95 percent of the world’s investable markets and provides an index solution for every investment need. The company´s indices present specific market insights across a broad range of industries, geographies, and strategies. Innovation is the driving force behind the company’s success. In 2000, they became the first index provider to implement free-float market capitalisation across all its indices, and a year later it introduced its first sustainability indices, which have since grown into an innovative series of environmental, social, governance (ESG) indices. Active supplier of solutions to the ETFs industry, in the last five years their Europe 600 index embraced ETFs (exchange-traded funds) and in the last five years their STOXX Europe 600 Index has seen 9.8% compound annual growth while their STOXX Global 1800 Index has grown 13.8% a year.2018 has been a very active and successful year for the company as they have introduced several new indices. In January they launched the first-ever index that tracks AI innovators and selects its constituents based on an AI algorithm. They followed this up by launching first a range of LDI bond indices in April and then, in May, their EURO STOXX Multi Premia Index, that complements a suite of factor and multi factor strategies. Over the summer they expanded their thematics suite with indices covering blockchain, fintech and B.R.AI.N (biotechnology, robotics, AI and nanotechnology). Given the success of these launches, the Judges Panel have decided to name STOXX as the CFI.co Most Innovative Index Provider – Global 2018.

With a history of sound corporate governance and active ownership, Nordea Asset Management AB understands that environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration presents a powerful strategy to mitigate risk and create long-term shareholder value. The CFI.co judging panel has followed Nordea’s trajectory for years and is pleased to see the Asset Management team has expanded to become one of the largest, most diverse, and most proactive teams in Europe. Nordea Asset Management promotes ESG-integrated fixed-income and equity funds that are aligned to the changing demands of its forward-thinking clients. It employs ESG analysis procedures to determine companies’ worthiness for inclusion in its ESG enhanced funds. Responsibility and active ownership go hand-in-hand at Nordea. The Asset Management team proactively ensures responsible returns on long-term investments through screening, analysis, methodical monitoring, and corrective intervention where necessary. The company continues to prove its commitment to financing a sustainable future, most recently by collaborating with the United Nations and several other investors to pilot the recommendations of the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). The company’s long-term commitment to delivering high ESG standards is embedded in its DNA. The €216 billion of assets under management as of December 2018 clearly shows that investors trust the application of high ESG standards in helping deliver financial results while ensuring their funds help to deliver a more sustainable future. For the fifth consecutive year, the CFI.co judging panel has recognised the company’s contributions to sustainability. The judges present Nordea Asset Management AB with the 2018 award for Best ESG Investment Process (Europe).

Karel Manasco, CEO of Mansion (right) receiving an award from CFI.co

People around the world love sports and games, and Mansion offers both in one convenient, trusted online platform. The platform integrates products from top gaming providers on its three online casino sites — Casino.com, MansionCasino, and Slots Heaven — and one sports betting site called MansionBet. Mansion is licensed and headquartered in Gibraltar, the British territory at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula and a major financial centre and global e-commerce hub of the past years. Under the leadership of CEO Karel Manasco since 2016, the company has experienced remarkable commercial success, with 100 percent revenue growth and up to 200 percent profit increase, but this is only part of Mansion’s success story. The company encourages responsible gambling amongst its members, and provides controls to protect underage users, sets special limits on gaming activity, and can request a temporary cooling off period. The next step in Mansion’s long term vision will see new opportunities in other global licensed markets. The CFI.co judging panel was impressed with the CEO’s notion that success comes with responsibility, and cites the company’s dedication to exceeding current regulations as further proof that Mansion Limited be named the 2018 winner of the Most Responsible Online Gambling Operator (Global) award.

CEO: Laurent Mercier

Eurofragance wafted into the world as a small industrial facility in 1990 when the 25-year-old founder, Santiago Sabatés, set up shop as a fragrance designer and producer. The company now has a market presence in more than 60 countries and five continents. Eurofragance has expanded from its original Barcelona base to include strategically placed, automated production facilities in Singapore, Mexico, and the US. The company has expanded, consistently hitting over 10% growth per year, and the innovation and drive of its R&D department is just one factor spurring that expansion. Eurofragance has five Creative Centres, where the company works to create new scents to indulge the senses. The strategic location of the Creative Centres and production plants has afforded the company insights into promising new markets. Eurofragance has solidified its market presence in the Middle East with facilities in Dubai and Turkey. In Singapore, Eurofragance pioneered production practices that deliver Halal-compliant fragrances and promise to open the Asian market for further expansion. The company is investing in acquisitions and automation to ensure its continued growth trajectory. The CFI.co judging panel believes the company’s management style — which secured its €75m budget objective in 2018 — makes it particularly attractive to investors wishing to accompany Eurofragance in its inorganic growth path, especially with regard to its North and South American targets. Congratulations to Eurofragance, winner of the 2018 award for Best International Value Creation Growth award (Spain).

When Robert Wennekes founded The International Butler Academy twenty years ago, he did so with vast experience and know-how of the industry.

Having worked as a butler, personal assistant and executive manager to an American billionaire for six years, he returned to Europe to take up the position of Head Butler for an eminent Austrian family.

After that, whilst working at the US Embassy in Berlin, he was awarded a certificate for Outstanding Service by the White House.

It was when Professor Wennekes was headhunted by the global executive search firm Egon Zehnder to head their domestic staff division that he realised there was a shortage of high-quality butlers who would meet the exacting requirements of his clients.

So he decided to create The International Butler Academy, thereby ensuring that by imparting his knowledge and experience of top-class private service, he could meet his clients’ needs.

A pioneer in the field, the high quality of the trainers and the curriculum meant that the school was a resounding success and it wasn’t long before imitators started springing up.

However, by maintaining the highest professional standards, the Academy is internationally recognised as number one in its field.

In 2014, always seeking to improve their offering, the Academy acquired a mansion in the Netherlands, Huize Damiaan, the kind of location that students might well be working in upon graduation.

They run three training programmes a year, each lasting ten weeks; the courses are always full.

This superb establishment boasts 135 rooms all equipped with the tools and products the students will use once in private service; including four pantries, a porcelain room, three cellars and a flower-arranging room.

The student accommodation certainly beats anything you will see downstairs in Downton Abbey, Students have access to their own private living room outfitted with everything you would expect in a private home. This includes comfortable furniture, a fully-equipped kitchen (although all meals are prepared by the academy´s own Chef), a large-screen TV, DVD-player and (fast) wireless Internet.

The students´ laundry and bedding are also taken care of, which means they can devote their undivided attention to learning the expertise of the trainers.

Whereas their competitors use makeshift places to train such as corners of hotels or even warehouses, the students at The International Butler Academy can take advantage of their perfect surroundings to feel comfortable when they find employment in the grand houses or luxury penthouses of the world.

The Judging Panel recognises that its centre of excellence is unique in its field and that, together with the unrivalled level of instruction, is why they unanimously resolved to bestow the award for Best Private Butler Training – Global 2018 on The International Butler Academy.

Equity Partner, Head of Marketing & Products: Dedrick Bader

Pictet is one of the most respected names in the world of asset and wealth management with CHF 512 billion AUM (as at September 2018). Founded in Geneva in 1805, Pictet has maintained its principles of succession and in 213 years there have been only 42 partners, with an average tenure of 21 years. This has allowed the company to establish strong traditions and values which translate into long and trusted relationships with its clients. Always the pioneer, Pictet was one of the first asset managers to develop a thematic fund strategy, launching its water fund almost 20 years ago, followed by more thematic funds including the innovative Digital Fund in the summer of 2008 when there were only five million iPhones in the world, compared to over the billion in use today. Pictet has built on its early success by creating highly specialist investment teams from diverse backgrounds with a deep understanding of the themes. Understanding how to create such teams has helped set Pictet apart from its competition and enabled them to develop new thematic investment products. The Group´s adherence to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the integration of high ESG standards has helped enhance returns and mitigate risk . These factors have resulted in the funds not only delivering financial results but have also contributed to the delivery of SDGs and sustainable solutions.  Given the increasing demand for responsible investment solutions, the CFI.co judging panel felt Pictet Group, with its ability to identify strong thematic investment solutions that deliver strong rewards for its clients whilst funding positive change, deserved the recognition of the award for The Best Thematic Investing Solutions – Global 2018.

Christian Leitz, Head of Corporate Responsibility at UBS
Angela Wiebeck, Head of UBS in Society Program Office
Hubertus Kuelps, Head of Communications and Branding and Head of UBS in Society
Yann Kermode, Deputy Head Environmental and Social Risk at UBS

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) developed by the United Nations provide a roadmap of the action that must be undertaken – now – to avert environmental catastrophe, and to protect the planet for generations to come. As one of the largest and most influential financial institutions in the world, Swiss bank UBS has put its shoulder to the wheel, and its capital heft behind the drive for a sustainable future. UBS prefers to lead by example, and the efforts it has made towards SDG research enables clients, collaborators, policymakers and peers to make informed decisions on the path towards the SDG goals. UBS offers its private, corporate, and institutional clients a range of opportunities for impact investing, enabling them to make a difference – while still getting the returns they expect. The bank focuses its sustainability efforts on finance, philanthropy, and community engagement, as well as establishing a business model for sustainable growth, responsible stewardship of resources, and expansive social contribution. It underpins its long-term success with educational and entrepreneurial support for the communities in which it operates. UBS initiatives include, as the tip of this iceberg, a social enterprise that allows cocoa farmers to stake their claim in the industry, an academy to prepare underprivileged students for university, and a non-profit programme that trains, equips, and pays locals to administer basic health care. UBS takes seriously its role as an architect of a sustainable future, and the CFI.co judging panel applauds its efforts. Congratulations to UBS, the 2019 winner of the award for Best Bank Sustainability Leadership (Global).